Celebrate the most magical time of the year with this Special Edition of Beauty And The Beast: The Enchanted Christmas, which is inspired by Disney's beloved classic. For the first time in Blu-ray High Definition, this adventure reunites the original voice cast. Share the wonder as Mrs. Potts (Lansbury) recounts another "tale as old as time" about a Christmas past that almost wasn't—thanks to the scheming of former court composer Forte (Curry), who is determined to keep Belle (O'Hara) and Beast (Benson) apart forever. (Tricia Spears)
Special features include Disney's Sing Me A Story with Belle: "Stick To It/Don't Give Up!" (SD 22:57); an "Enchanted Environment" crackling fireplace; the "As Long As There's Christmas" music video performed by Play (SD 03:20); a behind-the-scenes featurette (SD 15:53); Disney's song selection, which gives you the change to select your favorite song and sing along; the option of singing along with the movie; sneak peeks; and up-front ads. The two-disc set includes a Blu-ray Disc™ and a DVD.
The 1080p AVC picture, while not on the level of Beauty And The Beast Diamond Edition, is pleasantly colorful. Contrast is a bit uneven and, as a result, pop is reserved and blacks are not as deep and solid as would be expected. Still, colors are pleasing and clarity and resolution are good, with no really objectionable artifacts. The imagery tells a story that will entertain the entire family. (Gary Reber)
The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1 soundtrack is nicely presented with a great dialogue track and a wonderfully recorded music score. Surround envelopment is not only provided for the music but also atmospherics and sound effects, which are at times directionalized. Bass extension in the .1 LFE channel is reserved but supportive. Overall, the sonics won't disappoint. (Gary Reber)