“Tale as old as time.”
Twenty six years ago, Disney released an Oscar winning cartoon named Beauty and the Beast. This movie was so great that fans all around the world have been waiting for a live action remake after both Cinderella and a take on Sleeping Beauty were remade.
It is a tale about a young woman named Belle (played by Emma Watson) who was too smart and ahead of her time to be in her small town with no adventures and a cold hearted prince who has been under a spell which made him a hideous and scary beast (played by Dan Stevens). The spell also affected all of his servants, turning them into talking house ornaments. The only way the beast could break this unbearable curse was if he learned to love and was loved back. This shows major character development from the prince and that all is highlighted beautifully when Belle is taken by him and they start to slowly fall for each other.
The music is what makes the movie one of the best Disney remakes. Appreciating that it is the point of the live-action remake, it’s hard to imagine a case for this film’s existence without the songs. The songs, including the main hit “Beauty and the Beast,” are spectacular and are guaranteed to make you smile. New brilliant songs were added to this new live-action remake, songs like “How Can a Moment Last Forever” performed by Emma Watson and “Evermore” sang by Dan Stevens were some of the greatest in the album, which is something to brag about.
The movie offers you smiles and tears. The actors and actresses chosen for this film are great and fit their roles perfectly. I couldn’t imagine the movie with other actors and actresses as they were so perfect. Emma Watson was fantastic as Belle. I had doubts about her because of her singing, but it turned out to be great. Her acting reminded me of her acting in the Harry Potter franchise, as both Hermione and Belle are very similar in a way that they both are book lovers and are always looking for adventures.
The new movie stays true to the original yet still is different by adding new ideas, songs and also fixing plot holes from the old movie. The movie fixes plot holes like the age of the prince when he became the beast, they do this by removing a portrait of him as a 16 year old in the original. Another plot hole they fixed was a part in the song called “Be Our Guest” which also fixed the timeline of the beast and his age. This new addition also tells us what happened to Belle’s mother which explains why the father wants her to stay in a little safe yet old thinking and unadvanced town.
The setting and visual effects in this movie were on point. The vivid colors used in this movie are brilliant as well. It featured both realistic and beautiful sets. The ballroom where the iconic dance between Belle and the beast took place was just ridiculously brilliant. The chandeliers, shiny floor, and most importantly, Belle’s classic yellow dress were very pretty when Belle and the beast danced.
The way the beast looked was amazing. He wasn’t too scary, yet his emotions were shown in the film. Another brilliant part in the making of the beast is the added story to his past. Because of that we as an audience now feel for the beast, and that made the movie ten times better. They did this with the beast, but I do feel they could have emphasised it a bit more to help the audience understand more about both the timeline and the beast himself.
I would definitely recommend this movie as it is one of my favorites and might even be better than the original. If you are a fan of the cartoon, love musicals, or just love nice movies, you need to watch this film. It is unquestionably worth both your time and your money, as it is the most astonishing movie you will ever see.
