“Beauty and the Beast 3D” was originally supposed to be released on February 12th, 2010. But after early test screenings and negative backlash, Disney decided to drop it completely. In September, they decided to release “The Lion King 3D”. Once that became a surprise hit, the studio decided to re-release a bunch of their classics in the third dimension.
I got ripped online for my harsh criticisms of “The Lion King 3D” because of how poor the conversion was. Too many scenes were blurry, and for stretches of the movie, there was no 3D at all. But Disney has done it right with “Beauty and the Beast” – giving it the 3D treatment it deserves.
From the memorable opening sequence with the stain-glassed windows to the glorious finale, the 3D is used perfectly. At times the conversion makes the background images (such as the statues in the castle) pop-out and become true characters.
It also enhances many of the musical numbers including “Be Our Guest” and the ballroom sequence for the song “Beauty and the Beast”. And there’s a moment you’ll remember if you’re a fan of the movie – during the song “Gaston” when LeFou is swung straight into the camera. Wait till you see that in 3D.
It’s no secret that “Beauty and the Beast” is my favorite movie of all time. So there is a part of me that isn’t sure that this version was even necessary. Why mess with a classic? But if this version gets more people to see the film, especially young kids, then it was worth it. In fact this is a great first 3-D movie to take little ones to (theaters are even supplying special 3D glasses that are just the right size).
Along with this new version of “Beauty” is a brand new and very funny short called “Tangled Ever After”, which takes place right where “Tangled” left off. And, as always, don’t leave early because during the end credits there are new black and white artist sketches of the “Beauty” characters in 3D that are very impressive.
On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, “Beauty and the Beast 3D” gets a B+.