Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Belle (voiced by Paige O'Hara) is a bright and beautiful young woman who finds escape from her ordinary life by reading books. When her father is taken prisoner by a cursed young prince (Robby Benson), Belle comes to the rescue and agrees to take her father's place. With the help of the castle's enchanted staff, she sees beneath the Beast's exterior and discovers the heart and soul of a human prince.

Beauty and the Beast was the first animated film to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture (plus five other nominations) and won two Oscars for Best Original Song and Best Original Score. The talent behind the voices includes Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Potts, Jerry Orbach as Lumiere, the candelabra, and David Ogden Stiers as Cogsworth, the mantel clock. The story is engaging and filled with adventure, but it's the score by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman that makes this film a classic.

Video Highlights

• AVC/1080p encode on a BD-50 disc
• Outstanding color saturation
• Exquisite detail & depth
• Picture perfect presentation

Audio Highlights

• DTS-HD MA 7.1 soundtrack
• Enveloping and engaging surround track
• Plethora of discrete effects
• Outstanding dynamics and frequency response
• Smooth pans & crystal clear dialog

Disney has released some outstanding looking and sounding Blu-rays, but this has to be the best yet. You can see every intricate detail in the AVC encode, and the DTS-HD MA 7.1 soundtrack is to die for!

Bonus Materials

• 3 disc set includes two versions of the film plus a DVD copy
• PIP Experience with original story boards
• Audio commentary by producer Don Hahn and co-directors Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale
• Sing along track
• Beyond Beauty behind-the-scenes documentary (HD)
• Deleted Scenes (HD)
• Ported bonus features from previously released DVD
• Composing a Classic (HD)
• Broadway Beginnings (HD)
• Music video (HD)
• Interactive game using your cell phone
• Enchanted Musical Challenge game
• BD-Live enabled

Disney's second renaissance of animation began in 1989 with The Little Mermaid, but Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King are the studio's two crowning achievements, and fans have eagerly awaited their release on Blu-ray. While the wait for the latter is a year away, this release shines in high-definition. Highly recommended.

Release Date: October 5, 2010
Studio: Disney

Movie: 10/10
Picture: 10/10
Sound: 10/10

Review System

Source
Oppo BDP-83 Blu-ray player

Display
JVC DLA-RS1 projector
Stewart FireHawk screen (76.5" wide, 16:9)

Electronics
Onkyo Pro PR-SC885 pre/pro
Anthem PVA-7 power amplifier
Panamax M5400PM power conditioner

Speakers
M&K S-150s (L, C, R)
M&K SS-150s (LS, RS, SBL, SBR)
SVS PC-Ultra subwoofer

Cables
Monoprice HDMI cables (source to pre/pro)
Best Deal analog-audio cables
PureLink HDC Fiber Optic HDMI Cable System (15 meters) from pre/pro to projector

Acoustical treatments from GIK Acoustics