Beauty and the Beast is a gorgeous and enchanting fairy tale, to be sure, but Disney packed a lot of subtle social commentary on small town small mindedness in there. The people in the village Belle lives in dismiss her as "odd" for being an intelligent and bookish woman, fear the Beast because of his appearance, and worship the loutish Gaston, the very epitome of a musclebound meathead - and toxic masculinity.The latter character, who seemed like a thinking woman's worst nightmare when the film first came out, is now even more creepy, because his continual harassment of Belle reeks of Me Too. This makes him a hundred times more horrifying than more traditional Disney villains like Ursula or Malificent. Evil witches are only in fiction. Gaston clones are everywhere.Ultimately, the film's message is the triumph of open minds over closed ones, and that even society's so-called rejects can hold their heads high and triumph in the end. I can't imagine a more positive message to convey to kids.

Beauty and the Beast is my all-time favorite Disney movie. It not only brings back my wonderful childhood memories but it has created new memories for my children and our growing family. The music, the creativity, and the romance brings joy to my heart every time I watch this film. This movie is truly a classic!

After Hunchback and ties with the live action remake, I love this Disney movie the most. So did the Oscars-it became the very first animated movie to get nominated for Best Picture! Up and Toy Story 3 are the only other movies to do this. Sadly, it lost to The Silence of The Lambs-a movie about a cannibal! This is a beautiful love story about a prince who must have a villager love her to become human again. Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel both put this on their top 10 lists of 1991. I'd put it at #1 but oh well,a t least it was highly rated! By the way, Gene gave Silence/Lambs thumbs down! I liked it, but that says something! The animation is great and so are the songs. "Gaston" is my favorite. This is a perfect movie. The only way this could be better is if it actually won the Oscar!(Sorry but that is my biggest pet peeve!....What, sue me!)

The 80's were tough for the animation studio, with several films facing mediocrity. But wait, what's that glistening in the early Renaissance era? It can only be the most magical, whimsical and classic fairytale of them all. The most beautiful girl in town gives up her life of freedom for her father's sake and is imprisoned in an enchanted castle for eternity, eventually forming a close bond with a cursed man who is turned into a ferocious beast. Only true love can break the spell! The pinnacle of musical animations, the epitome of true romance, the magnum opus of singing candlesticks! It's a sweeping love story that conveys the all important message of "personality over looks". No one likes a vain narcissist, instead we much prefer a gentleman who, at first sulks like a prepubescent teenager, yet learns to treat the ladies correctly. Then we throw in Disney magic ranging from anthropomorphised household objects to musical numbers. Those songs...I haven't stopped singing them. Every time I watch this I randomly exclaim "Be...Our...GUEST! Be our guest, put our service to the test!" in a French accent (naturally) which is a testimony to the staying power of this musical. It's so delightful and nostalgic that I can't help but gleefully smile. The animation itself is beautifully hand drawn with extremely vibrant colours. The dark monochromatic castle juxtaposing the vivid colourful town. The voice acting was spot on, particularly Lansbury and Orbach. The pace is incredibly swift moving, perhaps slightly too rapid for its own good. Beast's human form cracks me every time I watch the transformation scene, he just looks so...fake? Like he has had tonnes of plastic surgery. Also the final few minutes of Gaston were slightly underwhelming, I wanted more from him. It's by no means my favourite animation, yet it's safe to say it's one of Disney's most accessible and a strong contender during the Renaissance period. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to finish performing...