Title: Beauty And The Beast – Ultra-faithful, For Better Or Worse
Author: pfangirl
Recovered Author: pfangirl
Published Date: 2017-04-13
Original URL: https://geeknode.co.za/2017/04/beauty-and-the-beast-ultra-faithful-for-better-or-worse
Wayback URL: https://web.archive.org/web/20180201075041id_/http://www.geeknode.co.za:80/2017/04/beauty-and-the-beast-ultra-faithful-for-better-or-worse/
Recovery Confidence: high

- Genre Fantasy, Romance
- Director Bill Condon
- Producer David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman
- Actors Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Kevin Kline, Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Ian McKellen, Emma Thompson
- Reviewed on Cinema (2D)
- Available on Cinema (2D), Cinema (3D), IMax, 4dx
- Air Date 2017-04-13

- pfangirl

- 10 months ago

- 0 0

If you exclude Alice in Wonderland and Maleficent – both of which told their own original stories – Beauty and the Beast is the third live-action Disney movie to be based on one of the studio’s classic animated films. It follows Cinderella and The Jungle Book . With a good dozen other live-action remakes in the pipeline (including The Lion King , Mulan and Aladdin ), this cartoon-to-flesh-and-blood trend doesn’t seem to be fading any time soon.

So how does the live-action Beauty and the Beast fare as one of the pivotal trend-setters? The short answer is “alright.”

Basically Beauty and the Beast ’s biggest problem is that it’s based on something so beloved and groundbreaking. Let’s not forget the 1991 movie was the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. The 2017 Beauty and the Beast has a lot of people to please, and the filmmakers seem to have adopted the thinking that the best way to do that is to be as faithful as possible to the original animated musical. That’s creatively suffocating. At least to begin with.

Beauty and the Beast settles into its skin, and develops its own identity as it progresses – adding some new scenes and songs. To start with, though, the movie strains to replicate its source material practically shot for shot. It plods along, covering the plot points without any surprises or tension. So we witness how a vain, cruel prince (Dan Stevens) is transformed into a monster. Years later we see bookish outsider Belle (a visibly tense and uncomfortable Emma Watson) rushing to the Beast’s castle to rescue her father, Maurice (Kevin Kline).

Once Belle arrives at the castle, things get better all round. There’s more breathing space for the characters, and the actors. It’s lovely to see Belle and the Beast bonding quietly over books, and the iconic ballroom scene is every bit as enchanting in live-action as it was in animated form 26 years ago.

Rather unsurprising, Beauty and the Beast ’s visuals are one of the movie’s highlights. Not only are there opulent Baroque sets to devour, but as with The Jungle Book , the CGI effects are completely convincing in bringing non-humans – here the castle’s staff-turned-household objects – to life. More importantly, the movie’s topnotch motion capture and CGI combination provides Stevens with the emotional naturalism he needs to convincingly portray the Beast’s mental shift.

In terms of other performances, Luke Evans gives villainous ex-soldier Gaston a far more sinister edge than in the animated Beauty and the Beast . Glimpses of Gaston’s temper and cruelty at key moments reveal what really lies beneath his dashing exterior. Poignancy, meanwhile, is provided by Kline’s Maurice. In terms of the film’s new content, a good chunk of screen time has been devoted to the Beast and Belle’s childhoods. While this material feels for the most part like over-explanation to justify character psychologies, it adds melancholy meat to Maurice.

And that’s about it, really. Beauty and the Beast finishes a lot stronger than it starts. There’s even the added bonus of a few minutes spent watching the all-star supporting cast, who otherwise only voice the Beast’s household. This includes Ewan McGregor as Lumiere, Ian McKellan as Cogsworth and Emma Thompson as Mrs Potts.

But honestly, nostalgia and curiosity will pack cinemas regardless of what any critic has to say about the Beauty and the Beast remake. This has been the case already overseas, and South Africa will be no different. Simply know that everyone, from fans to casual cinema-goers, should leave the theatre smiling.

If you exclude Alice in Wonderland and Maleficent – both of which told their own original stories – Beauty and the Beast is the third live-action Disney movie to be based on one of the studio’s classic animated films. It follows Cinderella and The Jungle Book. With a good dozen other live-action remakes in the pipeline (including The Lion King, Mulan and Aladdin), this cartoon-to-flesh-and-blood trend doesn’t seem to be fading any time soon. So how does the live-action Beauty and the Beast fare as one of the pivotal trend-setters? The short answer is “alright.” Basically Beauty and the Beast’s biggest problem is that it’s based on something so beloved and groundbreaking. Let’s not forget the 1991 movie was the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. The 2017 Beauty and the Beast has a lot of people to please, and the filmmakers seem to have adopted the thinking that the best way to do that is to be as faithful as possible to the original animated musical. That’s creatively suffocating. At least to begin with. Beauty and the Beast settles into its skin, and develops its own identity as it progresses – adding some new scenes and songs. To start with, though, the movie strains to replicate its source material practically shot for shot. It plods along, covering the plot points without any surprises or tension. So we witness how a vain, cruel prince (Dan Stevens) is transformed into a monster. Years later we see bookish outsider Belle (a visibly tense and uncomfortable Emma Watson) rushing to the Beast’s castle to rescue her father, Maurice (Kevin Kline). Once Belle arrives at the castle, things get better all round. There’s more breathing space for the characters, and the actors. It’s lovely to see Belle and the Beast bonding quietly over books, and the iconic ballroom scene is every bit as enchanting in live-action as it was in animated form 26 years ago. Rather unsurprising, Beauty and the Beast’s visuals are one of the movie’s highlights. Not only are there opulent Baroque sets to devour, but as with The Jungle Book, the CGI effects are completely convincing in bringing non-humans – here the castle’s staff-turned-household objects – to life. More importantly, the movie's topnotch motion capture and CGI combination provides Stevens with the emotional naturalism he needs to convincingly portray the Beast’s mental shift. In terms of other performances, Luke Evans gives villainous ex-soldier Gaston a far more sinister edge than in the animated Beauty and the Beast. Glimpses of Gaston's temper and cruelty at key moments reveal what really lies beneath his dashing exterior. Poignancy, meanwhile, is provided by Kline’s Maurice. In terms of the film’s new content, a good chunk of screen time has been devoted to the Beast and Belle’s childhoods. While this material feels for the most part like over-explanation to justify character psychologies, it adds melancholy meat to Maurice. And that’s about it, really. Beauty and the Beast finishes a lot stronger than…

Movie Review: Beauty And The Beast – Ultra-faithful, For Better Or Worse

Movie Review: Beauty And The Beast – Ultra-faithful, For Better Or Worse

2017-04-13

pfangirl

Technically superb but hamstrung by fidelity to the animated original

TOTAL - 7

70
7

Visually stunning throughout, Beauty and the Beast takes a while to feel comfortable in its skin, much like its monstrous hero. Once it's allowed to have more of its own identity, it becomes a much more engaging and satisfying movie experience.

User Rating: Be the first one !

7

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pfangirl

Entertainment / Geeky Goods Author

South African Tomb Raider, Pop Culture Explorer and Geekaissance Woman who writes it all. Loves movies, comics, games and cosplay. Most frequently seen fangirling on Twitter.

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Article Tags:
Beauty and the Beast · Dan Stevens · disney · Emma Watson · fairy tale adaptation · featured · live-action remake · Luke Evans · musical

Article Categories:
Movie Review
