Disney's animated Beauty and the Beast first dropped in theaters in 1991 to critical acclaim and wide appeal. Six years later, in line with Disney's then-new trend of direct-to-DVD sequels, midquels, or prequels, a Christmas special released.
Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas has much better animation than Belle's Magical World. Yet, as a direct-to-DVD midquel, it does not quite match the quality of the original film. Perhaps the one problem with the visuals is the CGI-look of Forte, the talking organ. It looks out of place among the 2D-animated characters and painted backgrounds.
In the film, Forte tries to stop Belle and the Beast from falling in love and employs Fife, a talking flute, to check on them. After Belle ice skates with the Beast, Fife quickly brings them apart by shooting himself into them. The Beast then makes a snow angel only to be reminded of his monstrous appearance.
I found Forte to be an intriguing, although creepy, villain with motivations to maintain his alliance with the Beast. As a Christmas, I appreciate how he represents Satan through his deceitful lying. Fife, in contrast, has a much more lighthearted design along with funny moments.
It is not the most pleasant to watch the Beast revert to his monstrous behavior, especially for a story taking place after he saved Belle from the wolves. He even locks Belle back in the dungeon later in the film. Belle also expects the Beast to warm up for Christmas and writes a book in an attempt to change him. That seems problematic because modern advice discourages women from trying to change or expecting abusive men to change.
However, I also heard that it's okay for women to give men the opportunity to change. Besides, Belle only left her present by the rose; she did not force him to read it. The Beast read the book on his own time. Belle and the Beast also barely spoke with each other while he was in his monstrous phase.
Belle, though less complex than she was in the original film, is cute and sweet as ever. It is lovely seeing her attempt to bring Christmas back into the castle. Belle's bond with Chip, especially as they go out to find a Christmas tree together, is another treat. The other household objects, including an angel named Angelique, also helped Belle bring back Christmas. Even while she was not in love with the Beast, Belle has still found acceptance at the castle.
I find it impressive how Belle, a bookworm, used her love of stories to help the Beast. The film starts after the curse and goes back to the previous year. Once the story returns to the present moment, Belle wears a unique Christmas-style dress and bow alongside the prince as they go out together.
Angelique stands out among the talking household objects, especially her accent. The growing bond between Cogsworth and Lumiere is another standout.
Regarding the songs, they move the story forward and illustrate its Christmas vibe. They are nowhere near as memorable as the original film's songs, but they remain well-incorporated. A standout is the song Forte sings to the Beast, during which impressively-animated green cupids appear.
Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas, though not as great, makes for a well-crafted Christmas special for fans of the original. I recommend giving it a try once, but some will like it better than others.
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