The film that officially signalled Disney s animation renaissance and the only animated feature to receive a Best Picture Oscar nomination, Beauty and the Beast remains the yardstick by which all other animated films should be measured. It relates the story of Belle, a bookworm with a dotty inventor for a father, when he inadvertently offends the Beast (a prince whose heart is too hard to love anyone besides himself), Belle boldly takes her father s place, imprisoned in the Beast s gloomy mansion. Naturally, Belle teaches the Beast to love. What makes this such a dazzler, besides the amazingly accomplished animation and the winning coterie of supporting characters (the Beast s mansion is overrun by quipping, dancing household items) is the array of beautiful and hilarious songs by composer Alan Menken and the late, lamented lyricist Howard Ashman, (winning the 1991 Oscar for Best Song and Menken s score won a trophy as well). The downright funniest song is Gaston, a lout s paean to him...

#A tale as old as time (2008-09-26) This is my favorite disney movie of all time. great characters, great story and great songs. A feast for the eyes and ears. Perfect for those sick days spent snuggled under a duvet!

#my life would never be the same (2008-03-26) i first saw this movie when i was 3 it was my favorite film but now i am 18 and i cant belive it is still my favourite film i would rather watch this movie again than any other. this movie is just packed with magic i love all the disney films but this doesnt compare. the way they capture two people who didnt fit in to find each other over come all obsticals and sill be able to fit in amazing music , damsil in destress , beautiful gown and one of the greatest love story which all disney films have beauty and the beast did it better in ever ot...

#Just lovely (2008-01-16) This is by far my favourate Disney Film. It s innocence is a joy to see in comparision to other more violent childrens films. The annimation is lovely, the songs are a joy and the scene of Beauty and the Beast dancing together never fails to leave both my children singing the tune and asking to go to Disney Land too!This is a disney film that will not be forgotten as others such as pocahontus were. It is also probably the last good Disney film of it s kind, as they have now elected to focus on computer annimation. Suspend cynicism and see it through the eyes...

#What have they done to the colours?! (2007-08-28) My sister still has the original 1992 video and it is by far superior. Whoever was responsible for the colours on this version should have lost their job - they are not the original colours from the film. Maurice s eyes have been coloured green instead of black, the west wing has been brightened so much it is no longer mysterious and I HATE IT when they put sequences that weren t in the film in the movie, as they did with Human Again This is NOT the film I saw! This scene should have been an extra. They did the same with The Lion...

#An achievement (2007-04-21) Everyone has a childhood memory and mine is sitting near the fire in winter munching on popcorn/chips/sweets watching the magic of beauty & the beast unfold. I m still a big kid at heart so give me this movie any day and I will be a very happy person. The beauty of this movie can t be distinctly pin pointed because so many aspects that contribute towards it like the great music (they sing & dance to almost anything) the great characters (beautiful Belle, moody Beast/handsome, joyous prince, the flirtatious candle, the pompous clock, the busty wardrobe are ...

Disney s 1994 animated feature, The Lion King, was a huge smash in cinemas and continues to enjoy life in an acclaimed stage production. The story finds a lion cub, son of a king, sent into exile after his father is deposed by a jealous uncle. The little hero finds his way into the circle of life with some new friends and eventually comes back to reclaim his proper place. Characters are very strong, vocal performances by the likes of Jeremy Irons, Nathan Lane and Whoopi Goldberg are terrific, the jokes are aimed as much (if not more) at adults than kids, the animation is sometimes breathtaking and the songs from Tim Rice and Elton John, accompanied by a colourful score, are more palatable than in many recent Disney features. --Tom Keogh On the DVD: The Lion King Special Edition is a superb restoration: take a look at the serviceable but dull film clips incorporated in the plethora of extras and compare them to the vivid gorgeousness of the film presentation. This special edition also...

