The Beauty & the Beast : Movie Review


This movie has been in the chatter for quite some time. I mean, another live-action remake of a Disney classic? Given how Cinderella did (I didn't see it but I didn't hear many people who saw it speaking too fondly of it) when it came out in 2015, there's a lot riding on this one to deliver on the fans' expectations. And as someone who only read the abridged versions of these Princess stories and can't remember having watched any of the original animated films, I saw this film being aware of the plot (loosely) and with nothing to compare it to as such besides the sketches from my childhood books. And I adore this movie.

While the plot held no major surprises, maybe none for those more familiar with the original story, the execution was a pleasant cinematic experience. The sequences of song and dance are of typical Disney standard. As in, they are under normal circumstances, brilliant. But within the realm of Disney, they were good but not particularly great. 

There was a bit of a gothic touch to handle the aspect of the cursed prince, in the form of a beast and the kind of life he lived in a mostly empty, with a clock ticking on the time available to him to break the spell. And while for the most part he is CGI, the voice of Dan Stevens in that form fits almost perfectly. The other half of the story is the bright, brave and kind-hearted young woman, whose name, when translated from French to English, literally is, beauty.

Emma Watson makes for a very fitting Belle in this new iteration of 'The Beauty and the Beast' and does a rather fitting portrayal of a brave girl, having spent all her life up to this point in the secure boundaries of a small-village life somewhere in France. More importantly, her version of Belle has an incredible chemistry in all her scenes with the Beast, which is really the crux to how much one enjoys the movie. That is particularly true for when we are shown her witty side, though some may argue that it lacked the degree of tongue-in-cheek confidence that her character is known to have. 

The support characters of the story too were brilliantly brought forth in live-action form, something I was sceptical of earlier, and the voices fit rather well. Of course, the French accent of the Lumiere the candle-holder, voiced by Ewan McGregor, was a bit overly thick, maybe intentionally? Then there's the other list of brilliant actors bringing these 'animated' objects to life, which just leaves you astounded. Like they could just do a mini-series of short films with just these characters. Ian McKellen as Cogsworth the clock and Emma Thompson as Mrs Potts. Alongside them, Gugu Mbatha-Raw voicing Plumette (the duster), Stanley Tucci for Maestro Cadenza (the grand piano), Audra McDonald as Madame Garderobe (the wardrobe) and Nathan Mack as lil Chip (the cute little cup).

Of course, on the list of characters of people, there were brilliant performances by Kevin Cline as Maurice (Belle's dad), Josh Gad as LeFou and the surprisingly funny but good-as-a-bad-guy, Luke Evans as Gaston. Though I do wish I could have seen Jim Carrey's take on that role. 

While I have heard people argue that the film is safe, typically Disney, unsurprising and therefore unnecessary since we already have the animation original. But I never saw the animation one, I never even read the full storybook. This was the first time I experience the full story of 'The Beauty and The Beast', and I had a lovely time. I recommend it for anyone in the same boat and if you're taking the kids to introduce them to this world. It's worth watching more than once I say. The rating? 8 out of 11 puddings. 

And to quote Mrs Potts, "It's a tale as old as time, a song as old as rhyme, beauty and the beast". Enjoy. 

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