User reviews

Don't get me wrong this was not a bad movie, I just didn't think that it fit somehow. It didn't seem like a sequel or the "missing middle chunk" of the beloved cartoon. The first film, to me, seemed to have been set in the middle to late fall, I can stretch my imagination and see it possibly being November but not December. I think they could have made Forte' much more interesting and menacing and Fife was cute, but I think the real kudos goes to Haley Joel Osment's Chip. Paige O'Hara's Belle sings a lovely song about story books and this little sequence was charming, but still it seemed to lack the essence that made the original so magical. I rarely watch these Disney sequels anyhow due to the animation not being what it's like in the originals. I took a gamble and watched this and it was good, but nothing like the first and finest.

Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas is a sequel to Beauty and the Beast obviously, I wasn't too sure if I had wanted to see this because I thought it was just going to be one of those cheesy Christmas special things. But it turns out that this was just a semi-prequel for the story, just going for the stories in between when the time where the beast was still a beast, Belle was still trying to figure out her place in the palace as well as the servants who are still objects in this story. I actually thought it was a nice addition to the story, now I do think that this was unnecessary, because of course we always have to have a villain to these stories and this one somehow in between all the drama of trying to get the beast to turn into a prince, we have an organ that is trying to break the beast's heart away from Belle, yeah, it's silly.

Belle is still a prisoner in the Beast's castle. All the servants are trying to figure out a way for them to fall in love with each other, but with Christmas coming up, they look at this as a great opportunity to bring them together. Belle is excited for Christmas, but the beast isn't happy seeing how it's the one year anniversary of his spell being cast upon him. The organ player though is not in the mood to be mortal again, so he decides to figure a way for the beast to steer clear of falling in love with Belle.

Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas is a decent sequel, it's a little silly, but I think it wasn't that bad. It was nice little story to add to the fairy tale, it's for the kids for sure, but it's a nice family film as well. There are some good songs in here as well, also we have Tim Currey who is always an awesome villain. Over all, I'd say to give this movie a chance, it has decent animation, a charming story, and the original voices, how rare is that when it comes to a Disney sequel? But I do recommend Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas, it's a nice Disney film, even for the holidays as well.

6/10

I watch this every year at Christmas, and I never grow tired of it. It is not as good as the wonderful original, but is actually one of the better DTV efforts, along with The King of Thieves. It is nowhere near as bad as some people have said, and one commentator gave it a low score solely on its continuity errors. Of course it has some, then again, so does every single movie in existence, even the original Beauty and the Beast. It is true that some of the animation falls a little flat,(most of it though is crisp, clean and smooth) especially with the dark backgrounds, but I liked the fact that it is darker than the original, and not at all mean spirited. Mostly the animation isn't bad at all, but I do think the computer animation stuck out like a sore thumb. The songs are well above average, and the score by Rachel Portman is beautiful. My favourite song is As long As There's Christmas, and Stories is charming. The other songs aren't as memorable, but bring a great character to the original storyline, about Belle (who was slightly changed) trying to bring Christmas to the Beast, and overcoming the many obstacles including the pipe organ Forte. The voice overs were generally very good indeed. Fife is a tad annoying, but totally bearable. Lumiere and Cogsworth are funny here, and I really admire the late Jerry Orbach. Haley Joel Osment was cute as Chip, and Angela Lansbury makes a welcome return as Mrs Potts, as well as Belle and the Beast. The real treat is in the newcomers though. Bernadette Peters is wonderful as the reluctant Angelique, and Tim Curry does an exceptional Annie-nominated voice over as Forte, song included. A perfect Christmas treat for Disney fans. 7/10 Bethany Cox

When I heard that there was going to be a direct to video sequel of Beauty and the Beast, I was appalled. But I took a chance and rented it. Using the original cast was an inspired idea! The animation is great (much better than most DTV sequels), but the CGI used on Forte (the evil organ) is distracting. The songs aren't wonderful. It's nice to explore the section of the original movie that was skimmed over. Christmas!

Forte is a way better villain than Gaston. It would of been better if they made this a 30min short than a movie.

The thing that really hurts this sequel (other than the lackluster work from all the normally superb voice actors, and deflated story) is the fact that this is OBVIOUSLY an afterthought of a sequel. The main villain, as well as some additional characters, were not even mentioned in passing in the 1991 film. There is really no need for this movie at all.

