BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: THE ENCHANTED CHRISTMAS

Fans of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast will undoubtedly enjoy this elaboration on Belle and Beast’s story.

Remember that time when a nice girl named Belle was held prisoner by a gruff beast named Beast?  And he was bitter and ate sloppily and had all sorts of hang-ups about the things you could do in his castle?  And then he fell in love with Belle, loosened up, and turned into a prince so’s his outsides would match his insides?  Well, have you ever wondered about the other stuff that went on during that time?  Like what about their first Christmas together?  That wasn’t in the first movie, but it’s totally in Beauty and the Beast The Enchanted Christmas!

This time around, Belle and her household pals (Mrs. Potts, Chip, Lumiere, et. al) are forbidden by Beast to decorate for Christmas.  It seems that the whole holiday season dredges up painful memories for him, but instead of dealing with his feelings, he attempts to control everyone and/or make them as miserable as he is.  Inspired by Belle, the friends band together anyway to make things merry and bright.  They prove that the true essence of beauty is kindness, and Beast learns that he doesn’t have to manhandle everyone to get what he wants.

Fans of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast will undoubtedly enjoy this elaboration on Belle and Beast’s story.  The animation, voicing, and recurring characters make it feel more like a lost chapter from the original than a sequel or a spin off, and offers kids the chance to watch something familiar while switching it up for the holidays.

BLU-RAY & DVD COMBO PACK NOTES

Extra features on the DVD include Disney’s Sing me a story with Belle “Stick To It” and sing-a-long mode.  These extras also appear on the Blu-Ray disc, along with a behind-the-scenes featurette, the “As Long As There’s Christmas” music video, song selection, and Belle’s Enchanted Environment.