December 25, 1991 -- Usually, when I hear high praise of a movie I go to see it with such high expectations that I am disappointed. I had such high expectations of ``Beauty and the Beast'' but was not disappointed.

This is a great movie. It shows that Disney artists are still capable of producing the quality of animated features as they did during the ``golden age'' of cartoon features decades ago.

``Beauty and the Beast'' ranks up there with ``Cinderella'' and the other Disney classics. The animation is beautiful, the songs and voice characterizations are superb. The story is a classic.

Even the minor characters in the film, animated teapots, teacups, a candlestick holder, a clock and others are drawn and characterized so well they take on a life of their own. They are more three dimensional than most ``live'' human being characters in the movies these days.

The film is funny, and sad, romantic as well as dramatic. It is must see entertainment for all ages of moviegoers. This is actually a better film than ``The Little Mermaid.'' It richly deserves a Best Picture nomination from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, as well as a nomination for the title song.

It rates an A, of course. It is the best animated feature ever made.

Click here for links to places to buy this movie in video and/or DVD format, the soundtrack, books, even used videos, games and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.