HTF REVIEW: "Beauty and the Beast" (Highly Recommended) (with screenshots) (1 Viewer)

[Seth Paxton]

Did it say when?!?!?

Well, if you consider "soon" an answer to that question.
And the trailer is in 4x3 as well. :frowning:
Hey, but at least they are telling us about it, so it's on the board and being worked on.

 

[Scott Weinberg]

Ron! What a massive review! :star: :star: :star: :star: (I'm guessing that at least three hours went in to just the writing of this one, let alone the watching!)
These Disney annuals are turning out to be the highlight of the digital year! Can't wait to get my copy!

 

[Ronald Epstein]

What did the Mouse House do to make them an enemy to laserdisc? As far as I was concerned, they made GREAT laserdiscs!

Disney's history with the laserdisc format is
essentially the same as it was with DVD.

In the beginning, they hesitated to enter the
market, and when they did, their releases were
not on par with other studios.

In fact, at one point, they pulled their plans
to release a laserdisc boxed set simply because
the public wasn't buying another one of their
boxed sets. I think the title in question was
Mickey Mouse The Early Years.

By the end of the laserdisc years, however, Disney
seemed to be at the top of their game -- which is
also the case this year with that studio and DVD.

 

[Brian Perry]

Aladdin, on the other hand, was postponed in the schedule because of concerns with marketability after 9/11.

This is the first I've heard of this, and if true, it's really sad. (I'm not blaming Disney, just lamenting the sorry state of civilization.)
Ron,
Great review, I can't wait to buy BatB.

 

[Neil Joseph]

Nice review Ron. This has quieted my concerns about the transfer of the 3 films. I will just have to see how it looks like for myself too though. I wonder how the other 2 versions are?

 

[Dave Morton]

I hope this doesn't freeze on a layer change. I can't wait for it. Already have it pre-ordered.
Rain, it's not your fault for Celine. I agree that she is one of my most disliked "stars" out there.

 

[PaulaJ]

Just a footnote to Ron's terrific review:
The two young actors, Christy Romano and Shia LaBeouf, who host the "Animation Magic" segment, are the stars of the Disney series Even Stevens -- a show I like a lot. (Even if I am old enough to be the mother of most of the cast members.) ;-)
LaBeouf has the lead in the upcoming movie Holes (co-starring Sigourney Weaver and Christopher Walken) and also has been cast, I hear, in Charlie's Angels 2. Romano is the voice of Kim Possible in the new Disney animated series of the same name. She has a very pretty singing voice and experience in musicals and could very well be a future Belle in the stage version of the show.

 

[Adam Tyner]

The two young actors, Christy Romano and Shia LaBeouf, who host the "Animation Magic" segment, are the stars of the Disney series Even Stevens -- a show I like a lot. (Even if I am old enough to be the mother of most of the cast members.) ;-)

Nice to see I'm not the only one, even though I'm twice as old as the series' target audience. I found their presence on this DVD to actually be a significant motivating factor for a purchase.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Quote:

Sounds like good business. One Mickey set is released and is an absolute failure (I bought a remaindered punch-out within MONTHS). So they don't release the second box set. Sounds like what other studios would do.
I guess you and I are going to have to agree to disagree on this one. I don't think Disney was ever an enemy of Laserdisc. But for a couple of years, their (and Fox's) position on DivX certainly made them an enemy of DVD.
Anyhow, thanks for the detailed review.

 

[John Berggren]

I'm pleasantly suprised to learn that the transfer quality has not been compromised. I've heard so much about that being true, that I'd resigned myself to a 2nd rate disc and unheard complaints to Disney. I'll pick this one up on release day after all.

 

[Dean DeMass]

As usual Ron, great review!
I cannot wait until next Tuesday to pick this up. It it a wonderful film all the way around. Too bad we have to wait a whole 12 months until The Lion King.
-Dean-

 

[LeeL]

Now see here, the Canadian Government has apologized for Bryan Adams on several occasions!

BACK ON TOPIC, I've been waiting for years for this movie, my youngest has never seen it (and I refuse to pay $12 a head to go to Imax to see anything when the first run house is $7), so it's a given I'm picking it up first thing Tuesday morning. Thanks for another great review Ron.

 

[Keith M.]

Ron:

Once again, another exceptional dvd review! This is what keeps me coming back to the HTF!

Keep up the great reviews!!


Thanks!!!

 

[Seth Paxton]

As I mentioned, I watched some of the Work in Progress too, and could see no hiccups from any angle switching or branching. I almost assume it to be a separate version since I'm not sure about the truth in the approach here (the method to create 3 seperate versions I mean).

I did not have WiP on LD, only the BnB boxset. But the DVD looks and sounds fantastic to me. Only a fool would skip this release.


BTW, I really liked the "Human Again" song and I'm glad they added back to the SE (I missed this at the IMAX so I had yet to hear that song).

 

[michael deakin]

Thanks Ron.
This is one of my all-time fav Disney movies, The next being "sleeping beauty". My laser disc version still holds up pretty good. So i can't wait to see this version.
mike

 

[michael deakin]

Thanks Ron.
This is one of my all-time fav Disney movies, The next being "sleeping beauty". My laser disc version still holds up pretty good. So i can't wait to see this version.
mike

 

[JohnnyHK]

Just got the "Your order was shipped today..." email for my BatB order. Hey, I might even get it a day early!
Thanks for the great review, Ron. I'm pumped!

 

[Robert Cook]

Nicely done, Ron, as usual. I'd better refrain from making judgmental comments about the DVD until I've examined it myself, but at least someone has finally asserted that the picture looks great. I sure hope that I'll see it the same way!
Ronald Epstein wrote:

Quote:

This is just my opinion, but I don't like the song, and find it highly out-of-place and distracting. The movie is definitely better without it.

 

[GregoryM]

Aladdin, on the other hand, was postponed in the schedule because of concerns with marketability after 9/11. Hopefully, such percieved problems won't be around for long so it can be released in Fall 2004.

What concerns might these be? Your post makes it seem like it should be obvious that there might be a perceived connection, but I've racked my brain and can't find one.

Explain this to me like I'm six years old. Exactly what connection could there be between a ten-year-old movie set thousands of years ago and thousands of miles away, and a terrorist attack last year? Is it something to do with the people who made the film or the content? There's a single tower that collapses and a temple that's destroyed, but nobody's killed in either instance. So explain to me carefully, in small words, why anyone might be hesitant to purchase this movie, or why Disney might think that someone would be.

 

[Brandon Conway]

The concerns are marketing something with Middle East connections.

I also find it absurd, but that's why it was pushed back. I guess Disney feels that it would be a hard sell for those people looking to bomb the entire region....

Releasing The Lion King, Bambi, and Cinderella is "safer" I guess.