BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: BELLE'S MAGICAL WORLD

Its positive message is a good reminder that our outsides often match our insides: if we let our light shine, beauty is sure to follow.

I kept thinking of Beauty and the Beast: Belle’s Magical World as some sort of sequel to Beauty and the Beast, but soon realized that a sequel would be about Belle and Beast in human form.  Instead, this is more of an extension of the first film and chronicles Belle and Beast’s early days together.  It finds Belle back in Beast’s castle with her friends Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, and Chip, and again they’re all tiptoeing around Beast’s random rules and unpredictable temper.  Like Beast’s heart, the castle is dark and neglected, but Belle and her friends join together to create a palace fit for a princess.  They prove that true beauty comes from within, a revelation that is not lost on Beast.

While not on par with the original film, Belle’s Magicial World allows kids to enjoy their favorite characters without revisiting the same movie again and again.  Its positive message is a good reminder that our outsides often match our insides: if we let our light shine, beauty is sure to follow.

DVD NOTES

DVD extras include Disney’s Sing Me A Story with Belle “What’s Inside Counts”, Belle’s Delightful Dinner Game, a song selection/sing along option, and Enchanted Environment (where you can enjoy the sights and sounds of Belle’s enchanted forest.)