Thanks, Bill.
Rand: the WIP version on the DVD
does play fullscreen (anamorphic), BUT it's not the true WIP that the LaserDisc contained or as it is shown (in a stoopid small window) on the BD. It's presented like the Platinum disc, showing the WIP workprint seamlessly branched with finalized footage from the Imax SE cut laid in, just like the Platinum disc. I got excited there for a second myself, but to see the
real WIP, you need the WIP LD.
Regarding the versions, the default is the Imax SE, with the changed backgrounds at the end of Something There, leading into Human Again and then the altered cleaned-up castle. When you select the "original" version, it plays the Imax SE's first half (no noticeable changes other than cleaned up animation and tweaks) and then, when it gets to the end of Something There, there are a couple of shots with the altered backgrounds - ready to lead into Human Again - but before that begins, the film leaps to Beast in the bath tub, with a horrible cut that's replicated on the DVD. So at this point, one background and the original close up on the Beast as the water rinses him off are both changed/missing. THEN the film
appears to revert to the original messy castle, at least in the scene when Beast is getting ready to meet Belle, though of course the animation still has the cleaned up Imax touches.
I should clarify my score of 9 for the main feature. I was really on the knife edge about it, since the original version naturally warrants a 10. BUT we haven't been given the true original here, and the default is the Imax SE, with the added Human Again sequence.
In short, I don't know if HA actually adds anything to the film. As it was originally intended, and if they'd worked it in as they eventually did, it might have been fine, but as it is, I've never been able to feel it felt part of the "original" movie. The fact is that is slows things down and bunches three songs (Something There, HA, Beauty And The Beast) right up against each other. That's fine in a stage show, where the songs have been added anyway, but for the film it feels like a glut of such moments, especially in balance to the first half.
Also, for me, the animation isn't quite as seamless. It looks slightly more simplistic, like it was done with a few cut corners. Oh, not by much, but it's not quite as deep as the original. And the sequence itself kind of goes off on a tangent rather than sticking with Belle and Beast just as their story is getting interesting, with too much frivolity like the wardrobe coming crashing down from a great height, etc. It just feels too "wild" and cartoony for the rest of the film.
It was nice to put it back, but to now call that the default version of the film...would that version have landed the Oscar nomination? Or might it have been called too long? Instead of B&TB being an almost perfect film, might it not instead have been called "good, but with an unnecessary song sequence?". It sustains it in retrospect because everyone loves the film, and so adding something only makes it "more", not always "better", but because it was intended originally there doesn't seem to be some big "Greedo shooting first" outcry about it.
Not that there should be, but the song was cut and
replaced with Something There for the same moment. It should, in a way, be one or the other, not both. They saw the song in the stage show, liked how it was done, and went back to add material for a reissue. But then they couldn't take out a song everyone loved, so both are in there now and, as such, I don't think it helps the pacing of the movie. So that's why the score is a 9, not a perfect 10.
FINALLY, I also couldn't access the timeline clips off the Beyond Beauty documentary. I'm using, at the moment for my reviews, my bulit-in BD drive with PowerDVD. I couldn't access the same kind of formatted clips in Prince Of Persia either, but less bothered about that! However, they worked on a friend's set-top player, which is where I was able to play a couple, but anyone know why they're not automatically working? I upgraded my PowerDVD player too, but it sounds like Disney's high-tech BD authoring tinkering is giving some drives problems.
