Does this even need to be asked? People think that BatB is Disney's Magnum Opus (which I think is a load of B.S, but moving on) TLM is DEFINITELY less acclaimed. It's such a good movie, but people think it's lesser than BatB. Not that BatB is bad- they're equal IMO.

Factually, yes Beauty and the Beast is more acclaimed. It won more awards than any other Disney movie and is considered it's #1 masterpiece. However, I think children like The Little Mermaid better...at least I did when I was younger. Now that I actually understand the meaning behind Beauty and the Beast, it's my absolute favorite.

Oh, how I suffer!
You see, after the miracle THE LITTLE MERMAID did in 1989, the studio HAD to do something artistically refined like BatB. BatB had a lot of things in its favor when it was released, including the sucess of Mermad itself.
PS.: I'm sorry if I had any gramatical problems, I'm Brazilian

" People think that BatB is Disney's Magnum Opus (which I think is a load of B.S, but moving on)""

Agreed. It's not the best movie disney has made, IMO

^^Yep. I think it's The Lion King, with BatB and HoND tied for second.

@Animaluco: That doesn't mean that it's more acclaimed. Acclaimed means that people think it's better and it get's better reviews and that it's overall praised more. I have no clue what your answer is pertaining to at all. I think you meant to ask a different question, like "Which was more important?". But don't worry, your grammer is fine =]

You're right, firegirl. If I meant WHICH WAS MORE IMPORTANT, which of the films would you choose?

^^If it was which was more important, than definitely The Little Mermaid. It saved Disney animation!

Oh, you've just put a smile in my face. I think I'm getting obsessed with this :S

@Animaluco- that's not even a question. Little Mermaid is ten times more important than Beauty and the Beast.

I absolutely agree with you, firegirl1515! I'd say Lion King was their best, with HOND & BATB tied for second. Maybe I'd give HOND the edge. :D

^^IDK who'd have the edge in that situation. Both are so good! I'll have to watch HoND again before I decide.

I only say HOND because the characters have more depth and the plot is a little more unique. As well as the ending.

^^True. But it's also a little bit less of a family movie. It's really mature- especially Hellfire.

Yes. Definitely.

hellfire disturbs ME and i'm 17. i can't imagine what it might do to little kids. i'm NEVER EVER EVER letting MY kids watch that movie, no matter how good it is, and it is very good.

I loved Hellfire since I was 9 years old. I didn't know what the hell Frollo meant about "Or else let her be mine and mine alone" but I still thought it was awesome because of the score, even if it was about killing Esmeralda. And it's been my favorite Disney song ever since.

Beauty and the Beast is the best movie, not just Disney, in my opinion.

HoND is definitely MY magnum opus. Beauty and The Beast is one of my least favourite Disney movies.

.....

Many believe it to be the jewel in the Disney crown

^Well, I don't

absolutely

It's a gorgeous movie with a moral. More deep and more important. So it must be more acclaimed. and it is. so far.

I personally love BatB more than TLM. But that is just me. I also take into account the fact that BatB had an actual screenplay instead of storyboards, which is why the story is more refined. And the fact that it was made in a fraction of the time yet is still great. I guess I have a bias in regard to this question since I am not a fan of Ariel seeing as she made some very immature, selfish and fairly stupid decisions. But that is just my opinion.

I didn't like Beauty and the Beast because Belle gets stuck in a castle and I thought that was boring.

And rightfully so, in my opinion.

All things considered, they're pretty close...though of course none of us can know which is more preferred in general.
while I ADORE both beyond description, if I were *forced* to pick one, I'd go with TLM. Ariel is my favorite princess, after all. However, I find them about equal in quality (considering all aspects)--certainly two of the greatest, and not just among Disney films. ;)