Beauty and the Beast (1991)

92% of critics liked it
(90 reviews)
86% of users liked it
(715,008 ratings)

Walt Disney Animation Studios' magical classic Beauty and the Beast returns to the big screen in Disney Digital 3D(TM), introducing a whole new generation to the Disney classic with stunning new 3D imagery. The film captures the fantastic journey of Belle (voice of Paige O'Hara), a bright and… More Walt Disney Animation Studios' magical classic Beauty and the Beast returns to the big screen in Disney Digital 3D(TM), introducing a whole new generation to the Disney classic with stunning new 3D imagery. The film captures the fantastic journey of Belle (voice of Paige O'Hara), a bright and beautiful young woman who's taken prisoner by a hideous beast (voice of Robby Benson) in his castle. Despite her precarious situation, Belle befriends the castle's enchanted staff-a teapot, a candelabra and a mantel clock, among others-and ultimately learns to see beneath the Beast's exterior to discover the heart and soul of a prince. -- (C) Disney

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: G, 1 hr. 24 min.
Directed By: Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise
Genres: Animation, Romance, Drama, Kids & Family, Musical & Performing Arts, Science Fiction & Fantasy

In Theaters: Jan 13, 2012 Wide
On DVD: Oct 8, 2002
Studio: Buena Vista

Critic Reviews

Roger Moore, McClatchy-Tribune News Service
The greatest animated film ever made and one of the screen's great musicals hardly needs this (3D) sort of sprucing up.
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger
What you gain in an extra, faked dimension you lose in lively, genuine beauty.
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly
The set pieces are narcotically pleasing, especially the Busby Berkeley-style dancing-kitchenware spectacular, "Be Our Guest," and the romantic ballroom centerpiece that brings Beauty and her Beast together.
Jennie Punter, Globe and Mail
The 3-D pops out to enhance the drama or energy of scenes in which settings are large and integral to the action.
Richard Ouzounian, Toronto Star
Some youthful memories are better not revisited, but this definitely isn't one of them. Sometimes you can go home again.
Janet Maslin, New York Times
It is a surprise, in a time of sequels and retreads, that the new film is so fresh and altogether triumphant in its own right.
Philip French, Observer [UK]
The 3D revival sees this witty, dramatically inventive version of a familiar story wearing well.
Henry Fitzherbert, Daily Express
Pure fairytale escapism that doesn't boast any digital trickery, celebrity voiceovers or unnecessary action.
Christopher Tookey, Daily Mail [UK]
Disney's most perfectly achieved combination of animation, story-telling and song must surely be this loving tribute to the old fairytale.
Andrew Pulver, Guardian [UK]
There's no doubting the craftsmanlike elegance of the film, summoning up with relish the spirit of classic fairytale Disney of the 50s and 60s...
Matthew Thrift, Little White Lies
Unsubtle perhaps, but never fails to hit the right notes.
Neil Smith, Total Film
Reaches a level of artistry, sophistication and musical excellence that's still to be bettered by the Mouse House - or indeed its rivals.
Linda Cook, KWQC-TV (Iowa)
I admit it: I wrote this more than 20 years ago. But, like " Beauty and the Beast" itself, I think it stands the test of time.
Widgett Walls, Needcoffee.com
Disney, please understand ... what people are actually showing up for ... they just want to see classic Disney on the big screen. The 3D is incidental.
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
Disney's gorgeous 1991 animated version of the classic fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast" gets the same 3D treatment that was recently given to "The Lion King."
Pete Vonder Haar, Houston Press
Watching this in a theater definitely makes it feel less like a "cartoon" and more like a significant film. Cogsworth poking Le Fou in the butt with a sword aside.
Diva Velez, TheDivaReview.com
One of the brightest jewels in Disney's crown, Beauty and the Beast's 3D reissue takes nothing away and makes the film's brilliance even easier to appreciate; the movie is more beautiful and timeless than it ever was.
Annlee Ellingson, Paste Magazine
Beauty and the Beast is just as enchanting 20 years after its initial release.
Rob Vaux, Mania.com
The apex of an art form, a justly celebrated classic, and the best animated movie of any sort ever put on screen at any time.
Mike Scott, Times-Picayune
The lines have begun to show in Belle's tale, which remains enjoyable but feels more like a quaint artifact than the masterpiece it once was declared to be.

