A tale as old as time returned to the big screen this year, giving us a movie filled with action romance, adventure, and even a little humor. This live action Disney film starring Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as the Beast, brings all the magic and enchantment of the 1991 animated Disney classic back to us in a whole new way.
From the moment, the movie starts the audience receives a visually enchanting experience. The set design, visual effects, makeup, and costumes really make it feel like we are looking at a castle in 16th or 17th century France. Even the way the little village that Belle and Maurice lived the set design looked so detailed, and all the main actors and extras’ outfits seemed to be on point.
There were some differences from the 1991 animated film that I noticed in the first few scenes, but I enjoyed them very much because they were taken the original fairy tale. (Spoiler Alert) In the original French fairy tale Belle’s father asks her if there was anything he could bring back to her once he returned from his journey; and all she asks for is a rose. Maurice notices rose bushes just as he is about to leave the castle and he picks one of the roses, which angers the Beast and is the reason why he gets imprisoned. While this was only a small thing, I enjoyed it because felt like a tribute to the original fairy tale.
Since CGI was a big part of this film, I was a little worried that the CGI would appear a little too obvious, but after seeing the staff of the Beast’s castle when we are introduced to them after the curse is put on the castle, I was proven wrong. All of them looked so realistic, even during all their interaction with Belle.
Another part of the movie that made it so attention-grabbing was the music. Of course, songs from the animated film such as, “Belle,” “Gaston,” “Be Our Guest,” and of course “Beauty and the Beast were included, but some new songs that gave the main characters as well as some of the side characters more emotion and personality. It was also interesting because it was the first time I have ever heard Emma Watson sing. I was not expecting her to be spectacular, seeing how she is a trained actress and not a singer, but for her first time singing, I will say that she did a good job.
While I did enjoy the film, there were also some things that I did like about it. For example, after the Beast saves Belle from the wolves and is injured, the servants tell Belle about how his mother died and his father made him into the arrogant prince he became. We are then showed a small flashback of a little boy at his mother’s bedside singing a song, and then his father taking him away. While I can understand this was made it add to the tragedy of the film, and give us more detail about the character, I felt like it was so short that it didn’t need it. As it just there for a quick moment, and then it was gone.
Another thing was the side plot about Belle’s mother. We learn early on that Belle never knew her mother and her father did not tell her what happened to her. When the Beast and Belle go the Paris, Belle finally learns how her mother died. While it is interesting and sad to learn that both of our main characters lost their mothers to illness, I feel like it was straying away from the main plot of the movie and felt a little bit distracting.
Overall, I have to give the film a big thumbs up. It makes the viewers feel like they are experiencing a visually amazing journey through provincial France full of magic, romance, and adventure. With the help of beautiful classic and new songs, a talented cast, and amazing visuals and effects, this live action version of Beauty and the Beast can be considered a cinematic success that is sure to amaze people of all ages and opens a doorway for more amazing live action Disney films in the future.
