Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast doesn't even wait for the beautiful prologue to reveal the film's core message: "But she warned him not to be deceived, for beauty is found in hiding."
Howard Ashman's legacy
The so-called Disney Renaissance (1989-1999) is considered the ultimate in animated films. And perhaps the most important person during that period was Howard Ashman, THE great champion of the classic Disney musical. Together with Alan Menken he wrote the music for The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, winning an Oscar in both cases! Unfortunately, Ashman contracted AIDS and died before Beauty and the Beast was released. Which is doubly sad because his true passion project was actually Aladdin, a Disney adaptation that he initiated himself. But both he and Menken were pulled from the production to rescue Beauty and the Beast, which had originally been planned as a non-musical production and was struggling to make any headway. Anyway, three of Ashman's songs still made it into the finished version of Aladdin.
Five reasons why Beauty and the Beast is one of the best Disney films
If Disney animated films are known for anything, it's this: unforgettable memories that inspire us as children just as much as they do as adults. Memories we carry with us forever. And songs we can still sing along with perfectly decades later. There are several examples of films that do exactly this, but there is one we are particularly fond of: Beauty and the Beast. Five good reasons why this Disney classic is one of the best animated films of all time.
1. Inner Beauty
The film reminds us not to judge a book by its cover. Yes, Belle is beautiful. The film's title is no coincidence. Especially at the time the film was made, audiences would be expecting Belle to end up with an equally attractive partner. But the script deviates from this so-called norm, which the villain Gaston even openly addresses in the film. And there is a clear message that is just as relevant today as it was then: inner beauty is what matters! Belle is not beautiful because she looks good, but because she is kind. Because she is reflective. And because she is funny, but also smart. The handsome Gaston, on the other hand, has a personality that transforms him into the ugliest figure of all.
2. Belle is not a princess
For a long time, Disney princesses were basically decorative accessories for the male heroes, falling in love with them all too easily and willingly. Not so Belle! In 1991, when Beauty and the Beast hit the cinemas, Belle was by far the most progressive Disney princess we had ever seen. She is certainly no simple damsel in distress; instead, she stands out as being highly intelligent — her love of books, after all, is world famous! Yes, she is saved by male characters in the film, but she also saves the men. Belle decides for herself what she does and doesn't want to do. Her top priority is adventure rather than the final wedding! Or to put it another way, if you gave Belle a tiara, she would swap it for an exciting book without hesitation.
3. The characters
Beauty and the Beast is bursting with great supporting characters. Whether it's Belle's quirky father, the unintentionally funny LeFou, or the congenial castle inhabitants. Heck, even the nice — albeit seriously conservative — villagers are incredibly well done. But the stars, of course, are Mrs Potts, Lumiere and Cogsworth, who stand out from the vast array of enchanted objects. (Although we must confess, we always had a bit of a thing for the wardrobe that we find hard to explain). While we're on the subject of characters, let's not forget the dastardly Gaston: at first he seems completely harmless, but as the film progresses his menace increases until he finally becomes a kind of beast himself. Although his song is not too shabby. Speaking of which ...
4. The songs
Every single song in Beauty and the Beast is catchy, fits the characters and drives the story forward. Granted, this is true of most Disney films. But the music here is simply on another level and was quite rightly awarded two Oscars. The first number in particular, known as "Belle" in the original film, is a real masterpiece. Entertaining? Check! Instantly memorable? Check! Conveys an incredible amount of information in a very short time? Check! And we haven't even mentioned "Gaston's Song", the absolute classic "Be our Guest" or the title song. Let's just sum it up by saying, the songs are incredibly good across the board and yes, we have long since got Spotify booted up, so we can click play.
5. The merch
Hey, this is Elbenwald, after all! Merch has a special significance for us! And in our view, Beauty and the Beast has some of the best merch of ALL the Disney films. This is partly because the story has so many characters and iconic objects that are so perfect for fantastic merchandise. A tea set with Madame Pottine as the teapot and Chip as the cup is as obvious as it is ingenious, the same goes for the enchanted rose. It is precisely highlights like these that stand out so wonderfully from other Disney merchandise. Which is not to say that we don't have everything you need in more conventional product areas: Beauty and the Beast T-shirts, Beauty and the Beast socks, Beauty and the Beast purses. We've got it all, including glasses, backpacks, books and, of course, Funko Pop figures!