Massive spoilers here…the film has been out for 24 years now.

Once Disney rediscovered the formula to win back movie goers and fans that they had lost through the 70s and 80s it was inevitable that Beauty and the Beast would be made. Beauty and the Beast was considered way back in the 30s, and Disney found out with The Little Mermaid that the animated epic fairy tale was the way to go.

And wow what a film Disney produced here. To be clear, Beauty and the Beast arguably has no weaknesses (although I’ll argue one in a bit). It has two great primary protagonists in Belle and The Beast. A great villain in Gaston. Incredible supporting characters. A great story. Great songs. Great animation. Great everything.

There are two main stories here. The first one, told by stain glass windows (awesome idea in itself) tells of a selfish Prince who turned away an old woman who offered a rose in order for shelter in the castle. The Prince refuses, then is shocked as the old woman turns into a beautiful enchantress and puts a spell on not only the Price, but his servants and castle as well. In order to break the spell he must find someone to fall in love with him before the rose wilts away. If he fails, he remains a beast forever. The second one involves Belle, the most attractive woman in the village who lives with her father. She’s a bookworm who also is quite bored of the life she’s living in the village. Gaston, the town hero, believes because he’s the most attractive man and that Belle is the most attractive woman that they should be married and constantly asks Belle to marry him. She rejects him at every turn. When her father takes a wrong turns and ends up a prisoner at the castle, Belle goes out to find him and exchanges herself for him. The clock is ticking now for the Beast, who’s running out of time to break the spell, to get Belle to fall in love with him. It’s a great set-up, with the Beast being very aggressive about the situation and Belle having none of it.

Speaking of Belle, she’s one of the all-time great Disney characters. She’s strong willed, sacrifices herself to save her father and doesn’t give into any situation she’s not interested in. She’s constantly made fun of by the town for how she acts (with her head always in a book) and how she resists Gaston (who every other woman wants), yet she never changes course. Of course, the one weakness of the film regards her as well…she’s arguably too perfect.

The Beast is just as awesome. There’s so much anger within him and it shows from the first moment you see him meet Belle’s father. Even when he realizes that he needs to be charming, his anger still comes out (I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO COME DOWN FOR DINNER…I’LL BREAK DOWN THE DOOR!). It’s easy to fall in love with the character throughout the film and if you don’t it’s hard not to at the end when he makes the ultimately sacrifice because he truly loves Belle.

Before I get to Gaston, let’s talk about the supporting characters. They’re all awesome. Lumiere and Cogsworth are a great comedy duo, while Mrs. Potts and Chip also have their moments. They all represent The Beast’s family in a way and they’re all memorable. Belle’s father Maurice has his moments, as does Gaston’s sidekick LeFou.

So why is Gaston so awesome? Well, he’s really not a villain. He’s the town hero! He’s the most handsome man in town! Everyone loves him! Instead of Disney just telling us he’s the bad guy, or making it clear he’s the bad guy, he’s just a guy who just wants what he believes he deserves. He doesn’t want to take over the castle, or kidnap Belle or anything, he just wants to marry her! And that’s why he’s such a great bad guy. We have other reasons not to like him. He’s arrogant. He’s brash. We probably see someone like this in our lives all of the time. When Gaston says things like “It’s not right for a woman to read. Soon she starts getting ideas and thinking…” you know he believes it. He’s also who the Beast was before he was transformed…only the Beast was punished for it while Gaston gets away with it. Even when Gaston’s jealousy over Belle’s feelings for the Beast leads him to wanting to kill the Beast…there’s an argument to be made that he might honestly be doing the right thing. I mean, how safe really is the village with a Beast in a castle not too far away? And remember, the whole town goes with him in this because logically, it makes sense. What a great character.

Yeah, the songs are great too. “Be Our Guest”, “The Mob Song”, “Gaston’s Song”, “Tale as Old as Time”, “Little Town” and even the 2002 released “Human Again” are all memorable.

The animation is great as well. Some of the indoor scenes in the castle just look beautiful.

+Every character is memorable and great.

+Animation is amazing.

+Songs are great.

+Main characters are exceptional.

+Belle and the Beast actually take time to develop their relationship.

+Gaston is a unique and ultimately great Disney villain.

Cons:

-Is Belle too perfect?

No surprise this was nominated for Best Picture in 1992. First animated film ever to accomplish that.

Grade: A+