Beauty and the Beast: Theatrical Cut – Friday 9th January 2026

What an absolute masterpiece!

One of the great things about movies is that they’re time capsules; not only can they reflect the time of their creation, but they also take the viewer back to the time when he or she first watched that movie.

Upon re-watching this film, I was instantly thrust back to the early 90s; remembering Angela Lansbury’s performance of the title song at the Oscars, the hype surrounding the film, buying it on VHS from my local HMV for £14.99 (Disney videos were always priced at a premium); it was such a great time.

I was also an adolescent, and very much a ‘beast’ (I had the worst acne in the entire school!), so the notion that a ‘beauty’ could fall for someone unattractive not only resonated with me, but became a core belief that stuck with me for most of my life (I know better now, thankfully!). That is the power of great storytelling; something that Disney used to do so well, but have sadly forgotten.

The film itself is practically flawless. It moves along at a brisk pace, but never seems rushed; there’s not a single superfluous moment that could be trimmed, so from a storytelling perspective, it is completely efficient.

The songs are all brilliant; not only do they convey the story and evoke the character’s emotions, but they’re also great to listen to! In fact, it was this, and the other Disney animations of the time (Aladdin and The Lion King) that really got me into Musicals.

Then there’s the art work and animation! It perfectly captures the character and setting that the story demands, but moreover, is gorgeous to look at. Glen Keane’s transformation of the Beast remains a high point of animation to this day!

‘Beauty and the Beast’ remains my favourite Disney movie ever, not only because the execution of the story is so flawless and enjoyable, but because the characters in it have a humanity that seems so true (you really believe that girls like ‘Belle’ could exist, and that they could fall in love with a ‘Beast’). The film cuts straight through the protective layers of one’s personality, and speaks straight to the core, leaving one to believe that ‘Happily Ever After’ could exist, and not just in Fairy Tales…

‘Love’ and ‘Hope’ are the most intoxicating of combinations, and any piece of art that can give you that combination, especially in these bleak times (where every person is seen as a disposable ‘swipe’), deserves to be revisited as often as possible!