We’re back with another review of Disney’s Film Collection Beauty And The Beast dolls! Today’s post will feature….
Belle and The Beast From Disney Store’s Film Collection Doll Series!
Let’s start this review by looking at Belle in her beautiful yellow ballgown!
Belle:
Madame Garderobe has struck! Belle is now fully adorned in her stunning ball gown and ready to dance!
Let’s stop for a second and take a closer look at this enchanting yellow dress!
The bodice is sewn from yellow, satin fabric, and has a glittery tulle overlay with lots of gold details. Like Cinderella’s gown, the bodice is not attached to the skirt and can be taken off separately.
The skirt has several tiers of fabric.
- The very top layer is a sparkling, gold-embroidered, organza.
- Beneath the organza is a sheer, gold skirt that feels a bit like chiffon.
- The third skirt a light yellow, satin fabric.
- Finally, we have the crinoline or petticoat. The crinoline is made from white, net and is not attached to the skirt. It is its own piece.
Hidden beneath her skirts are Belle’s shoes.
How enchanting! They’re so….french! The details on Belle’s shoes are amazing. I had hoped that Disney would incorporate some French style into Belle’s outfit and these shoes do just that.
As far as quality goes, Belle’s ball gown appears to be very well made.
It is actually a little heavier than Cinderella’s gown (probably because of the crinoline) and, while it isn’t identical to the one that Emma Watson wears, it is absolutely gorgeous. All the pieces (the bodice and skirts) fit nicely on the doll and close using small strips of Velcro.
Now that we’ve admired her dress, let’s see how pretty Belle is.
Of course, Belle is fully articulated. She can turn her head and bend her elbows, wrists, knees, and ankles. She has the same face sculpt as the Village Belle. I won’t go over the controversy surrounding Belle’s face mold again. It suffices to say that I like Belle and have no problem with the way she looks.
Belle tops off her ballroom look with a neat, braided bun that is held in place with a gold headband.
Unlike Village Belle, Ballroom Belle’s hair is nice and soft. In fact, her hair is so nice that it’s tempting me to wash and restyle Village Belle’s hair. Hmmm…do I dare?
Oh boy! We better move on to The Beast before I get distracted with doll hairstyle tutorials!
The Beast:
Disney did an amazing job of sculpting The Beast. They managed to make him look realistic without being scary.
I guess it goes without saying that the Beast is wearing his ballroom attire, which consists of
- A navy blue satin jacket.
- A navy blue satin vest
- And a white satin shirt.
The vest and shirt are one (large) piece and secure in the back with velcro. His pants are a dark, suede-like material and have an elastic waistband.
The Beast wears a white, lace cravat (collar) and has a bit of lace at the end of each sleeve cuff.
At first glance, it seems like The Beast is very muscular and filled out, but what you are seeing is actually padding inside the Beast’s shirt! Sadly, without his vest and shirt, the Beast is a bit…scrawny.
The Beast has molded horns and…hair? Fur? I’m not really sure? Well, whatever it is, it’s very well done.
The live action Beast’s horns look more like ram’s horns than buffalo horns–which I think is what the animated Beast had.
The Beast has brown fur sculpted over his entire body. His feet are shaped like paw pads with claws at the end of each toe.
His tail is attached to his pants so if you decide to slip off his pants, be aware that his tail goes with them!
I must admit, I was a bit hesitant about the Beast. I wasn’t sure he would look all that great in doll form; however, now that I see him in person, he is quickly becoming one of my favorites!
If you stare long enough into those hypnotic, blue eyes, you might just start to see a prince!
I just had to get a picture of Ballroom Belle with Cinderella!
But I think this picture is my favorite:
In conclusion, I am very happy with Belle and The Beast. No, they’re not 100% perfect; but, in my opinion, the areas that are off are easily remedied. Sure, Belle’s face sculpt may not be as accurate as the upcoming Belle figure from Hot Toys, but this doll also doesn’t cost $200. And while her dress isn’t tiered exactly like the one in the film, it’s still a beautiful gown.
As for the Beast, I really can’t find a single fault. The sculpted fur and details on his face are amazing. He’s definitely well worth the price!
That’s it for today folks–but don’t worry! We’ll back next week with a review of Gaston—it’s gonna be great!