#My fave Disney film of all time (2008-10-25) The Lion King. . . deep,moving,inspirational,and beautiful. . . not to mention hilarious too. artistic and wonderful. . . an aweinspiring Disney classic. my #1 favourite Disney film of all time. the songs range from hilarious to moving. the artwork is at its very,very best and shows the sheer beauty of Africa. . . and the animals of the wild look so very realistic. its an incredible masterpiece of a film. . . and demands more than 100 viewings. a sheer beautiful class act from the Disney studios. . . and by far the most breathtaking film i h...

#Best Disney Film In My Opinion (2008-07-18) The Lion King is my all time favourite disney film, i just love the story the music and the way it all comes together. I have watched this film countless times and still want to watch it again. The newer disney films are in comparison rubbish to the lion king its such a big hit,so gripping and i have looked in countless shops for it and to no luck. There are a million and one copies of 101 dalmations,Aladdin but no Lion King because no1 wants to part with it, its a Quality film that i will love forever.

#Review of the film only (2008-07-08) as i dont have the dvd special edition, i will just review the fantastic film that is The Lion King. As others have said, it is the best disney film ever. And the only one that can make me cry. When Musafa dies, it is the saddest thing ever. Simba is a true hero and king. The names of the characters are brilliant. you truly want him to come back and claim his place on Pride Rock. And get revenge on his evil uncle scar. A true baddie!! and of course, you have to see this film again and again for the magic that is the duo Timone and Pumba. the...

#amazing!!!!!!!!! (2008-01-25) You would be a fool not to buy this. It is enjoyed by people of all ages, not just children. The songs are magical and the story is great. I would recommend it to anyone!

#How misleading (2008-01-14) I can t believe that this was sold as the movie, I see now that they have corrected the description to read-along dvd, but unfortunately it is too late

This legendary animated feature is surely beyond criticism by now and, furthermore, it s unlikely that we ll see such forceful narrative in a kids cartoon ever again. Disney s treatment of Collodi s story of the little wooden puppet who wants nothing more than to be a real boy is always guaranteed to have audiences entranced. While some of the movie s success is derived from its liberal use of the kind of imagery no children s film-maker would even attempt to get past the storyboard stage today--a mysterious island where children smoke cigars, get drunk and turn into donkeys, a monstrous, malicious sea-creature which is devoid of any trace of cuddliness and a pair of villains who routinely abduct children, to give just a few examples--the characters are depicted with the finest attention to detail, most of the songs have become classics in their own right (When You Wish Upon a Star being only one of many) and the graceful, stylised animation positively glows with fine detail. Essentia...

#my kids didn t enjoy this one (2008-02-02) now it may be a classic, but i m afraid i was really disappointed with this film. my 5 yr old was frankly bored watching this, it was very slow to get moving. the story line was not what i was expecting. the jimmney cricket / conscience was to abstract for him to understand in the way it was presented. and there was a terrible bit later on with pinnochio getting drunk and smoking cigars. that bit raised a few tricky questions. what i had expected the main story line to be - pinnochio s nose growing long when he lied, occured only ...

#PURE DISNEY MAGIC (2007-10-11) Such animation seems to be dwindling today when looking at- and thinking a lot about- Pinocchio, one of the real landmarks that Walt Disney ever produced. It might have not sparked up as much fascination when it was first released as Snow White and Dumbo did (apparently this and Fantasia did poorly on first release), but over time it s definitely got its place in the pantheon of truly wonderful works by the company. It tells a story that even babies can grasp- something that isn t really real that wants to be so for his creator. In fact, this is probab...

#Good all-time classic (2007-09-04) To tell you the truth, all these modern-day cartoons get me so annoyed at the fact that they are computer generated and churned out by the thousand. This all-time classic however was one of [if not the] first drawn-out animated Walt Disney cartoons, and it`s a world away from what kids watch these days. It actually has some educational value, and is beautifully hand-drawn. The cartoon is hardly a short one by any means and has a great story-line to go along with the orchestral music. The only let-downs which helped contribute towards me giving it...

#Little Wooden Head Is A Winner!!!! (2007-07-09) Having just ead evil castus review i have to say and i dont mean to offend evil cactus but his review is most probably one of the most ignorant i have ever read. I have a new appreciation for this movie since I discovered that Pinochhio is not really a little boy, but indeed a Teenager! He goes through all the typical teenage crises such as lying to get his own way, bunking school, seeking to live life for pleasure, and wanting to be a famous star He argues with his conscience (Jiminey Crickett) through all his crises. He doesn t become...

