As a little girl, I remember fondly watching Beauty and the Beast every time I went to Grandma's house, or my aunt's house, or my house... basically whenever I got the chance I watched Beauty and the Beast. Belle is my absolute favorite Disney princess of all time. She is a book nerd like me (unless college gets in the way), and in my honest opinion she is the most "human" princess that is encountered throughout Disney.
What makes Beauty and the Beast a magical fairy tale is fairly simple: the Beast. He is very enclosed in himself, but he really has a genuine heart.
I'm not going to go into too much detail about the plot because it's Disney... everyone knows Disney. If not, then you'll find out about Beauty and the Beast on March 17, 2017! The producers of this modernized fairy tale released their first trailer just three days ago, and I'm going to be honest.. I fell in love more than I already am in with the tale as old as time.
Emma Watson humanizes the beauty, grace, and sacrifice of animated Belle. She dances like a princess, delivers lines with ease (and with an accent #inlove), and argued that Belle should be more "practical." For example, Watson noticed that Belle in the animation wears flats to walk around town, work with her father, and ride a horse. She stated that a horseback rider would NEVER wear flats, so she modernized and made Belle more realistic by wearing sturdy boots.
The Beast (Dan Stevens), is unrecognizable as a human. His costume is so realistic that I got a little jittery when he fights the wolves for the love of his life, Belle. The power that Steven possesses brings the whole concept of the Disney animation together.
Now, what about the comrades: Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, Chip, and Cogsworth? They are still the same tiny tots, and voiced over, but they are more antique-looking. For example, Lumiere is this worn golden color and his face is on the metal candle holder versus the wax candle itself.
Knowing my personality, I have to go into the music of the new movie. Like everything else: I AM SO EXCITED! The altered the music to modernize it, but kept the original themes embedded in there. The song "Beauty and the Beast" moved me to tears as the background of the trailer, giving me goose bumps in admiration. I could harp on this music forever, and I am looking forward to the entire soundtrack to be released.
I believe all the Belle fanatics that are in love with the Beauty and the Beast concept will absolutely fall in love with the modernized rendition of this classic. Of course we will have commentary on the outlandish differences that will be outright weird. However, I think we will embrace the humanized version of the animation. Beauty and the Beast will be released in theaters on March 17, 2017, and I will be first in line.
Open up your menu, try the grey stuff (it's delicious), and be our guest at the theaters. See you there!