The only exceptional thing about this sequel is Tim Curry's excellent voice-over work, and the CGI imaging of his character, even if it is misplaced alongside the traditional animation. I'd say skip this altogether if you really enjoy the classic 1991 feature, as I do.

Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas is an in-between-quel set amidst the events of the first film. The cursed Beast (Robby Benson) has forbidden Christmas celebrations. But Belle (Paige O'Hara) thinks he just needs to see Christmas is all about.

The Enchanted Christmas is completely pointless, but's made with the good Disney formula. The animation is good, songs are good, characters are likeable.

Additionally to the main cast Tim Curry and Paul Reubens lend their voices to supporting roles. They really stand out and steal the show!

I can see why some people don't really like this movie, but I think it's worth it, at least for the children.

The other good news is that it doesn't turn into a preachy Christmas movie instead focusing on an interesting villain to keep the feel of a fairy tale throughout.

I recommend it to less-demanding viewers.

Based on reviews of fans, I had some anticipation that this film would be one of the better Disney sequels. But, I was very disappointed with this sequel.

I must admit that this direct to video sequel had its good points. I really enjoyed the song, "Stories." First of all, it was nice for Belle to have a solo considering that many Disney heroines have solo songs in their movies. One can argue that the "Belle: Reprise" is a solo for Belle. But a reprise, technically, isn't an actual song. I did think "Stories" was the key highlight in this film. Not only that, bringing the back the original cast was a smart idea, considering that most Disney sequels don't have at least one key actor/actress from the original.

However, the movie did have several bad points. I was disappointed about the storyline. People complained about the story being "too dark for Christmas." I must agree with that consensus. I don't think they portrayed the "true meaning of Christmas." I honestly thought they spent too much time on Forte. I have no doubts about that. The songs were okay but not good as the original. I must give an exception for Stories. That was the only song that stood out for me. The animation was obviously "sequel-ish quality". Aside from that, I was stunned with the scene of peril towards the end. The castle nearing collapsing? I thought Disney went too far! No need for an action/adventure twist to this sequel about Christmas.

The bottom line: A 4 out 10 for this disappointing sequel.

A word to the parents: If you plan to buy this for a young child, be cautious and watch the film with them. There are scenes of peril and several dark scenes featuring the malevolent pipe organ. If they get too scared, at least you'll be around to console them. There is some brief language in one of the songs. So, if you're concerned about children hearing bad language, handle the situation with good and reasonable thinking.

The original film is such a masterpiece that it sets the bar so high for this sequel, and you have to keep this in mind when you sit down to watch this. First of all, I think it is such a delight to have the entire cast from the original back and at it. I think the film would really have been hurt if even one of the voice actors had been replaced.

I think what made the original so strong was the music and lyrics of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. Every song was beautiful, witty, and did so much to develop the story and characters. There a but a few songs in The Enchanted Christmas, and the only one that is somewhat memorable is the song "Stories", whose melody becomes a sort of musical motif that recurs throughout the film. The interesting animation sequence during this song is one of the highlights of the film, and it is nothing like anything featured in the original.

If you are a die-hard fan of Beauty and the Beast like myself, you will enjoy seeing the characters in action... but, sadly, it feels different and less magical than the original. The script is a little thin, and the voice acting isn't totally consistent with the original. For example, Robby Benson, who voices Beast, sounds very strange at times and seems to be overacting. But it seems that the Beast in general is very exaggerated throughout the film so this is probably not Benson's fault. Paige O'Hara as Belle as always has a remarkably beautiful voice, whether she is singing or talking. It is so wonderful to hear her put life into the character again.

One thing that I feel was very wrong with this film is that an entire sequence was devoted to showing how the Prince turned away the Enchantress on Christmas and became the Beast. I think that the original film did a marvelous job by telling this part of the story through the stained glass sequence in the beginning, but seeing it portrayed here again sort lacks that fairy-tale wonder to it that the images in stained glass conveyed so well.

Aside from this minor point, I believe if you enjoyed the original like myself, you won't have too hard a time of enjoying this film. Like I mentioned, it would be impossible to match the beauty and magic of the original solely in that the music just cannot match the genius of the Menken/Ashman collaboration. Even though the animation is low-budget, a wonderful soundtrack would have made the sequel great.

