Review: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Is a Film Any Fan of the Original Will Enjoy
Beauty and the Beast is Disney's latest live-action adaptation of one of their animated classic films. They've been enjoying the success of these films over the years, and Beauty and the Beast is shaping up to be their biggest hit yet out of these live-action adaptations.
There's such a huge fanbase for the beloved original animated movie, and the majority of that fan base are going to absolutely love what this live action film has to offer. For the most part, the film is an exact remake of the original film. Many of the scenes are an exact shot for shot recreation.
There are a few differences, though. There are a few new songs that were included in the film, and some of the existing songs were changed up a bit. Some of the story elements and plot details were also changed, some of which worked better than what was in the original film, because they actually explain a few things that were unanswered in the original movie.
You'll definitely notice these changes, but I didn't find them that jarring. In fact, many of the changes might be considered by some to be improvements. Regardless of the changes, the spirit and the tone of the original movie were present from beginning to end.
I don't want to spoil any of these new story details for you. I'll just let you see it for yourselves and judge whether or not they helped or hurt the film. In the end, the film is still going to make an insane amount of money. It's got everything that Disney fans love about the films they make.
Emma Watson's Belle even got kind of an upgrade in the film, which I actually really liked. She is a much stronger female character in this version of the story and she is actively trying to make her little town a better place. She was kind of like an activist, which most people in the town don't really care for. My own girls seemed to connect more with Belle in this film than in the original animated movie. Watson also did a wonderful job portraying the character.
My favorite aspect of this new version of Beauty and the Beast was Luke Evans as Gaston. He was phenomenal, and he owned the role! When he was initially cast in the role, I was skeptical and didn't think he'd be able to pull it off, but he proved me wrong! He was perfect as Gaston and he did a fantastic job singing the musical numbers as well. All of the actors did a great job in their roles, but Evans' Gaston just stood out the most for me.
I've gotta say, though, one of the weirdest aspects of the film was seeing all of the cursed cartoon characters brought to life in a realistic way. It was just so strange to watch Cogsworth, Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, Chip, Feather Duster, Wardrobe, and the others in real world setting, and it was kind of disturbing, but in a fun way!
Director Bill Condon did a wonderful job bringing this magical story to life on the big screen again. I do have to say, though, as much as I enjoyed the film, I still like the original animated movie more. Nothing can replace the magic of that beautiful animation.