Read all 22 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Liam G

This IS Disney's best film. Better than ''The Lion King'', ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'', ''Aladdin'' and every single Pixar film. Storytelling at its finest. Filmmaking at its finest. Art at its finest.
Joshua W

When I was in pre-school I would recite every line from this film. Finding the old tape in the garage I watched and remembered what I loved about it.
Nani V

My all time favorite!
Candy R

Love the music and the animation. Classic story about a beast who captures and falls in love a beautiful girl called Belle.
Michael E

Overall this is one of Disney's greatest films in terms of the animation, the music, and the characters, and I think this is one of the greatest animated films of all time. The music is incredibly memorable, the characters are all memorable and entertaining, and the animation in… More
Overall this is one of Disney's greatest films in terms of the animation, the music, and the characters, and I think this is one of the greatest animated films of all time. The music is incredibly memorable, the characters are all memorable and entertaining, and the animation in the film is some of the best animation in any of the Disney films, and it was well worth its Best picture nomination during its release and for its Golden Globe victory.
Justin Y

There's Gary Trousdale and there's Kirk Wise. Together they turn Beauty and the Beast into a magical animation.The message behind the film's plot is a strong and positive one; the storytelling delivers at a good pace and there isn't… More
There's Gary Trousdale and there's Kirk Wise. Together they turn Beauty and the Beast into a magical animation.The message behind the film's plot is a strong and positive one; the storytelling delivers at a good pace and there isn't much to be wasted, which is a good thing since the run time is under 90 minutes. The characters are highly amusing, especially the side ones, and the visuals for the settings are nicely done.The multiple musical numbers are catchy and memorable. The opening piece, done with Belle's introduction, is brilliant. This film wouldn't have been the same without them.The voice work is spot on. Paige O'Hara's lovely voice works wonders for Belle, and Robby Benson is able to deliver as the Beast. Jerry Orbach, David Ogden Stiers, and Angela Lansbury are show stealers with their characters.To sum it all up, Beauty and the Beast is one animation not to pass up. "Be our guest."
Jeff "

Beauty and the Beast was not really my favorite Disney film growing up as a kid, however it's not the worst. Far from it, actually. I very much enjoyed this film growing up and thought it had a good plot. But there were parts that did scare me as a kid. The film is lavishly drawn… More
Beauty and the Beast was not really my favorite Disney film growing up as a kid, however it's not the worst. Far from it, actually. I very much enjoyed this film growing up and thought it had a good plot. But there were parts that did scare me as a kid. The film is lavishly drawn and animated and is really the standout of the film. The voice talents are good as well. But like, I stated, the film wasn't my favorite Disney flick. What I enjoyed about this film was the good comedic bits. Though not great, this film definitely memorable and lots of fun. Beauty and the Beast is a good film that though not the best Disney film is still a film worth watching, and it manages to be a good family film. There are things that could have been better, but for what it is, this film succeeds at being an entertaining film that though not the best animated Disney film, is certainly not the worst. There are plenty of things to enjoy about this film. Overall I recommend this film to anyone looking for a good family film, but at times it has a few scary moments, but it's nothing to get absolutely frightened about. Beauty and the Beast is a good Disney film, far from perfect, but far from worst too. I much preferred The Lion King. An enjoyable film, but nothing ever flawless, there are far better films in Disney's catalogue than Beauty and the Beast, and I think many people would agree.
Tim S

Although most fans of the story dismiss it (in particular fans of the earlier Cocteau classic), the movie-going public loves and adores Disney's 1991 adapatation of Beauty and the Beast. It's an impeccably well-made piece of animation from the now legendary filmmakers at… More
Although most fans of the story dismiss it (in particular fans of the earlier Cocteau classic), the movie-going public loves and adores Disney's 1991 adapatation of Beauty and the Beast. It's an impeccably well-made piece of animation from the now legendary filmmakers at Disney. It's one of my favorites and the last truly special film in the Disney animated canon. Other films followed but none of them had the imagination, work and just pure genius of the artform built into them the way this one did. This was also one of the last Disney films that was aimed at a wide variety of people, and not just little kids. It's truly timeless and one that I always look forward to seeing.
Eric A

Disney gets romantic! Ooo la la.
Unknown H

One of the best Disney movies of all time, Beauty and the Beast taught little girls like me that you don't have to be a princess or an air head to be the lead! More layers than most Disney movies with a solid moral in the end Beauty and the Beast is funny, colourful, honest and… More
One of the best Disney movies of all time, Beauty and the Beast taught little girls like me that you don't have to be a princess or an air head to be the lead! More layers than most Disney movies with a solid moral in the end Beauty and the Beast is funny, colourful, honest and heartbreaking. A truly wonderful and timeless movie.
Chris W

