If you don’t know this story already, then you must be living under a rock. Beauty and the Beast is a fairy tale love story between a monstrous looking prince and a young women named Belle. Belle is ahead of her time, well educated, outspoken, and brave. Beast was once a handsome prince who cared only for himself, but now finds himself on the wrong side of a curse. The two meet when Belle comes to save her father from Beasts prison. She is then held captive in the castle, and begins to learn about the magic hidden within its walls.
I saw this film with my wife. It made for a great date night and she enjoyed it very much. I thought it was well made, appropriately timed, and accurate to its animated counterpart. The addition of new songs, and the re-imagining of older ones were both fantastic. The love story was fleshed out more than in the animated film. This made the love story more believable, despite it being a fairy tale. I felt as if the characters were invested in a relationship. Most fairy tales do not show relationship development, but instead rely on “true love” and “destiny” to explain. This live action film managed to show a real romantic love story, in which both characters learned more about each other.
My favorite character was Lumiere, played by Ewan McGregor. He was more comical than in the original animated movie. I thought his accent was spot on, and his musical number was quite funny. I also liked Kevin Klines portrayal of Maurice. Maurice was a very re-imagined character. He came off as wise, artistic, and brave. He was not shown as the weak clumsy father displayed in the animated film. Honestly, everyone gave great performances.
Overall I thought this movie was great. The acting, the music, and the story were all very enjoyable. I recommend catching this one in theaters.
Starring: Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Josh Gad, Kevin Kline
Runtime: 129 Min
Rated: PG
HFR Rating:
