Review 407: Beauty and the Beast (2017)

Beauty and the Beast is a delightful, vibrant, joyful as well as faithful yet fresh remake of a classic Disney Animated film. Mainly due to stellar visuals and a Game cast.

In mid 1700's France - Belle (Emma Watson) is a bright, beautiful and independent young woman, is taken prisoner by a Beast (Dan Stevens) in it's castle in exchange for freeing her father Maurice (Kevin Kline). Despite her fears, she befriends the castles enchanted staff including, Lumiere, (Ewen McGregor), Cosgworth (Ian Mckellen), Mrs. Potts (Emma Thompson) & Plumette (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and learns to look beyond the beast's hideous exterior, allowing her to recognise the kind heart and soul of the true prince that hides on the inside.

The plot is essentially the same as the animated film, but what makes it work is some additions to the backstories of the two titular characters, we learn more about them and what made them what they are, this addition may seem minor but it makes it a lot of difference, it made the characters more interesting and we understand that these two characters who come from such different worlds are almost perfect for each other. In being faithful to the original animated classic, Beauty and the Beast honours the original but never feels like it's a pale retread or a by-the-numbers retelling.
Overall this film remains true to the spirit of the original animated classic while also combining the the latest in computer animation with the best of Broadway to create a wonderfuly transportative, old fashioned musical experience.
Another element and indeed a crucial element that was going to make or break this film is the central romance and the relationship between the films two titular characters. In this film Belle and the Beast develop and have a more mutual relationship between each other

Director Bill Condon's direction is equal parts exciting & precise, the scenery is breathtaking, the cinematography is beautiful and captures the beauty of 1700's France. The production design is wonderful, the score by Alan Menken is beautifully lush & magnificent (there really is no one better qualified to score this film than him), the songs, old & new by Menken, the late Howard Ashman & Tim Rice are fabulous, the costumes are utterly gorgeous, the make up is rich and beautifully detailed, the props are terrific, the special effects are tremendous. Words simply cannot describe how wonderful and grand this film looks.

The acting is just a wonderful ensemble, holy moly, this film has one hell of an awesome cast.
Emma Watson is just wonderful in the role of Belle - there are no other words: she's just perfect for the role, just taylor-made for this role, she beautifully captures all the bravery, intelligence, independence, self sufficiency and compassion required to play the part.
An interesting addition to this characterisation is by making her an inventor like her father, this shows that Belle is proactive and inventive

Dan Stevens is simply fantastic as the Beast, being able to expertly convey the exterior as well as the inner torment and

Luke Evans is simply brilliantly as Gaston, much like Watson, he is so immersed in this role it's like he simply lept of the screen or maybe the drawing drawn by the animators of the original film, he is so full of himself it's honestly delicious. He's such a pretentious prick, he's the type of Disney villain you love to hate. He's just a Disney Animated Villain made real.

Kevin Kline provides some excellent charm as Maurice, Belle's father,

Josh Gad also provides a great deal of comic relief as Le Fou

Emma Thompson is her usual motherly self in voicing Mrs. Potts

And I honestly never thought I would see the day when Ewan McGregor voices a Candelabra - or when Ian McKellen plays a Mantel Clock. Or even the day when Stanley Tucci plays a Harpsichord for that matter.
But they play their individual parts of Lumiere and Cogsworth so well. Those two were so entertainingly funny together, I would pay dear to watch them perform live of SNL.
As does Tucci in the role of Maestro Cadenza

4.5/5 easily. Highly recommended.

The Anonymous Critic.