At one point, I gave this thing a rating of 3.5. What the hell was I thinking? This is an excellent film. Yeah it's a love stroy, but it's a romantic fairy tale done by Disney, so that means it's gorgeous to look at, drawn well, creative, fun, and filled with tons of… More
At one point, I gave this thing a rating of 3.5. What the hell was I thinking? This is an excellent film. Yeah it's a love stroy, but it's a romantic fairy tale done by Disney, so that means it's gorgeous to look at, drawn well, creative, fun, and filled with tons of heart and imagination. Plus, it's got a great message and is a nice take on a classic story and lesson. The music numbers are really good (and the score in general is top notch, especially since some of the cues during the West Wing scene sound like "The Aquarum" from Carnival of The Animals by Saint-Saens), and the voice cast is great. Even though I'm a dude, I must admit that I can relate to Belle in terms of being a book nerd who loves to dream. This is, I think, still the only animated film to be nominated for Best Picture, and not just Best Animated feature, so that's really saying something, especially since it's totally earned and deserving of that honor and distinction.
Sergio G

If you like musicals, this is the reborn of classical musical-animation movies. It's part of Disney's tradition to include songs in their movies, but the Beauty and The Beast beat all of the previous achievements.
Bethany M

A childhood favourite and a classic!
Alice S

Upon recent viewing, I thought the supporting characters more annoying than I did when I was younger. Nevertheless, a classic.
AJ V

Disney wasn't the first to make a movie of Beauty and the Beast, although most people only focus on this movie. It is a great animated film, though, and I love it. The songs are really good too.
Conner R

At the risk of sounding overly sentimental, Beauty and the Beast is timelessly amazing. It's almost crazy that Disney can make movies that should only appeal to seven year old girls inevitably appeal to pretty much everyone. Maybe it's due to the wide variety of characters,… More
At the risk of sounding overly sentimental, Beauty and the Beast is timelessly amazing. It's almost crazy that Disney can make movies that should only appeal to seven year old girls inevitably appeal to pretty much everyone. Maybe it's due to the wide variety of characters, sense of excitement and tasteful animation; or maybe it's something more. This is just one of the many examples of that. Everyone basically knows the story, but this tells it in a way that seems fresh. Even the music here is really good; and i'm not one for this usually. What makes this stand the test of time is the fact that it doesn't throw in pop culture references, try to go the cheese route and has a dynamic that doesn't get boring on multiple viewings.
Thomas B

Beautifully animated and emotionally magnetic with songs which will live on. Full review later.
Brad W

Its an all time classic, not Disneys best, but the music is wayyyy up there in the best of all time range.
Jameson W

Beauty and the Beast is one of Disney's best films. Nominated for 6 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and being the very first animated to receive that honor, this classic film is one of the best animated films of all time.
Bently L

The plot follows a selfish prince who gets his punishment by being turned into a hideous beast. He soon kidnaps a innocent old man. The man's daughter, named Belle, goes out to rescue him but is enslaved by the beast. While working in the beast's lair, she falls in love with… More
The plot follows a selfish prince who gets his punishment by being turned into a hideous beast. He soon kidnaps a innocent old man. The man's daughter, named Belle, goes out to rescue him but is enslaved by the beast. While working in the beast's lair, she falls in love with him and finds the good in him. "Beauty and the Beast" is declared as a Disney masterpiece by many, but not by me. I really dislike this film. The characters are all messed up. Belle's so-called beautiful looks (I don't think she's pretty!) get in the way of her personality. She is so stupid! We can see where Stephanie Meyer got her inspiration for the Bella Swan character in "Twilight". Bella is much smarter than Belle, BTW. How on Earth can you fall in love with your father's kidnapper and then waste your intellegence finding the good in him?! Belle has her heart where her brain is supposed to be for Pete's sake! The beast was a butthole from the start. He dosen't deserve to get his curse lifted at the end. The plot and characters are the main issue for me. They annoy me so much. The only "realistic" characters in this were the talking household objects. However, the music and animation is really well-done. The lyrics to the songs are great and the animation is pretty extravagant. This film has poor characters and a dissapointing plot. "Beauty and the Beast" has always been one of my least favorite fairytales, along with "The Princess and the Pea". All the RT reviewers and critics are out of their minds! A 92% fresh?! No, no, no, no! I will never show love for the film and the story. But I must say, that new movie, "Beastly", which is a modern take on the story, looks like "Star Wars" when compared to this! Overrated and stupid.