My commentary on the Special Edition DVD is that I thought the behind-the-scenes feature was wonderful, and although it is short, you get some really great interviews from the voice actors including Tim Curry who makes his debut as the story's new villain. You don't get to see Paul Reubens though, whose voice and character I found rather annoying. No big loss. One problem I had, however, is with the quality of the image. The Special Edition of the original on DVD has an amazing picture quality, and the colors are so lucid and spectacular, yet in the Enchanted Christmas DVD the colors are somewhat dull and faded. Aside from that, the other special features are just some nonsense that is thrown in just to satisfy the Special Edition title, but the behind-the-scenes feature is good enough for me.

On a final note, I noticed that there are Roman numerals on the side of the DVD cases of both films. Supposedly there will be a third Beauty and the Beast Special Edition coming out soon. Can't wait.

Who knew 'Beauty and the Beast' had not one, not two, but three follow-up films? I certainly didn't!

'Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas' is pretty tame and plain compared to the original, with the plot feeling like a retread for the majority. It still holds up for an OK viewing experience, but probably doesn't need to exist.

It is, however, terrific to see the same cast involved again, from Paige O'Hara (Belle) to Jerry Orbach (Lumière) to Angela Lansbury (Mrs. Potts). They are just as good as before, though the same can't be said for the animation which is more on the average side in my opinion; especially for the villain, Forte (Tim Curry), who I didn't really enjoy.

The premise is quite boring, with all the drama being easy to predict given what happens in the first film. I suppose this serves a purpose as a film to watch during festive times, as an added titbit to the 1991 production. A proper sequel would've been nicer.

1991's "Beauty and the Beast" was one of a good bunch of Disney films that I was familiar with from an early age. I first heard of this straight-to-video sequel not long after its release, when I was eleven years old. Would I have enjoyed "Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas" at the time? Probably, but I never ended up seeing it at the time for some reason, even though I was interested for a while. It's been ten years, and I have finally seen it, but am not that satisfied.

The story is set somewhere in the middle of the events we saw in the first movie, when the castle was still under the spell from the enchantress, meaning the prince was still a beast, and Belle was his prisoner. It's Christmas Eve, but Belle is the only one who is aware of this. She plans to decorate the castle for the forthcoming occasion, despite warnings from castle servants that the Beast hates Christmas, remembering that was the day the enchantress came! Belle believes that bringing Christmas back to the castle will save the Beast from his misery, but will it? Meanwhile, Forte, a former pipe organ player, now a self-playing pipe organ since the casting of the spell, does not wish to return to his original human form, and plans to have Belle permanently removed from the castle so the spell will never be broken!

I guess this isn't really a sequel, as it does not take place after the events of the first movie. Instead, it adds more to the original story. Either way, it's rather disappointing. I did find a bit of excitement in "The Enchanted Christmas", but certainly not as much as in the original. Also, unlike the 1991 smash hit, I did not find so much humour in this film. I guess one reason for that is Gaston and Lefou are not in it, but I also didn't find Lumiere and Cogsworth's arguments in this film as funny as they were in the original, and I'm not sure why. The story is also a bit bland in comparison, as almost all of it is set in the castle, so there isn't as much of a variety in locations, and there aren't as many characters, even though there are two new ones, Forte and Fife. As I recall, there aren't too many memorable songs, either. Nothing lacking in the animation as far as I could see, though.

As you can see, I've given "Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas" a 5/10, despite the fact that I've given "The Return of Jafar" a 6/10, and have definitely noticed more problems with that Disney straight-to-video sequel than this one. It's a bit hard for me to describe my experience watching this film, as I wouldn't exactly say I was bored, but didn't really enjoy it, either. These straight-to-video sequels from Disney are never as popular as their theatrical predecessors, but it appears I'm only the 25th user to review this one, and the film has well under 1000 votes, so I guess it's even less popular than I thought! For fans of the original 1991 film, "The Enchanted Christmas" MIGHT be worth a try, but it's definitely not a must-see, at least not for adult fans.

For a direct-to-video special, this movie isn't really all that bad. The animation was crisp and clean enough that I wondered if the theatrical animation department worked on this. The CG animation of the villain, Forte, was pretty impressive, even though it kind of stood out like a sore thumb compared to the traditional animated surroundings.

All the voicework is back from the original movie, most notably Jerry Orbach as Lumiere and David Ogden Stiers as Cogsworth. New characters were well voiced by Tim Curry, Paul Reubens, and Bernadette Peters. One thing that is definitely lacking in this movie is the quality of the songs. Most of them are kind of corny, sappy, and disposable. Compare that with the original where all the songs were magnificent and memorable, and you'll realize that Howard Ashman was definitely missed.

