Sometimes even “a tale as old as time” can be (re)told with great panache and charm the audience.

And that’s exactly what Disney has done with Beauty & the Beast 3D.

God knows how many times Beauty & Beast has been made on celluloid and in how many languages.

Yet the latest version did not disappoint even folks like us who aren’t too enamored of animation films.

Although we are well acquainted with this popular fairy tale, this was our first Beauty & the Beast film.

We usually shy away from animation films but, boy, are we glad we made an exception with this one.

Beauty & the Beast – Beautifully Told

From what we can gather, the 1-hour and 21-minute movie we watched today is the 3D version of the wildly successful 2D animation film of the same name released in 1991.

When it debuted as a 2D animation film in November 1991, the movie was a big draw with audiences and went on to win two Oscars and three Golden Globes. By the way, Beauty and the Beast (1991) was the first animation film to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.

Disney spent a few million bucks ($10 million, according to Wiki) gussying up the 1991 film with 3D effects and re-released it last Friday in the U.S.

For all ye schmucks unfamiliar with the love story of Beauty and the Beast, here’s a barebones outline:

One of the best known fairy tales in the Western hemisphere, Beauty and the Beast is the story of a beautiful young girl Belle falling in love with a hideous beast after being imprisoned by the creature. (If it were to happen today, the psychiatrists would call it Stockholm Syndrome. 😉 )

What Belle doesn’t know is that the Beast was once a cold-hearted, selfish prince who had been turned into a ugly monster for his bad behavior.

Only when a beautiful young girl falls in love with the Beast would the spell be broken and the ugly creature could revert back into a charming looking prince. And the Beauty and the Beast Prince could live happily together ever after.

Of course, one can have countless variations within these broad contours.

Although both the 2D and 3D versions were playing in the theater we decided to go for the 3D version.

The version we watched today had Belle as the beautiful young daughter of a mad-cap inventor Maurice in a rather provincial little village.

An avid reader of books and markedly different in character from others in the area, Belle is the cynosure of all eyes in the little village including the egotistical hunter Gaston who wants her as his wife.

Being antipodes in character, Belle can’t stand Gaston.

Belle meets the Beast as she goes in search of her missing father who lost his way in the forest on the way to a nearby fair and ended up imprisoned in the Beast’s castle.

To help her father go free, Belle takes his place in the cell setting in motion the greatest animation love story ever told on celluloid.

Compelling Animation

Visually compelling and dazzling bright, Beauty & the Beast is a powerful film with a simple story and a strong moral anchor.

Now we’re of two minds if the 3D was that big a deal.

But since we haven’t seen the 1991 2D version, we can’t say for sure.

‘Tis true that we haven’t seen that many animations in our life but surely this is the best of ’em all. No question about it.

Be it the wolves attacking Belle in the forest, the beast’s fiery countenance and temper (in the beginning), Belle’s dance in the village lamenting the provincial spirit of the place or the mob attack led by Gaston on the castle toward the end and a thousand other frames in between, the animation was done extremely well in Beauty and the Beast 3D.

More eye-popping than eye-catching.

And holding tightly the animation frames is the narrative and, of course, the music.

No Mere Animation

A tale as old as time
song as old as rhyme
Beauty and the Beast.

There are animation films.

And then there are the animation musicals.

Beauty and the Beast 3D is an animation musical with lively songs and dances interspersed throughout this enchanting film.

Our two favorites from the film were the opening Belle and Beauty and the Beast.

Go for It

SearchIndia.com strongly recommends Beauty and the Beast 3D to all ye schmucks.

You putzheads are never ever going to see an animation film of this caliber from the Bollywood bozos.

Not in a million years.

Beauty and the Beast 3D is playing in theaters across Amreeka.

Go watch Beauty and the Beast 3D and tell us what you think of the phillum.

  Beauty & the Beast 3D