Disney continued its trend of turning its animated classics into live-action masterpieces with “Beauty and the Beast.”
Released in theaters March 17, “Beauty and the Beast” retells the classic tale featuring new characters, new plot points and some new songs.
The live action edition stars Emma Watson (“The Colony”) as Belle, a strong-willed, brave and imaginative bookworm and Dan Stevens (“Legion”) as Beast, a prince cursed to live out his days as a hideous beast until the last petal falls on an enchanted rose, unless he finds love.
Along for the ride are the charismatic candelabra Lumiére, voiceded by Ewan McGregor (“Fargo”), the butler-turned-clock Cogsworth, played by Ian McKellen (“Mr. Holmes”), the loveable Mrs. Potts, played by Emma Thompson (“Bridget Jones’s Baby”) and a handful of other characters both old and new.
When Belle turns down the villainous Gaston (Luke Evans, “The Girl on the Train”), he, along with his friend LeFou (Josh Gad, “A Dog’s Purpose”), tries everything and anything to get the beauty’s affection.
Many who have seen the original 1991 film have pretty much seen this adaptation, but it is worth it. While the original is an animated classic, it was simple to transform it into the cinematic treasure this rendition is.
The live action version takes most of the songs from the original and reworks them to fit with the darker scenery. It also adds songs such as “Evermore” and “Days in the Sun,” which gave some characters, such as Beast, a chance to stand centerstage in ballads that add to the beauty of the overall film and humanize the characters.
Watson was a fantastic choice for Belle, bringing the two-dimensional character to life on the big screen, gorgeous golden dress and all. Although at times it seems like she is reprising her role as brainy witch Hermione from the “Harry Potter” franchise, it does not take away from her overall performance as she was perfect for the role.
Stevens’ portrayal of Beast is done very well. While audiences do not see Stevens as a human for very long, his version of Beast is both sarcastic and more human than the animated film. It gives the character more depth and helps audiences empathize with him. Not to mention he has a very dominating singing voice that adds to the character.
The chemistry between Watson and Stevens is incredible, with Stevens as both a human and Beast. The same could be said for Evans and Gad as well, so much so that it caused a bit of controversy in the southern U.S.
Evans embodies the evil Gaston with his demeanor and brings the oaf to life. With a powerful singing voice mixed with some hilarity to boot, Evans’ Gaston is more serious than his animated counterpart and answers some questions left by the original.
Cinematically, the film is beautiful. The scenery is gorgeous and the CGI characters, like Lumiére and Cogsworth, are so ornate and detailed it is difficult to believe at times that they are animations.
The only bit that it underwhelming was the ballroom scene where Belle and the Beast share their first dance. The original definitely makes that scene more memorable. That said, this new take on the tale as old as time has some really extraordinary scenes that do not make audiences miss that particular scene.
“Beauty and the Beast” is a tale of second chances and this film definitely gave the directors a second chance at making this classic standout. The new film answers various questions audiences have been asking since the 1991 release.
An imaginative transformation of the classic, “Beauty and the Beast” is crafted for a new generation, while reminding the older generations of why the original is now categorized as a classic.