#Pinocchio a classic from Walt Disney (2004-08-25) When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are, anything you heart desires will come to you. You ve heard this song on the Disneyland and Superbowl commercials, but do you remember where it came from? It came from this cartoon, Pinocchio, Walt Disney s second feature to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1940. I repeat 1940!! Wow and to this day ,Pinocchio still stands out as one of the greatest movies of all time. This opinion is about the 60th anniversay version of Pinocchio with THX sound and Remastered visual footage. ...

Brian Henson directs his late father s creations in the Charles Dickens classic, the best known (and most oft-filmed) Christmas story of all time. Michael Caine plays the old miser Scrooge with Kermit as his long-suffering but ever-hopeful employee Bob Cratchit, Miss Piggy as Cratchit s wife, and a host of Muppets (including the Great Gonzo as an unlikely Charles Dickens) taking other primary roles in this bright, playful adaptation of the sombre tale. Or at least it starts brightly enough--the anarchic humour soon settles into mirthful memories and a sense of melancholy as the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future take Scrooge on a journey of his lonely, wasted life. Michael Caine makes a wonderful Scrooge, delightfully rediscovering the meaning of life as fantastic creations from Henson s Creature Shop (developed specially for this film) take the reins as the three ghosts. While the odd mix of offbeat humour and sombre drama undercuts the power of Dickens s drama, this kid-fr...

#Best ever video!!! (2008-11-09) We had to do a christmas carol at school for gcse and we watched the real video but I was told to watch this and i found out that i had it in the cupboard!! I watched it during christmas and now I have to watch it at least 10 times each christmas it gets you in the holiday mood its awesome!!!!. . . . . . If you don t have it already then buy it please PLEASE !! its awesome :D xXx

#Fantastic film- a great introduction to this classic tale (2008-10-22) I always remember watching this every year as a kid- we taped it off tv three times and every copy get worn out! When i saw it as a BOGOF, i jumped at the chance and got it. I love all the characters and it gives this story a fresh feel. I loved how the muppets played each of the characters, and love Michael Caine as Scrooge, in my opinion, a fantastic choice. I also loced the extras which include a look at christmas around the world, which proved to be educational to an adult like me, and a making of, which i f...

#Dickens would be proud (2007-09-25) It s amazing how a green puppet with pingpong balls as eyes can always make me cry when I see this movie. The performance of Kermit s nephew as Tiny Tim is exactly that, a performance, a great piece of acting, made by a sock, as moving as anything you could think of. Lots of today actors should learn from Tiny Tim how to act. Or from Michael Caine. This, along with Sleuth and The man who would be king is his best performance ever. And The Great Gonzo as Dickens is surprisingly accurate. Rizzo the rat is also very funny, without spoiling at all ...

#Mr Ebenezer Scrooge (2006-05-09) I think this video is great and with Mr Scrooge in it and with him shouting at Bob Cratchit. Tne Muppets seem a bit silly but I enjoyed seeing Scrooge turning from an evil man into someone who is kind to others. I enjoyed seeing the young Scrooge when he goes to his Christmas party at the FuzzyWigs. I have all the other Christmas Carols but Scrooge in this film is the most horrid to Cratchit and shouts at him. I am hoping to order An American Christmas Carol but I can t get this on the UK Pal format which is the only one I have not got for my collection...

#Hilarious Take on a Classic Tale (2005-01-29) It s Christmas Eve, and Scrooge (Michael Caine) is busy counting money and evicting people who aren t paying their mortgages on time. He reluctantly lets Bob Cratchit (Kermit the Frog) and the rest of his staff have the day off. But that night, his old partners, then three more ghosts, visit him. Can they change his view of the world? I really didn t know what to expect the first time I saw this movie. Would the Muppets play it mostly straight or would they ruin one of my favorite Christmas tales. I immediately fell in love with this v...