Directed by Bill Condon
Starring Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, etc.
It's not much of a secret as it used to be,but let me just put in print: The original animated Beauty & The Beast is my favorite Disney film, and just my favorite film in general. Dare I say, it's one of the few films I could arguably label as "perfect".
So when Disney got on it's "live-action self-remake" kick, and this film was on the docket, I was more than skeptical. But as the casting announcements, production updates and trailers started to come out I started to feel more confident. It looked like Disney was treating one of its greatest properties with thought and care. After having seen the film twice now, I can say that while the original will always be superior, this one is a wonderful but not perfect tribute to it.
You know the story. A young girl named Belle (Watson) lives a provincial life in a French village. While on his journey home from the market, her father Maurice (Kevin Kline) ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time, as the prisoner of of a cruel prince-turned-Beast (Stevens) in an enchanted castle. Belle finds her father, offers herself in his place, and the Beast accepts. Belle and the Beast grow closer, as does the hope that she might be the one to set him and his subjects free from their curse, while the wicked Gaston (Evans) schemes to make Belle his wife.
I'll be honest, this is a tough review to write. It feels like a betrayal to praise this film, because I love the original and when it comes right down to it, this is still an unnecessary remake. Hell, I think all these Disney remakes are but more on that later. Let's look at the remake of The Jungle Book for a second. That film managed to rework the story in a way that actually improved upon the original's script. Beauty & The Beast, there's not much to improve upon in the original, so really the changes here are minimal, and the result is mostly a shot-for-shot remake.
The film does suffer because of it. I'd say that until we got to the "Gaston" musical number I wasn't truly enjoying myself. As it progresses, the film does allow itself to become its own thing, but there's still a hesitance to stray too far from the source material. But to play devil's advocate, the film is a beautiful, touching homage to the animated classic. Nostalgia is one of the film's greatest strengths. Those who look fondly on Disney's original film will find it hard to not have their heartstrings pulled at. I found myself getting emotional as some iconic scenes were brought to life anew, particularly "Be Our Guest" and the dance in the ballroom to the title song.
I should mention that while the film does play its cards close to the chest, Bill Condon and his team do make some changes to the story, and they attempt to fill some plot-holes that have bugged fans for years. Some changes work well, and some not as well as others. I felt some key story moments were glossed over or not given enough attention. For example the scene where Belle saves her father and first meets the Beast feels rushed, like a drive-by plot point. The pacing of some songs and scenes, like "Something There" are reworked to let the audience see Belle and Beast's relationship grow overtime. The personas and development of some characters, like the Beast, Maurice, and LeFou are changed in ways that I thought worked really well.
Another one of the film's greatest strengths is that they got Alan Menken back to do the music, and it pays off gloriously. The songs feel almost grander, and more cinematic, not to say that all renditions outshine their predecessors. Some personal favorites are "Gaston" and "The Mob Song". The new songs work well too. "Days In The Sun" is a lovely, warm-hearted replacement for "Human Again" (but I did miss that song). "Evermore" is so powerful and heartbreaking. "How Does A Moment Last Forever" is fine, but its too fleeting to leave a lasting impression like the other two. Maybe its from decades of listening to the soundtrack of the original over and over, but the score for the remake is almost forgettable.
The cast is fantastic. Emma Watson plays a pitch-perfect Belle, but unfortunately the same can't be said about her singing. She does a fine job, but there is evidence of auto-tuning. Dan Stevens is an amazing Beast. The real scene-stealers are Kevin Kline, Luke Evans, and Josh Gad as Maurice, Gaston, and LeFou. Kevin Kline is at his best as Maurice. Luke Evans is delightfully wicked as Gaston, and is a highlight among the ensemble. Josh Gad gives a great performance as LeFou, who is an actual character here and not a one-note sidekick. Ewan McGregor is a fine Lumiere, and his performance in "Be Our Guest" is pretty fantastic, but his "French" accent is meh. Ian McKellen is a spot on Cogsworth, and Emma Thompson plays Mrs. Potts with just the right amount of warmth and maternal sass.
So in conclusion, I really enjoyed this film and will always admire it for what it does, which is give a loving and well-crafted tribute to the animated classic. I encourage all fans of the original to give this film a shot. I will revisit this film in future, but it will not replace or overshadow the original Beauty & The Beast. As good as this remake is, it doesn't do enough to stand on its own or justify its own existence. There's the age old debate of what makes a film "necessary" to make, and while I find this film falls in the "unnecessary" category, it's not a bad thing that it was made. It's not exactly a bad thing to revisit a tale as old as time.
PS: If you'd like to see me interview audience members on their hopes and reactions to the film on opening night, click here.
