Belle's Magical World

Belle's Magical World (also known as Beauty and the Beast: Belle's Magical World) is a 1998 direct-to-video animated musical film produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. It was released on February 17, 1998,[1] and is a followup to the 1991 Walt Disney Pictures animated feature film Beauty and the Beast and the third and final installment in the Beauty and the Beast trilogy, featuring the voices of David Ogden Stiers as Cogsworth, Robby Benson as The Beast, Gregory Grudt, who replaced Bradley Pierce as Chip Potts, Paige O'Hara as Belle, Anne Rogers, who replaced Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Potts, and Jerry Orbach as Lumiere. The film features two songs performed by Belle, "Listen With Our Hearts" and "A Little Thought." This storyline is set within the timeline of the original Beauty and the Beast (after Christmas but before the fight against Gaston).

Belle's Magical World
Directed by
  • Cullen Blaine
  • Dale Case
  • Daniel de la Vega
  • Barbara Dourmashkin
  • Bob Kline
  • Burt Medall
  • Mitch Rochon
Produced by
  • Bob Kline
  • David W. King
Screenplay by
  • Alice Brown
  • Richard Cray
  • Carter Crocker
  • Sheree Guitar
  • Chip Hand
Starring
Music byHarvey Cohen
CinematographyNinky Smedley
Edited by
  • Lee Phillips
  • John Cryer
Production
company
Distributed byWalt Disney Home Video
Release date
February 17, 1998
Running time
70 minutes (original release)
92 minutes (special edition)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

When first released in 1998, the film consisted of three connected segments; "The Perfect Word", "Fifi's Folly" and "The Broken Wing". For the special edition released in 2003, another segment was included, "Mrs. Potts' Party" (from Belle's Tales of Friendship) making the film 22 minutes longer.

Production

The film consists of three episodes of an unreleased television show, loosely woven together in a feature-length story and also based on the original Disney animated feature.[2] It was produced by Walt Disney Television Animation and animated by Toon City Animation, Inc. in Manila, Philippines and Thai Wang Film Productions in Bangkok, Thailand. Finished and copyrighted in 1997, at the time when Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas was also completed,[3] the film was released January 13, 1998.[4]

Plot

The Perfect Word

Beast (Robby Benson) and Belle (Paige O'Hara) plan to eat together, and Beast asks for advice from Lumiere (Jerry Orbach). While Cogsworth (David Ogden Stiers) escorts Belle to the dining room, they come across the castle's well-meaning but rather verbose scribe, Webster (Jim Cummings), turned into a dictionary, whom Belle invites to join them in the dining room (to Cogsworth's dismay).

During the meal, while Belle explains a story she has been reading to Beast, Beast gets sweaty. He demands for the windows to be opened, despite there being a draft of air in the room and the servants getting cold. Beast and Belle get into an argument, and Beast strikes Webster off the table when the dictionary begins giving unwanted synonyms to Belle's insults. Subsequently, they both stop speaking to each other, despite Lumiere and Cogsworth's attempts to patch things up. Eventually, Webster, feeling guilty for his part, forges a letter of apology from Beast to Belle with his friends, a pile of papers named Crane (Jeff Bennett) and a quill named LePlume (Rob Paulsen). Belle sees the letter, and makes amends with Beast.

That night, however, the truth comes out, and after a furious chase around the castle, Beast catches and banishes Webster, Crane and LePlume for the forgery, throwing them into the forest. Belle ventures out and brings them back, and Beast, touched by Belle's sympathy, forgives the three and allows them back in, realizing that their intentions were good. The moral of the story being that it is easy to forgive.

Fifi's Folly

On the anniversary of Lumiere's first date with Fifi (Kimmy Robertson), Lumiere grows so nervous to the point that he cleans himself excessively and turns to Belle for advice, by walking with her in the garden and reciting what he plans to say to Fifi to her. Fifi overhears this, and believes that Lumiere and Belle are having an affair behind her back. In reality, Lumiere has planned a surprise snow ride around the castle gardens with Fifi. To get back at Lumiere, Fifi attempts to make Cogsworth like her, who is apparently not interested.

In the end, things are cleared up and Lumiere and Fifi go for the ride, but the pot they are sitting in slips off the edge of the balcony and hangs over the moat (the same chasm in which Gaston will eventually meet his doom). Lumiere holds onto Fifi while hanging for dear life, and tells her that he loves her. Before they can fall, Belle, Cogsworth and a few more servants arrive and get them back to safety. Everyone ends up learning to not jump to conclusions and that sometimes things are not just as they seem.

