2017’s Beauty and the Beast is Disney’s latest live action movie that’s based off one of their classics. The story of a young, beautiful woman falling for a beast is a tale as old as time, but is this movie a tale that will be remembered as fondly as the 1991 classic? Personally, I think not and here’s why: while this movie is visually stunning and the songs are a delightful treat, especially to those who grew up with the 1991 film, there’s something. . .off about the film. Before I continue, I want to say that I don’t think this is a bad film, I think it’s one of the better live action remakes, but it definitely has flaws that are hard to ignore.
One of the most important elements of the story is the romance between Belle and the Beast. I enjoy the chemistry that they have in the 1991 film, but in this film, it feels lacking. For example, in the original, Beast is the one to escort Belle from the dungeon to her room, initiating conversation in attempts to make her feel better about staying at the castle—even though his approach isn't the best. In the 2017 film, however, it’s Lumiere and Cogsworth who escort Belle to her room and the Beast is angry that they gave Belle a room. Despite that the Beast shows reluctance while escorting Belle in the original, at least he shows generosity while giving her a more comfortable place to stay in. Another part that also feels lackluster was when Belle is treating Beast’s wounds after the wolf incident.
In the original, Belle and Beast are bickering but finally gain each other’s respect when Belle thanks Beast for saving her life. In the 2017 film, the Beast is unconscious while Belle is taking care of him. The servants talk to Belle about Beast’s past and the curse, introducing one of the new songs, but that time could’ve been used for some nice interaction between Belle and Beast.
I’m aware that I keep returning to the 1991 film and should treat the 2017 film as its own story, but the newer film keeps reminding us about the older version with similar dialogue, scenes and actions from the characters. Instead of trying to stand on its own, the 2017 film tries too hard to imitate the original. It's not a bad thing that there are similar elements, I just didn't want to keep thinking back to the classical and how much that one did better.
Even though the film has its faults, it does manage to make up some problems that the original had. One of the issues from the original is that the Beast had been cursed for ten years and the last petal will fall on his 21st birthday, meaning that he was only 11 years old when he was cursed. This brings up a bunch of questions such as, how's there already a portrait of his older self in his room? Why would a young prince answer the door, isn’t that a servant’s job? Where were the parents? The 2017 film cuts out the “10 years we’ve been rusting” line and replaces it with “several years” instead. Not only that, we get a prologue showing an older prince getting cursed and we learn that everyone who lived outside the castle got their memories erased, explaining why no one ever noticed a castle or its inhabitants in the original.
Another element that's welcoming are the additional songs (despite that the placement of some of them are peculiar). I especially liked “How Does a Moment Last Forever” that’s sung by Kevin Kline who plays Maurice (Celine Dion sings an extended version in the credits). It’s a short song but it explains a lot of his character while he's fixing a music box. Kevin Kline brings a new light to Maurice’s character. He’s not as eccentric as his counterpart, but is more sympathetic and relatable.
However, Kevin Kline and a few other actors such as Luke Evan and Josh Gad are the only ones who are able to carry the film. Even though I like Emma Watson, I feel that her acting isn't the best. I wanted to enjoy Emma’s new take on Belle, but her performance was underwhelming with some stiff acting--especially some moments with the Beast--and 'just okay' singing. She’s not a bad actress, but I think they should've picked someone else.
I would describe the movie as an overly decorated cake that doesn’t taste as good as it looks. Everything about the cake is beautiful, but there's not enough flavor. The new things that the film does are good. The prologue, the ending, the music, the scenery, some of the new portrayals of the characters, it's well done. But even though the film shares a lot from the original, it still lacks charm and I think that's what affects the film more. Overall, the film's okay at best, if you love the film, that’s great, I’m simply not a fan of Disney having the desire to remake all of their classics.
