Back in the day... whether it be when Disney first started making cartoons... or the 90s when they had a run of "princess" films that were a hit... Disney was really into either adapting old princess stories, or making them up. Either way, this was Disney's M.O. at the time. Thank goodness they've got their own line of original cartoons now, along with their partnership with Pixar. Because if it wasn't for that... Disney would look like some seriously idea-less people. Get this-- they've started taking their cartoons and making them kinda live action. I say kinda because there's always some large scale CGI happening in there that makes you wonder-- what the hell is the point? Cinderella, The Jungle Book, and Pete's Dragon have all been decent in their own right... but there's no goddamn point for it. You made a "live action" Jungle Book where the only thing "live action" about it is the kid. Now, you've made a "live action" Beauty and the Beast where 75% of the movie is still animated! I guess the point is money and Beauty and the Beast will make a ton of it. It's not undeserving. It's a decent adaptation. But, just not one that was necessary at all.
Beauty and the Beast actually means something special to me. It was the first movie I ever remember watching in theaters. The wolves, or 'woofs', as I called them stood out to me as being terrifying. But, it's my favorite Disney cartoon. It's a staple movie of my entire childhood. And I was in the play in high school (let's not talk about that one, though). So, I'm probably a little bit more critical of the newest version that most. The plot is still very much the same. A douchebag prince who judges an old lady based on her outer appearance is cursed by a witch to be a hideous beast unless he finds true love. (Somehow along the way an entire castle of servants is condemned along with him... oops). Flash forward a few years, and we meet Belle (Emma Watson) a brainy, bookworm, beauty sought after by the vain and vapid Gaston (Luke Evans). Out on a journey, Belle's father (Kevin Kline) accidentally stumbles upon the Beast's castle and claimed as a prisoner. Belle goes to rescue him and winds up taking his place. Along the way, she winds up falling for her captor... and happily ever after... whatever. Thinking too hard about the plot really does lessen the message that beauty is on the inside.
There is a lot of good in this film. It's gorgeously shot and most of the actors do a fantastic job representing their cartoon counter-parts. Ian McClellan, especially as Cogsworth and Emma Thompson as Mrs. Potts shine. The songs are, once again, wonderful and the voices of the cast are (mostly) worthy. Emma Watson is probably the weakest of the bunch, but her singing voice is still above average. (What's weird too is Luke Evans probably has the strongest voice... who knew?) There's all the old, classic songs and even a few new ones that actually aren't that bad. I think after another listen, I might not be as harsh and judgemental as I was when they first appear (another new song... what are they thinking!?!?!... okay this isn't terrible...). And it is really cool to see an updated version of a movie I loved as a child. It's nice to see a few of the characters expanded and some extra humor injected into a movie I already adore. But there were some moments that really got under my skin...
First, the Beast. I keep reading conflicting reports that it was a human body with a CGI face. Then I read that it's all CGI based on motion-capture. Either way, there were a lot of moments that the Beast looked fake as hell. It really took me out of the moment. There were moments where the Beast looked real and everything was impressive and kosher. But, those moments where he looked like a villain from a 1997 Spawn movie really detracts from everything else happening on screen. Then, there's the added plot elements that don't work at all. For some reason, Maurice is no longer an inventor, but an artist, totally taking away the "crazy old Maurice" aspect from the original. Then, there's a big sub-plot about Belle's mother that gets really, really dark. I believe making this movie was completely unnecessary, but adding that story-line was TRULY unnecessary. It doesn't provide any extra character depth to the story, it just expands an already bloated run time.
Finally, what really got to me was the fact that they tried to desperately recreate the entirety of the original movie. There are shot-for-shot remade sequences, and lines, and moments, and all of that is great, but there was hardly any added creativity. Then, when you finally get conditioned that it's going to be exactly the same, you start to expect it and that ends up making you compare it to the original. It starts to weaken Emma Watson's singing voice. It starts to take away laughs when jokes (like moths flying out of the wardrobe) don't fly as well as the original. Some scenes feel rushed and highly edited... but it's only because it tries... for about 80% of the time... to be an exact remake. And it's a bit jarring. Also, Gaston's death in this one tries to be cool, but it's such a bitch death. Look at the Disney cartoon, man... dude fucking STABS the Beast. With a knife! You can't get soft 16 years later.
Overall, I really enjoyed the movie. The actors, the songs, the performances, the set pieces, the costumes, the humor, the general atmosphere, and the fact that I'm watching "live action" Beauty and the Beast in a theater. The grievances I have with the film are just annoyances. They're probably a bit more evident to me because I grew up loving the movie more than a movie. It actually means a lot more to me than just entertainment. So, anyone who even just enjoys the original, will probably be blown away with this rendition. I'm sure after watching it again, I won't be as picky. Either way, can we stop remaking cartoons and get back to making original content that unoriginal Hollywood writers and execs can turn into live action movies twenty years from now??
P.S.-- I know everyone has already commented about the "gay thing" involved with Beauty and the Beast. I love that it's already blown up into a huge controversy. If nothing had been mentioned the entire TWO SECONDS of "gay stuff" wouldn't have even mattered and it's sooooo not that big a deal. I'd be more concerned about the innocent white girl falling in love with an actual water buffalo she only finds out is human AFTER she confesses her love to him.
B-
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