Watch & Remark: Beauty and the Beast

Tale as old as time...

I remember watching the original movie as a young child (then again, I loved all Disney movies. I wasn't a picky child.), and the live-action version made me fall in love all over again.

Emma Watson was the perfect Belle, and I love that they kept her accent, but that first song of hers was a bit weird, like someone forgot to put Emma's voice in until the middle of the song. Dan Stevens was the best Beast I have ever seen (they got the eyes right! The eyes, I tell you!), and I have listened to "Evermore" more times than I care to admit at this moment.

I can't say enough good things about this movie, and I highly recommend it. It was different enough from the original that it didn't feel like a direct copy, and I was a big fan of the new songs.

There were a few additions to the story that I think are worth mention, so beware the following bit of this review if you're avoiding spoilers!

I loved how they added a physical effect every time a petal fell from the rose. By making the castle fall apart and even affecting the servants they added a new depth to the rose and to Beast's hatred of it. It was a brilliant bit of film-making!

Le Fou--is he gay or not? I say yes, but I have a tendency to believe people gay until proven straight. I loved his mini story-line, and I can admit I am also a clingy partner, so I loved it. However, Disney could have done a lot better, and they shouldn't be getting so much credit for what seemed like an afterthought within the rest of the movie.

What happened to the tavern girls having different colored dresses? Having them all in pink made me not recognize them until Gaston's song!

Overall, this movie is a new diamond in Disney's crown, and I look forward to seeing their next few live-action movies.

If they take the songs out of Mulan, there will be tears.