I’ve been watching beauty and the beast animated shorts and wanted to talk about a few I’ve watched.
1. Tales of Magic: Beauty and the Beast:
Story: I’ve gonna give it a 4/10. It’s clearly for a tv show, only ten minutes long and with a low animation budget. And yet I want to reccomend it cause it’s a piece of my childhood. I remember watching this when I was like-five and never thought I’d watch it again. And now that it’s back I have to share it.
Belle:
I mean she’s cute. She’s nice. Hits all the right marks. Unfortunately she doesn’t stand out. And her voice actress could’ve put a little more into it.
She’s another 4/10.
But we’re here to talk about the Beasts:
This big boy is a 6/10. His design isn’t that creative but the color and asethetic are pleasing. He hits the right notes, being distant but gentle and someone Beauty could love. Unfortunately he doesn’t have much to make him truly stand out. Fortunately he also pulled at my heart strings and was easily the best part of the film (as all stories should be).
2. Britannaica’s Tales Around The World: Beauty and the Beast
I’m giving this one a 6/10. Main reason being that it’s gothic atmosphere and designs convinced me it’s the closest we will get to a Tim Burton beauty and the beast retelling. AND ITS FAR TOO SHORT!
Belle:
I like her. Her design is pleasing and there are moments when her face animation looks really good. She also struck me as not only nice but smart and blunt, out right asking the Beast what did she need to say for him not to be angry. If given a longer running time and more development we could’ve gotten a really neat, smart, and enjoyably cynical Beauty. 8/10.
Beast:
LOOK AT HIM! He’s horrifying and it’s fantastic! He stands out from other Beasts, looking a mixture of a dragon, dog, goat, and bat. And while he’s legitimately threatening when coming across Beauty’s father he immediately becomes-well, to keep it clean, I’ll just say whipped-when Beauty arrives, basically giving her the castle and in turn, his obedience. Again I wish this had been given a bigger budget and running time it would’ve been fantastic. The beast is a solid 9/10.
3. Beauty and the Beast- A Tale of the Crimson Flower:
I’m giving the special itself a 5/10. It’s longer, running at 34 minutes. It was given MONEY. The animation is so pretty, especially the Beast’s castle… unfortunately the cons are that it spends a good chunk of running time is the father hunting down gifts for his daughters (one being a magic mirror that makes you look young, I think Beauty is related to the Evil Queen). And it’s incredibly frustrating that that time should clearly be dedicated to time with, you know, the beauty and the beast. Though he is a really good father.
Belle:
She hits all the notes. Beautiful and kind and even gets a pretty musical number. I’ll give her a 6/10. Also her name is Anastasia.
Beast:
10/10.
“But Hel! He’s not nearly as interesting to look at as the other two beasts! Why the perfect score?”
Two reasons. One, how kind he is. Two. He is played…by Tim CURRY. THE TIM CURRY! And we were robbed of having Tim play more love interests cause he was incredible! You don’t see the beast but you get a lot of him talking to the Beauty and he is SOOO nice. Not even just to her, he wasn’t that threatening to the father, he less wanted a prisoner for theft and more a companion, any companion, to sooth his loneliness. And even then when the Beauty arrives he almost immediately tells her she can go home whenever she wants. And he didn’t even deserve to be cursed! A witch cursed him JUST BECAUSE he was rich, I never heard or saw anything that suggested he was once a bad person. He was one hundred percent a victim and I love him so much.
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