March 17th, 2017 was a day that will go down in history for Disney Fanatics. It was that Friday that one of Disney's all-time most well loved films, Beauty and the Beast, came to the big screen in live action form. Personally, I've been following this production since the day I heard that it was in the works. Being a massive Disney and B and B fan myself, I of course had my opinions on casting, directing, costuming, etc. I must admit, at first I was skeptical about some of the directions the director and staff were choosing to go with the movie. Would typically non-singing actors be able to pull off a musical movie? Would the costume choices accurately be able to incorporate both the style of eighteenth-century France and the style of the original movie? I was both hesitant and excited to find out for myself.
The first thing I noticed when I walked into the unusually crowded theater was the mass of people waiting outside to buy tickets for the show. Thankfully, we had bought ours in advanced, so we graced into the theater leaving the small mass behind. My self-righteous attitude soon diminished when my mother, sister and I entered the theater. There wasn't a single place to sit in the main viewing area. We reluctantly had to steal three seats in the center of the second row. If that doesn't tell you about the anticipation for this film then I don't know what does. With my neck craned at an uncomfortable height, I waited for the movie to begin. And let me tell you, when it began, you knew it.
Immediately the Disney logo of the castle took the form of the Beast's castle, and the surrounding land turned into the provincial town that Belle resided in as the classic, foreboding music started to play in the background. Almost immediately after started the two-hour-long spectacle that would leave me absolutely floored and on a Disney high. The singing surpassed my relatively low expectations, the colors entranced me, and, best of all, they answered all of the annoying plot holes that were littered throughout the first movie! Without giving away too much detail, they answered common questions such as "Who is the Enchantress?" "Why did she curse an eleven-year-old child?" "What the heck happened to Mr. Potts?" I was literally hooked and in awe of the entire movie.
The acting and story line warmed my heart even more so than the original film did. In fact, throughout the entire thing, I could only conjure up one complaint: the over auto-tuned sound of Emma Watson's voice. For me it just sounded too robotic and flat for a character that's supposed to have such a rich tone. However, this was a mild glitch in an otherwise jaw-dropping movie. "Be Our Guest" is a scene that will amaze even the harshest of critics. The fanfare, color, sound, and vibrancy of the entire movie is one that will make Beauty and the Beast one of Disney's most memorable and well-loved pieces, ever. 10/10 Disney, right on.
