Review of Beauty and the Beast (2017) by Coltonjames — 19 Mar 2017

After Disney’s live-action remakes of Cinderella and The Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast has a lot to live up to. It must take their (arguably) most popular animated film and transition it for modern audiences.

With a cast consisting of mostly inanimate objects and a minotaur-like brute, director Bill Condon had a difficult task ahead of him. Thankfully, he was more than up for the challenge. Beauty and the Beast, for the most part, is a success despite some major flaws in its leads.

A selfish prince, Dan Stevens, is doomed to live as a hideous beast, unless he finds true love. In walks Belle, Emma Watson, as the prince’s cursed staff makes a last-ditch effort for the prince to free them of their enchantment and find true happiness.

I never believed in the relationship between Belle and the Beast. They didn’t have any chemistry until the final act of the film and it felt rushed. Watson and Stevens were serviceable in the leading roles, but unlike the rest of the cast, they felt replaceable.

For most of movie, neither are given much to do. Watson seemed present in her scenes and that’s about it. She never felt charming or had any depth to her. Stevens was never intimidating as the Beast, and I didn’t have as much sympathy for him as I should have.

Fortunately, the rest of the ensemble cast more than makes up for the lacking leads. Luke Evans and Josh Gad are perfectly cast. Evans shines as the incredibly narcissistic yet immensely likeable Gaston, while Gad’s take on the quirky and bumbling LeFou has the funniest moments of the film.

The performance of “Gaston” was easily the best part of the movie. The nefarious duo steal each scene they’re in and I left the movie wishing they had more screen time. A lineup of all-time greats, including Ian McKellen, Emma Thompson and Stanley Tucci, make up the enchanted staff.

Each actor and actress gives a larger than life performance and they all work great, with Ewan McGregor being the standout with his excellent rendition of “Be Our Guest”. The musical numbers drew me in and never felt out of place.

Iconic songs such as “Beauty and the Beast” were done with admiration and were satisfying to see onscreen. Director Condon utilizes epic set designs and sweeping shots of beautiful landscapes to make Beauty and the Beast feel like a fairy tale come to real life.

The tone is light-hearted, but dark when it needs to be. I would be laughing at a joke from LeFou in one scene, and feel deep sorrow for the cursed inhabitants of the castle in the next. It is a delicate balance that gives the film its emotional depth.

The visual effects of the film are, for the most part, decent if not passable. However, the Beast looks near realistic in some scenes, but cartoonish in many others. It can be distracting when it appears Emma Watson is acting against something that isn’t as real as her.

Despite some key character flaws and minor inconsistencies, I found Beauty and the Beast to be Disney’s best live-action remake yet. I was invested in the enchanted staff’s desperate attempt to make Belle fall for the Beast, and I had great time watching Gaston’s smug endeavors to woo Belle.

The fun-spirited tone and energetic performances of the supporting cast left me feeling cheerful as I exited the theater. Disney keeps setting the bar higher and higher with its remakes, and they keep delivering.