Mrs. Potts' Party

Mrs. Potts is feeling depressed due to dreadful weather, and Belle decides to cheer her up by throwing a surprise party for her. Belle has come to look at Mrs. Potts as a mother figure by this point. During preparations for the party, Belle and her friends have to avoid waking up the sleeping Beast. Beast spent the entire previous night fixing a leak in the roof and needs his sleep. However, Lumiere and Cogsworth's rivalry gets in the way. The two argue and compete over the tasks of composing music, choosing Mrs. Pott's favorite flowers, and choosing the flavors of the cake that will be served at the party. Two oven mits, Chaud (the red mit) and Tres (the blue mit), also take part in the argument, as they each side with one of the rivals.

Eventually, Lumiere and Cogsworth's attempt to sabotage one another's decisions has consequences. The baking cake explodes and makes a complete mess in the kitchen. Lumiere and Cogsworth, after a scolding from Belle, decide to put their rivalry behind them for good and work together to make a small surprise for Mrs. Potts. The plan goes well, and Mrs. Potts is cured of her depression, and the sun finally shines again. Everyone learns the power of cooperation and compromises.

The Broken Wing

Belle and Beast arrange to have lunch together again, but an injured bird accidentally flies into Belle's room, and she forgets her arrangement, instead paying more attention to the bird. Beast discovers this, and flies into a rage, as he has a strong dislike for birds, trying to catch the bird, but he trips over Cogsworth and hits his head hard on the floor. This strips him of his hatred for birds, but his selfishness remains, driving him to lock the bird in a cage and demand that he sing for him when he pleases, but the obviously saddened and frightened bird refuses.

Meanwhile, Cogsworth feels he is losing control over his staff, and demands their respect with harsh treatment. In the meantime, Belle convinces Beast to release the bird once its wing is cured. But the bird, still too weak, begins to fall, and Beast rushes to rescue it. In the process, Cogsworth falls from the West Wing balcony and into the garden. He is unhurt, and learns that you cannot demand respect, but you can earn it by giving it. Belle and Beast make amends, and Beast learns to treat people and animals with respect and compassion.

Voice cast

Critical reception

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has a critical rating of 17% based on 6 reviews.[5]

DVDDizzy spoke poorly of the "Disney employee who had the idea to salvage episodes created for an animated TV series that wasn't going to materialize by stringing them together as a direct-to-video feature film", noting that it resulted in one of the very worst movies Disney put their name on.[6]

Home media

Belle's Magical World was released on VHS in the United States on February 17, 1998. Belle's Magical World was produced by Walt Disney Television Animation, and consisted of three connected segments called The Perfect World, Fifi's Folly and The Broken Wing. The film was released as part of the "Walt Disney Home Video Presents" collection, not Walt Disney Pictures. Walt Disney Home Video Presents is a video line for animated features.

Belle's Magical World was originally released on home video in the VHS format. In the first two days of its release, sales of its VHS copies were more than expected. Ultimately, more than a million copies were sold. At the time, the film ranked among the top 10 top-selling videos of all time, bringing in profits.

The film was changed to Beauty and the Beast: Belle's Magical World when reissued on Special Edition DVD on February 25, 2003. This release included another segment, called Mrs. Potts Party, making the film 22 minutes longer. The re-release came with digitally restored picture and remastered sound.

The film was reissued on Special Edition DVD on November 22, 2011 with a new bonus feature, Sing Me a Story with Belle episode, "What's Inside Counts".

In 2019, the film was re-released digitally for the first time on Disney+ but without the Special Edition segment Mrs. Potts Party.

Awards and nominations
Year Nominee / work Award Result
1998 Belle's Magical World Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Home Video Production Nominated[7]
1998 Paige O'Hara for playing "Belle" Annie Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting by a Female Performer in an Animated Feature Production Nominated[7]
1999 Belle's Magical World Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing - Direct to Video - Sound Nominated[7]

References
  1. "Beauty and the Beast: Belle's Magical World". Disney Movies. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
  2. Reynolds, Simon (March 14, 2015). "12 straight-to-video Disney sequels". Digital Spy. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
  3. Beauty and the Beast - The Enchanted Christmas (1997), retrieved 2019-03-23
  4. "Animation World News - Home Video". Animation World Magazine (Issue 2.11). February 1998. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  5. "Belle's Magical World". rottentomatoes.com. 17 February 1998. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  6. "Beauty and the Beast: Belle's Magical World DVD Review (2011 Special Edition)". dvdizzy.com. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  7. "Belle's Magical World". 16 February 1998 – via IMDb.
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