The film that officially signaled Disney's animation renaissance (following The Little Mermaid) and the only animated feature to receive a Best Picture Oscar nomination, Beauty and the Beast remains the yardstick by which all other animation
Over a decade after it was made, this Oscar®-winning musical looks better than ever; the remastered film pops off the screen. This DVD debut has a whole disc of extras, but it's the film that matters here. You can see the original version, the special edition--which has a new song sequence, "Human Again," created for its 2001 release in IMAX theaters--and the unique "work-in-progress" edition that played the New York Film Festival and was seen on an earlier laserdisc release. Disney's tendency for posh--albeit sanitized--extras continues here with a commercial look at their animated history and a making-of hosted by Celine Dion. The kids will have more fun with the games--a trivia test on disc one unlocks a robust DVD game set on disc two. --Doug Thomas