BEAUTY & THE BEAST

BLU-RAY+DVD COMBI PACK

Paige O'Hara, Jerry Orbach, Angela Lansbury, 1991, cert. U

Belle's father is prisoner in the Beast's enchanted castle. When she offers to take his place, she discovers the prince inside the beast.

Disney's 1991 classic princess tale is a showcase of the studio's talent. This is by and large a musical, which may not be to everyone's taste but without a doubt adds to the picture and is executed to perfection. Look past the Broadway-esque score to discover one of the most endearing set of characters ever assembled by the studio - from the Jerry Orbach voiced candelabra and Angela Lansbury's teapot to the main protagonists. Belle is a strong-willed, independent thinker who is unmoved by the shallow good looks of Gaston and intrigued by the Beast. As a princess role model Disney hasn't come close to equal Belle until last year's Princess And The Frog. If you missed Beauty And The Beast when last released on DVD, or have indeed never seen the film, awaken the little girl in you to this magical story. And if you are a little girl, be prepared to be enchanted. At the time of publishing this release we've only seen the DVD, which contains precious little bonus features apart from a fabulous work-in-progress version of the film. Indeed if you ever wondered about the Disney magic and how the dream comes to life on film, this is a priceless chance to discover some of the stages involved - without the dryness of a documentary or the slightest hint of technical geekiness.

Most definitely deserving of its place amongst the jewels of the crown.

Disney  have very kindly donated 3 copies of the Blu-Ray+DVD Diamond Edition of Beauty and The Beast. Head to our competitions page, answer a simple question and the magic could be yours!

 DOUGAL AND THE BLUE CAT

DVD

Eric Thompson, Fenella Fielding, 1970, cert. U 

There's a new arrival in the Magic Garden, in the form of a blue cat called Buxton, which means trouble for the gang. Dougal suspects things are afoot when he notices Buxton talking to the Blue Voice. Soon, all sorts of strange happenings ensue, Zebedee's moustache is hijacked, the friends find themselves in a dungeon, and Dougal is sent to the moon. Can Dougal save the garden and resume tranquility? Created in France by Serge Danot, the dialogue was re-written in English by Eric Thompson who also narrated all of the characters bar one. Fenella Fielding provided the memorably eerie tones of the Blue Voice. 

With a considerable cult following, the French Manège Enchanté has carved its way into the British pop culture thanks to the brilliant voice characterisation by Eric Thomspson. The TV series, which was a huge hit in the 70s, has even been remade for today's youngsters using modern animation techniques to freshen up the look and feel. Now, don't get us wrong - we're big fans of Dougal and the gang, lo-tech, kitsch and all. We're not however huge fans of the Blue Cat. Nothing against the feline itself, mind, it's just that the story drags on. It takes quite a bit to get going, and is so linear even the most committed fans may start to falter. Then it's also a little bit creepy. Fine for grown-ups reminiscing but we found it was a little bit disturbing for younger children. True, kids love Dougal and the motley crew of characters, but this is probably not the best introduction to the original TV series.

One for the many Dougal fans out there, but unlikely to increase his following in droves.