Review of Beauty and the Beast

Disney's thirtieth animated outing stands apart from its closest predecessors due to its deviation from the norm by introducing novel ideas into an anterior fairy tale, most notably feminism and toxic masculinity. Satisfyingly traditional and in tune with the sensibilities of the time, its stunning visuals, beautiful soundtrack, fluent pacing and romanticism recall a bygone era in which motion pictures were developed with the audience in mind whilst existing in the moral vacuum, reflecting our deepest fears and desires.

"Beauty and the Beast" serves as an exemplar that love can be transformative and beauty is not external, a lesson that broke new ground for Disney and its archaic treatment of their female characters; herein, the obligatory Princess is a bookworm discontented with her provincial life who then finds acceptance, adoration and respect from a Prince cursed with the body of a Beast. For the first time in Disney's history, the saviour roles are reversed in terms of gender and the stock love interest is recognised for what he is: a vainglorious, misogynistic throwback. Beastly as he is, we fall in love with what lies beneath the monstrous visage and temperament of the titular hero, although once he returns to his human form, the aforementioned spell is broken in more ways than one. Will the Prince value his Princess and still be true to her now that he is a fallible, lovable human again? Was the Beast perfect as he was? This lingering ambiguity is one of the many reasons why this is one of the greatest Disney adaptations, a magical fable that possesses universal appeal, modern touches, and lean, simplistic storytelling. It remains eminently entertaining and evocative, a true gem of modern animation that revived the fortunes of an outdated film company stuck in a formulaic rut and paved the way for its future dominance in the cinematic realm.