Written by Jessica Johnson
Well, it happened. I have been waiting for the live action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast for two whole years since it was first announced. So was it everything it was cracked up to be? Does it, dare I say, hold a candle to the original 1991 animated film?
Now, here is where I would typically give a spoiler warning, but seeing as we’re all Disney fans here and this version is at times a shot-for-shot remake, I’m going to just go ahead and assuage your fears—there is nothing spoiled here that is not in the original film, and I will not get into any new material that the live action version expounds upon. Deal?
So before the last petal falls, let’s get going!
So before the last petal falls, let’s get going!
So far, the Disney Company has given us Alice in Wonderland, Maleficent, Cinderella, Pete’s Dragon, and The Jungle Book in terms of live action reboots, and we have plenty more on the way, including films for Cruella DeVil, Mulan, Mary Poppins, Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Christopher Robin, Lion King, the Sword in the Stone, Tinker Bell, Dumbo, Genie, Peter Pan, and Pinocchio, not to mention live action sequels to The Jungle Book 2 and Maleficent 2. So, as this formula of putting out live action versions of our animated childhoods becomes our lives for the next oh...hundred years, it becomes difficult consider the past and present versions and consider them separate entities each worthy of their own light. With a film as well done as the animated Beauty and the Beast though, it becomes nearly impossible. Director Bill Condon did not have an easy task adapting this work from its nearly flawless source material, but where deviations occur, they are sometimes successful and sometimes unnecessary.
I was honestly terrified that this movie was going to be an utter mess up until Maurice first encounters the cursed castle. While the opening number, “Belle,” was full of its expected pep and energy, the first act quickly lost steam. It straight up lifted text from 2015’s Cinderella adaptation in a moment between Belle and Maurice, contained some really strange editing decisions, and lacked direction for Emma Watson. It was making me ask, “Why would Disney want to tamper with the near-perfection that was the animated version?”
However, upon first encountering the castle, the movie quickly made a turn for the better. This cast is perhaps one of the finest ever assembled. At the head, we have Emma Watson, who is a passionate activist herself, had a lot of say in adapting Belle’s character for a contemporary audience. This included Belle being an inventor rather than Maurice, wearing boots instead of flats, and refusing to wear a corset with her famous yellow dress. Her supporting cast consists of Ewan McGregor, who nails Lumiere in his performance of “Be Our Guest,” and has fantastic chemistry with frenemy Cogsworth, played by Ian McKellan. Emma Thompson brings grace and beauty to Mrs. Potts, and Kevin Kline gives a tragic side to Belle’s father Maurice that is very touching. Luke Evans as Gaston is both terrifying and hilarious, and Josh Gad steals the show as Le Fou. These two have some incredible moments together, and their song, “Gaston” is actually a highlight of this film and, dare I say, might even be more of a showstopper than “Be Our Guest.”
However, upon first encountering the castle, the movie quickly made a turn for the better. This cast is perhaps one of the finest ever assembled. At the head, we have Emma Watson, who is a passionate activist herself, had a lot of say in adapting Belle’s character for a contemporary audience. This included Belle being an inventor rather than Maurice, wearing boots instead of flats, and refusing to wear a corset with her famous yellow dress. Her supporting cast consists of Ewan McGregor, who nails Lumiere in his performance of “Be Our Guest,” and has fantastic chemistry with frenemy Cogsworth, played by Ian McKellan. Emma Thompson brings grace and beauty to Mrs. Potts, and Kevin Kline gives a tragic side to Belle’s father Maurice that is very touching. Luke Evans as Gaston is both terrifying and hilarious, and Josh Gad steals the show as Le Fou. These two have some incredible moments together, and their song, “Gaston” is actually a highlight of this film and, dare I say, might even be more of a showstopper than “Be Our Guest.”
Yeah, but don't let that inflate your ego too much, Gaston.
The glue that holds this film together, however, is Dan Stevens as the Beast (WHO IS NOT EVER GIVEN A NAME. SO THERE, HATERS!!!). My theories about how the film was going to tell the Beast’s backstory were only halfway true, but they added new layers to his character. In this version, it’s not entirely the Beast’s fault that he’s originally so vain and cruel. He’s well-educated and easily matches Belle’s intelligence. And above all else, he’s funny. The Beast, who was already a favorite character of mine, became so much more relatable and dimensional than I ever thought possible.
Originally, Bill Condon wanted the Beast to have practical makeup, meaning that Dan Stevens would wear prosthetics. When this wasn’t working, Condon conceded to making the Beast a CGI character. At times, the graphics on the Beast look underdeveloped, but for the most part, I was actually sitting in the theatre in utter shock at how the artists were able to capture Dan Steven’s unique mannerisms through the Beast’s graphics (don’t even get me started on dem blue eyes...). Alan Menken wrote a new song for the Beast called, “Evermore” that left me sobbing. Stevens is not a natural singer, but he really put his all into this song, whose structure is typical of a typical Menken power-ballad a la “Out There” from Hunchback or “Go the Distance” from Hercules. Between it, the climactic final battle, and the transformation scene which was directly lifted shot for shot from the movie, I was a weeping mess.
This movie is not without its flaws, but neither was the original, which was ridden with several large plot holes. This version, to its credit, attempts to fill these holes and provides even more historic context to France during the 18th century. However, in doing so, it also creates a completely unnecessary plotline about Belle’s mother and adds a new enchanted object which feels more like a cheap plot device than an interesting addition to the narrative.
...also, I have so many questions about Agathe.
...also, I have so many questions about Agathe.
All told, however, I was charmed by the finished product. I cried for most of the third act, lost my MIND at the final minute of the movie (GRR!!!!), laughed throughout, and actually found an answer to the question I asked before: “Why would Disney remake the animated classic?” The quick (and, sadly, very true answer) is money. It’s easier to repeat formulas that you know have worked with audiences in the past and make some quick money. However, that’s from the corporate side of things. The artists who spent years of their lives building, designing, rewriting, constructing, and finishing this film wanted to make something new and beautiful that could be enjoyed by a brand new generation of young Disney fans and also give original Beauty and the Beast fans the nostalgia of seeing it for the first time all over again. And for that effort, I am extremely grateful.
As I write this conclusion, I am listening to “You Came Back,” the score which precedes the transformation scene, and I have chills and have tears in my eyes. That’s Disney magic right there. That’s Beauty and the Beast.
As I write this conclusion, I am listening to “You Came Back,” the score which precedes the transformation scene, and I have chills and have tears in my eyes. That’s Disney magic right there. That’s Beauty and the Beast.
Score: 4/5 Enchanted Roses
TIP: Not like I have to tell you this, Club 55 members, but go see this movie in theatres. The audience experience is what it’s all about, for anyone in the theatre with you will most assuredly be a Disney fan as well and will create an amazing viewing experience. There actually was cheering that happened in my theatre in key moments of the film and during the credits.
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