I love Beauty and the Beast. I have seen the animated film countless times, and have even performed in two productions of the stage musical. As a result, I know the story rather well...
That is... Until I saw this version...
Disney has hit it out of the park once again, proving the effectiveness of these live action remakes of the classics.
Emma Watson clearly embodies the character of belle, but also has her unique version, having more in-depth character that justifies how she grows throughout the film.
This is a major plus for this film. We get to learn the backstories of these beloved characters, even more than the original and the musical give us. We learn how the beast became spoiled, selfish, and unkind. We learn the fate of Belle's mother (seriously, why does Disney seem to hate protagonist's mothers), and an origin for Gaston and his ego. In addition to the enhanced development of character, Disney improved the story by filling in several plot holes of the original, such as how the spell is lifted, how Phillipe knew where the castle was, and WHY DOESN'T THE TOWN REMEMBER THERE IS A CASTLE AND A FORMER PRINCE? This is a question that really needed to be answered for the realistic style the film takes on.
I will not list every major change in the film, as it would take a very long time to list them all. However, there are revisions to the music and new songs added, some similar to the musical. These were incredible. While Belle doesn't sing "Home", from the musical, the score of this song is heard as Belle is introduced to her bedroom. Beast, rather than a mere roar as Belle leaves to save her father, sings a lamenting song, similar in tone to that of "If I Can't Love Her", but it has been customized for this iteration of the Beast.
I will admit I had my concerns looking at the design of Mrs. Potts and Chip. My concern was that they looked rather painted-on, rather than integrated fully into the porcelain. However, closer inspection during the film showed flakes in the paint around their eyes and mouths, giving the aesthetic that these faces were intruding, rather than just hovering.
And this bring me to the best part of the film, in my opinion: The Enchanted Objects. Everyone knows one of the most iconic moments is "Be Our Guest", and this film is no exception. The CGI is fast and technical, just like the original. However, I almost like this version better, as the lighting playing off of the objects really is an incredible thing to observe. at no point do the objects look fake. And the humanization of the characters makes it all the more powerful when it seems the day is lost.
This version is much darker than the original, and it works so much better. Being based in realism, there is a lot at stake for the characters, making the stakes much higher, and the feeling of hopelessness more prominent. In fact, as each petal falls, the castle falls more and more to ruins, showing the desolation and loss of hope in the characters.
The film does have a lot of comedic moments to help break this tension, especially in witty and innocent one-liners. Even LeFou has a few truly hilarious moments, especially during Gaston. I feel it necessary to address the controversy with LeFou as a stereotypical gay character. There have been theaters who pulled the film over this, and a decent amount of backlash over Josh Gad's performance. I will say I enjoyed the jovial nature of the character, and the character's sexuality made sense for the character, and Josh Gad played it well. There are even some great jokes at times based on this character trait, especially during the battle. However, I had a little problem with the lines, which sought to remind you nearly every time he was on screen that he was gay. This actually got rather annoying for me, as it felt like a political move rather than a character choice in the script.
If you are looking for a frame-by-frame remake like the trailer hinted, this may not be for you. But, if you enjoyed some of the creative choices from the spin-off sequels, than grab some popcorn, sit back and enjoy this modern retelling of the "Tale as Old As Time".
Certain as the Sun, Rising in the East, Go and see Beauty and the Beast.
Let me know what you thought of Beauty and the Beast in the comments below.
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