The official live-action adaptation of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” has recently hit theaters, but will this film honor the original classic and leave a lasting positive impression on the film’s reputation?
Beauty and the Beast was one of my favorite Disney films growing up, and like many others, I was very anxious for Disney’s live action interpretation. But while I was excited, I was also a bit nervous. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the live action Cinderella or Maleficent. However, I was very impressed by The Jungle Book, with its great visuals and storytelling. My worries started to deteriorate when I initially saw the cast list. I was surprised that Ian McKellen and Ewan McGregor, of which I am big fans of, were cast. I had never pictured Gandalf or Obi-Wan singing beforehand. Loving the original, I really did not want this movie to spit in its face and ruin the name of “Beauty and The Beast”. Thankfully, none of this was the case in this amazing visual and musical experience.
I immediately fell in love with this film while I was watching it on the IMAX screen. This film has comedy, a wonderful soundtrack, and amazing special effects that this film provided. It brings back the memories and flare of the original while also providing its own new takes on the film and music.
Let’s start with the performances of the cast. Emma Watson did a great job portraying Belle, the joyful and curious bookworm. Belle desires more than just what is offered inside of her little village she calls home, including wanting to find more out about her mother, who had passed when she was a baby. Emma Watson delivers an innocent and lovable protagonist that many can relate to throughout this film. Along with her fantastic voice, Emma’s acting had you feeling all of the emotions internally that they were presenting on screen, whether sad or jolly.
Dan Stevens blew me away as the film’s Beast. His performance was captivating, powerful, and had you fall in love with his character. The chemistry between Belle and the Beast is something truly remarkable. Watching them start with shaky first impressions and soon starting to grow fond of each other is truly something to be seen. Not to mention how captivating Beast is as he sings “Evermore”, and just how powerful he is as he sings. You can feel his pain start to grow as he sings, and Dan makes it 100 times better with his incredible vocal talent. His compelling performance throughout this song makes one of my favorite numbers in the entire film.
Luke Evans portrays the lovable, lustful hunk known as Gaston, accompanied by Frozen’s Olaf himself, Josh Gad, as Gaston’s right-hand man LeFou. Together, this duo demonstrated their dynamic chemistry, as it looks like they have been together for a long time and really depend on each other for support. What I believe helps this is the relationship Josh and Luke share off-screen. These two have become great friends during the production and remain close still. The two are a great duo, singing their way into our hearts through their musical number “Gaston”. Both the vocals and the choreography of the scene keep the audience captivated and in awe, leaving a beautiful impression on the name “Gaston”.
The haunted castle that the Beast lives in is filled with a wonderful cast of fun and interesting characters of talking appliances, such as Ewan McGregor, whom some may remember as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars Prequel Films, as Lumière, and Ian McKellen as Cogsworth. These two along with the others cursed in the castle, including Mrs. Potts and her son Chip, make the castle feel full of life and joy, and that once someone comes to the castle, they make it feel as alive and full of energy as it once was before the curse was laid upon them. They do a great job of giving the castle character with their charismatic attitudes and wonderful voices.
Beauty and the Beast is an amazing movie. Both a visual and auditorial thrill, this is a beauty of a film. The musical scores are soothing to the ears, the visuals give magical hugs to your eyes, and the combination of great acting and masterful storytelling keeps you invested. The star-setted cast is just icing on this magical cake. If you’re looking for a great Disney film and fell in love with the original Beauty and the Beast in your childhood like myself, then you will fall in love with Disney’s latest masterpiece.