Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (1997)

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.

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.

This is a very cute movie. It is about a Christmas while Belle is at the castle with the Beast. She tries to bring Christmas to the castle, but he won't allow it.This movie is made to have taken place while Belle was still the Beast's prisoner, before they all turned human again and the Beast and Belle fell in love, just as all other Beauty and the Beast productions are. This is just how they did the Little Mermaid TV series, too, because they both involve magical transformations. Just as Ariel wouldn't be "the little mermaid" in a series of that title if she were human, it wouldn't be Beauty and "the Beast's" Enchanted Christmas if the Beast were human! :) I hope this helps and answers any questions!

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.