Yesterday afternoon my husband I ventured out to our favorite theater to catch a showing of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast in 3D. That gimmick usually doesn’t work on me and I was really okay with sitting this one out like I did with The Lion King, but BATB is one of my favorite Disney films (explained here) and my husband managed to coax me into going. Like I said, the idea of 3D has never appealed to me and knowing how prone I am to headaches (hello, predicting the slightest change in barometric pressure!), the idea of the 3D hangover wasn’t something I wanted to chance.
I made it out alive and free of pain, other than my back (that’s another story though), having enjoyed the hour-and-a-half love story. While the 3D aspect didn’t pull me in, the idea of seeing a movie I have loved for a long time on the big screen did. I was in 1st grade when BATB came out. I never saw it in the theater so viewing the whole thing so BIG yesterday was neat. The opening sequence was my favorite, when we get our first look at the castle. I think the setting for BATB may be my second favorite next to Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (that creepy moat and dungeon are spectacular). The forest is beautiful and there is so much to notice about the castle. Another big I picked up on were the gorgeous landscapes in this feature. There aren’t many, so you have to watch closely (now I want to break out the DVD and get my pause button ready), but the bit where Belle’s father heads off to the fair has a lovely shot of a valley with a tiny house and lots of pasture/farmland around it, surrounded by mountains in the background. Such a lovely scene. I wish they did more expansive animated landscape shots like that. There I go — I love landscapes, but I know most folks (kids) don’t go to an animated movie for the fields and forests.
The details that I noticed were too numerous to count. There was so much more to soak in seeing this in its intended size! When Belle arrives at the castle for the first time, looking in the misty background behind the gates you can see a large shadow that takes up most of the height of the screen — the Beast’s shadow. I’m going to have to look this up on the DVD to see if it’s in the original version or if this is something they added. I thought it was really cool and kind of ominous. Definitely something I never noticed before.
Inside the castle there were more tiny details that I caught. The paintings in the hallway! Oh my goodness. There was so much famous artwork. I caught a Rembrandt or two and in one scene Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring is very clearly showcased in the background. In the West Wing we see the Beast’s elaborate four-poster bed that is completely wrecked, but the detail is remarkable.
I could gush over this for days, but it really makes me want to rewatch so many of these animated films on the big screen when I get the chance. For now, I settle with my TV.
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Oklahoma girl through-and-through. Writer, aspiring domestic goddess and totalitarian dictator. Taking on the world one carb-induced coma at a time. Founder of GodlyGals, a ministry for women established in 2002. Co-host of Picture Shows & Petticoats. 
I love BATB! That is my absolute favorite Disney movie. I was trying to decide if we wanted to see it in 3D as well, because every time I’ve seen a 3D movie I forgot I was even watching it in 3D about 20 mins it, so clearly it doesn’t make a significant difference! But the detail sounds amazing..hmm…
I wanted to ask you what exactly is going on with GodlyGals these days? It seems really quiet. I think we need to do something about it.
You’re right, the 3D didn’t seem to make much difference here. Just seeing it BIG was awesome
GG is still there, still open, and still available for members. I have tried (along with Jolene) for the past couple of years to revive things, but the truth is that 2 people can’t make the conversation happen. Honestly, I have so much on my plate right now that I just don’t have the time to devote to it to continue to “stoke the fire” as I had been doing. The level at which I was participating was a full-time job (I was easily spending more than 40 hours per week on it) and now I have a real full-time job…to pay the bills
I would like it to be back where it was or even a better place than that, but right now I do not have the time to do the things I used to be doing there. Like I said, it’s still there and available for everyone to have discussion! I wish more people would come around, but I guess folks are really busy with other things in life right now. If you have any ideas I would love to hear them!
We saw this a week ago. We opted out of the 3D version and just enjoyed a normal theatrical experience. Just being able to see it on the big screen and reliving my childhood was great.
If they’d had the traditional option I would have preferred that. I don’t think the 3D added much at all to the film.
I can’t add much to the conversation other than I’m not crazy about 3D. Even Harry Potter (which is my fav) wasn’t too impressive in 3D. I must say, Disney movies do get me every single time. Probably something about that “happily ever after” predictable ending.
p.s. Godly Gals sounds great! An idea which I’m sure isn’t novel but would monthly or even quarterly discussions be more feasible?
I wonder if this will head my way to Australia? I absolutely adore BATB too. But I’m with you on the “3D ain’t that great” bandwagon.
I did recently watch the movie at home. One of my roommates (who is a guy!) brought it on DVD and we all sat around and watched it. They had added in a new song too. Was the new song in the version you saw at the cinema? All the servants were singing about how exciting it was that they would be human again soon now that Belle was there to break the curse.
I’m so glad someone else brought up GG. I still pop on there from time to time to see if anyone has added anything to the conversation, but nobody ever has.
“Human Again” was added to the re-released version that came out in 2005 (I think that was the year?). It’s a song from the Broadway show. It was NOT in the 3D version. I do prefer the original, but I think for the purposes of showing how “awesome” 3D is “Human Again” would have been pretty stunning with as much movement as that song has.