Beauty and The Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (1997)—The Epitome of Disney Sequels

Merry Christmas to all! I hope everyone’s Christmas this year is filled with laughter and joy and all those other fuzzy emotions. And what better way to celebrate the magic of friend—I mean, Christmas than with a tale as old as time? After the critical and financial success of Beauty and The Beast, Disney decided to follow up with a direct-to-DVD sequel. Because we all know a direct-to-DVD sequel can recapture the magic of the original. So sit back, relax and grab a warm cup of hot chocolate (or extra spicy eggnog) as we explore this totally necessary movie.

On the night of Christmas Eve, Mrs. Potts tells the story of their first Christmas since their master turned into a beast. After being cursed, The Beast hated Christmas and forbade his servants from celebrating it. During her time in his castle, Belle resolves herself to change The Beast’s mind about Christmas and plans on preparing a proper Christmas celebration for the entire castle. But things go awry when the castle’s former composer, an organ named Forte plans on thwarting her plans and keep The Beast from falling in love with Belle. To do so, he orders his lackey, a piccolo named Fife to see that the two never break the curse.

Gather around, folks. I’m about to let you in on a secret: this movie was my introduction to Beauty and The Beast and was also one of my favorite movies as a kid. I couldn’t tell you how many times I watched it and how obsessed I was with Forte. There’s something about late 1990s to early 2000s CGI that just spoke to me. Some for the better, and definitely some for the worse. And looking back, I’m amazed how I never had nightmares from the demonic CGI pipe organ because I can certainly see why so many of my friends were terrified of him. Those gaping black holes for eyes and the uncanny head movement all looks straight out of The Nightmare Before Christmas (probably a more apt name for this movie). Instead, I had nightmares over hilarious movies like this (well, I find it hilarious now at least).

This movie has the exact same issue I keep seeing with almost all of Disney’s direct-to-DVD sequels: flashbacks. Now I don’t mean that the film features way too many flashbacks. I mean that the film is 99% a flashback. And the events of this film don’t even have a major impact on the first film’s story. Which makes the entire movie feel like a glorified side quest in a video game. We’re even shown the scene of Beast and his servants being cursed by the witch. Information we’ve been privy to in the first movie! If you’re going to give us a sequel, at least give us something original. There’s a reason why I love Cinderella 3 so much despite not being a fan of the original film. It explores a new side of the story and characters by delving deeper into one of the stepsister’s personality. But here? The characters from the first film are actually dumbed down. Belle goes from witty, intelligent and caring to being so blinded by her love of Christmas to even consider what The Beast feels about it. And The Beast? He’s just a roaring, angry behemoth whose sole existence here is just to destroy everything in his path.

You could make an argument that Forte and his “quirky” sidekick Fife are the new additions. Yet their presence is forgettable at best and completely redundant at worst. Forte’s entire existence is to prevent the beast and Belle from falling in love. Why? Because unlike the other servants in the castle, he actually likes being an organ. He claims that he’s Beast’s best friend and confidant, yet we never see a glimpse of him in the first film. But if you thought he was unnecessary, then honey, you’ve got a big storm coming. The annoying pipsqueak Fife will grate on your nerves throughout the entire film with his incessant need to feel relevant to the plot, even going as far as attempted murder. And all for what? A solo from the totally-not-shady Forte?

If the first film is a timeless classic and Academy Award Best Picture nominee, then this one is the far less successful cousin that plays at every gas station screen. Even after watching God knows how many animated films over the years, I’m still blown away by Beauty and The Beast’s animation and music. So imagine my surprise when I see how flat and non-dynamic this film is. I’m not kidding when I say that The Enchanted Christmas looks like some North Korean bootleg of the first film. The line art is far too thick and heavy, making all the characters look like they were made 50 years prior to the film’s release date. The Beast goes from looking like an intimidating monster who can still show a myriad of emotions to looking like some generic mutated bear. How could they mess that up? And Belle? She has two modes: whimsical smiling and diluted sadness. As a fan of the 1991 film, I’m truly disappointed with the lack of effort on Disney’s behalf here. But it could be a lot worse. It could be Mulan 2. If you love the original Mulan, do me a favor and never watch Mulan 2!

Love them or hate them, you can’t deny that Disney is responsible for bringing us beloved animated classics. So imagine my disappointment when crap like this is greenlit and why perfectly feasible sequels for hidden gems like Treasure Planet are cancelled. Just because people were fans of the original animated film doesn’t mean that direct-to-DVD sequel trash or unnecessary live action remakes or prequels will recapture that magic. Yet for some reason, Disney keeps making them! If you’re looking for a good direct-to-DVD Disney sequel, just stick to Cinderella 3. At least you’re getting your time’s worth.