Hey folks, Harry here. When I saw the trailer for the IMAX version of the wonderful BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, my heart sunk. Primarily because the added scenes were not remarkable or needed. In fact, I've heard that song before and frankly, it wasn't up to the standards of the existing music we came to love. Personally my favorite and preferred version of this is that Cannes Work In Progress version... I wish Disney would release all their films in the work in progress state. Pencils have a power and a rawness that I find more compelling quite often over that of the cleaned up cel animation. Especially in regards to Glen Keane's Beast... dear god that pencil animation is astonishing. Here we have the opinion of a Girl that attended the IMAX World Premiere of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST in Japan. She knows her animation, loves this film more than the collective work of Hayao Miyazaki whom she respects greatly... But wishes the new sequence hadn't been added. Too bad. Changing films nominated for BEST PICTURE should be against the law. Nuff said...

Hi,Harry

I really enjoy your great site though I'm not English native (excuse me for my poor English)

We have to wait for the Lord of the Rings coming Japanese theatres till next March and I hate that.

Many Japanese tolkien fans have to go abroad. But I got the ticket of Disney's Beauty and the Beast IMAX edition World Premire 3November ,so I can be one of the first reviewers of this new version.

I know Hayao Miyazaki is a true genius in animation,but...well, I love Disney's Beauty and the Beast more than his works.

Unfortunately this new B&B was a Japanese dubbed version but looked more beautiful than before and well suited to IMAX huge screen.

I think Disney did a great job here though they don't change the basic animation. When the opening sequence is on the screen(shining castle in the woods),I heard audience's whispering of astonishment (seldom happens in Japanese thatre) Most of us have seen "Beauty and the beast" many times on TV but we found it is greater than expected.

Well,The only problem is the new added musical sequence "Human Again". In Broadway stage version, this is one of the most moving scene with Belle teaching the Beast how to read and I love this Howard Ashman and Alan Menken's charming song.So my expectation is high. But the new animation sequence has no inspiration and I'm afraid it rather spoils the movie. Mrs. Potts and Lumiere and other magic castle characters never get the standard of "Be Our Guest" nor any TARZAN sequence. They are just jumping and running during the sequence and they treated the important magic rose so badly just to tell "tonight is Beast's 20th birthday and his last chance"(this is a new logical explanation but not actually needed ,I think)

And Belle and Beast lacks depth and looks more cartoony than the old sequences. I hope Disney cuts this "Human Again" when they release DVD. In the credit list of the new sequence,I found Glen Keane and other great Disney animators' names.

I'm so sorry that they couldn't make great job.

I like traditional animation better than CG so I hope they get the standard of Pixar and Shrek in recent future again.

from

"A girl from Japan"