As for the storyline, this movie provided a nice Christmas story. Recalling back when they were cursed, the characters detailed their struggle to bring Christmas back to the castle. I thought Forte was a very conniving and formidable villain. He added the conflict that made the story more interesting. It's not groundbreaking material, but it's sweet and nice enough around the holidays.

So, overall, this isn't Academy Award material like its predecessor, nor was it ever intended to be. It's a good Christmas story with your favorite B&B characters.

My IMDb Rating: 8/10. My Yahoo! Grade: B+ (Memorable)

Comparing this to the theatrical original, I have to say I am pleasantly satisfied. Enchanted Christmas builds itself as a strong point in the story, emphasizing a time during the passage of the first film where the household tried to rekindle the Christmas spirit that was so long lost.

Pretty much all of the original voice cast is back, which is a nice thing for a Disney movie. The artwork is neat and colorful. The writers did a good job inserting this keystone into the continuity of the first. Personally, my favorite element was Forte, the organ. The computer animation blended in nicely with the darker environment established whenever the scene included him. If it had been a bright, colorful scene, he may have looked somewhat bulky against the traditional cell animation. Also, I admire Tim Curry, the voice actor of Forte. He's a cool guy, prone to playing villains or someone otherwise so inclined to be a bit creepy. But that's his strength, and he does well with it.

Overall, I liked it. It's a good movie for the kids, and a good movie for the Christmas spirit.

I always rolled my eyes when people claimed the love story of the 1991 Beauty and the Beast was based upon Stockholm Syndrome (no one ever seems to aim that charge at the 1946 version, or any other version of the tale for that matter), but I would certainly believe it in this uninspired sequel.

Belle took none of the Beast's attitude and temper in the original film, and it was not until the incident with the wolves that they started to get along. Here, she seems to be totally alright with him being a jerk and never stands up to him. The Beast is downright abusive, throwing her into a cold dungeon after she half-drowns in a frozen lake after trying to get him a Christmas tree. He was a jerk in the original, but certainly not cruel.

The animation is ugly, the characters off-model, and the music is forgettable. The CG Tim Curry pipe organ is ghastly in design and has dated terribly.

I can only thank God above that Disney no longer makes these awful midquels and sequels. This one may be among the better of the bunch, but its bastardization of the original film and cheap production make it odious to those who fell in love with the 1991 masterpiece.

It was in Disneyworld where I first came across this direct to video sequel for Beauty and the Beast. Being a fan of the first movie and a Disney fan in general, I bought it. I wondered how the prince turned into a beast again. Finally I put it in the hotel VCR and started watching. The Enchanted Christmas is not near as half as good as the first movie. I felt it was a real shame that Dinsey made this sequel as it some how slightly ruined the first Beauty and the Beast. I will hand it to Dinsey for getting -most- the original voices back. But still this movie did not have that charm that Disney movies should have. One huge let-down was the awful soundtrack. Besides "As Long As There's Christmas" I didn't think highly of any of the other songs. Forte was such a dull villain, I could actually hate Gaston but Forte was more annoying than evil. However the computer animation of him was not bad at all but didn't really blend in with the animation. The voices were good but the characters were just so dull in this movie. Lumiere, Cogswarth and Mrs. Potts didn't have that funny charm they had in Beauty and the Beast. Haley Joel Osment, I will admit did a good job as Chip- all the cast members did splendid jobs, but the characters were still not lively like in the first, the songs were dull and the story was the biggest let down. Why Disney feel they have to make a sequel to all their classics is beyond me... well money I suppose but what ever happened to 'the sake of the art'? I mean Picasso didn't make The Blue Period II: The Return of Depression, now did he?

This is one of the many straight to video sequels that Disney produced in order to rake in more money from their films. Thankfully this is one of the better ones and only adds to the magic of the original film. If the film had had more depth and length it could have been a passable cinema release.

One of the strengths of this film is that it reunites all of the original voice cast and contains all the warmth of the first film. The new songs are good if slightly overused.

It remains a good film that never really gets the recognition it deserves. I am glad that it is now being packaged in a box-set with the original because the two really do compliment each other.

I'm no great fan of the original Disney "Beauty and the Beast", so I didn't expect much, but this movie is really annoying. Once again, Disney indulges in their peculiar inclination to give their teenage heroines little pals of about 6 or 8 years old to hang around with, in this case, Chip. In real life, Belle might babysit him for an evening, but it's hard to imagine her hanging out with him the way she does here. The music and lyrics in this film are lamer than usual. This movie is a good example of the way in which Christmas has sentimentalized out of existence in Hollywood; no one has any clue of what Christmas is for or about, they just figure that some ephemeral "magic of Christmas" comes wafting through the air every December to do miraculous things, and all we have to do is say "Merry Christmas" in order to be uplifted. Lastly, I found the cliched Jewish accent of the Axe very offensive; it was the equivalent of getting someone like Stepin Fetchit to provide the voice of a can of shoeshine polish in order to complete the hilarity.

Just for the Christmas period.All the characters from the first one with their prototype voice actors plus Forte the bad instrument voiced by Tim Curry.Just sit back and enjoy with low expectations.

When I first heard that a sequel to BATB was to come, I was surprised: how is it possible that the Prince is the Beast again? But when I saw the film, I found it quite good - it was nice to see something new happening in the castle. And I liked the "nature of a beast" which the enchanted Prince seemed to have more than in the original story. I must confess that Forte was really frightening! And the best in the whole movie was the coming of the Enchantress and the transformation of the Prince into the Beast. Yes, I really liked the film very much.

"Beauty and the Beast: The enchanted Christmas" is not the continuation of the well-known throughout the world cartoon, it is like the movie inside the movie, in other words, we are finding out what was going in the castle, while Bell lived in there. How the relations between her and the Beast had been evolving and also we are getting to know with the new inhabitants of the castle.

For sure, there is no even comparison with the greatest story of all time, i mean the first part of "Beauty and the Beast", but it is also interesting to figure out what occurrences had happened while Bell was in there. It helps to understand both characters (Bell and The Beast) deeper. In fact, it is a very good story for watching before Christmas. It teaches you never give up, and despite your previous wishes haven't come true, you should keep wishing (also it was Bell's words in answer to Beast's resentment). Now we know why Beast hates Christmas and how he was before being turned into animal.

I advice to everyone, (no matter child, teen or adult) watch these two very instructive and inspirational cartoons. Of course, the second part isn't the same masterpiece as the first one, but you can't demand it, because it's just a demonstration of the part of theirs life into the castle, not the whole story, so i would advice not to be critical regarding the second part and just enjoy the one chapter on the way to the greatest ending.

I first saw Beauty and the Beast: the Enchanted Christmas in 1997 right after its release. I remember liking it then and thinking it was kinda fun and cute. Recently I watched it again and enjoyed it even more I think. No, it's not the original, as you might have noticed most of these reviews attest to, but it is an exceptional technical effort for direct to video. 20 years ago much of the the animation in the theaters wasn't even this good. The character work was outstanding and the original voices made the whole thing. Cogsworth and Lumiere were in great form and Forte and Fife added an interesting dynamic. The grandest instrument - the pipe organ - must use the least of instruments - a piccolo - to get his dirty work done, though Fife (Paul Reubens) is a somewhat unwilling accomplice... not too bright either, but perhaps the most interesting of the new characters. Tim Curry was perfect as the evil Forte, who is - of course - evil just for its own sake. He's kinda ugly and mean so it's easy to hate him. The CGI animation on him is good, but a little misplaced. I think it was just an experiment in animation that didn't quite work all the way, though it was perfected in the movie The Iron Giant where the main character - though animated by computers was given a hand-drawn look.

I think kids and adults (with a taste for some fun and a good suspension of disbelief) can enjoy this one. I actually think the story could have been a little longer and more involved, especially toward the end. There was a bit of character reconciliation which I figure must have taken place off screen, and a rather truncated musical number between Lumiere and Cogsworth which could have expanded to include everyone else. A couple of the songs were not bad for the budget that this thing was made on. The humor came across well, and even the Beast had a couple of funny moments, and it was nice just to see some old friends.

Though it pretty much leaves out the true meaning of Christmas, I think The Enchanted Christmas is a fresh approach to holiday fiction and it has a good message on hope and caring and stands well as a chapter in the Beast's journey back to humanity.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is my favorite movie. When I heard that they were making a sequel, I was enthused. But when I saw it...I was outraged. Horrified would be a proper word. This miserable excuse for a film doesn't even deserve to exist. And it doesn't. Not in the universe in which BATB takes place. I sat through it with a yellow pad and pencil and basically nitpicked it out of existence. I hate TEC, and know that true fans of BATB do, too.