Beauty and the Beast has separated itself from the recent string of live-action Disney reboots that no one is asking for. I can’t help but be cynical about the disappointment that normally follows these once-cherished childhood films.
Beauty and the Beast, however, left me genuinely surprised in the best of ways. I specifically chose not to see it in 3D, due to the fact that I didn’t want a headache. Regardless, the whimsical and vibrant visuals were enough for me to enjoy. I also feel obligated to make note of the beautiful shots seen throughout the film, but then I remember that most of it is CGI, which falls under the less impressive category of virtual cinematography.
The movie opens with the classic musical scene to introduce the “beautiful, yet odd” Belle, played by Emma Watson. In today’s observations of musically-inclined princess movies, there’s always an overwhelming amount of high-pitched villagers that force you to beg for normal dialogue. This Beauty and the Beast however, had a perfect balance of musical numbers and natural discussion.
Watson sung beautifully and organically to further perpetuate Belle’s “down to earth” quality. Her character separates herself from the rest of the village girls by taking back what it means to be a damsel in distress. Belle has to constantly shut down requests from the sought-after manly-man Gaston. Her real attention and energy is put into rescuing her father from the Beast, while taking his place as prisoner in the Beast’s dismal castle.
The plot follows the original storyline of Belle forcefully adapting as a hostage to the Beast, so there isn’t much to spoil or elaborate on. However, I found that the majority of viewers (including myself) forgot what happens at the end. Most young adults know the overarching connotations that follow this movie, because we grew up with it around the time it was released. Nonetheless, after chatting with a few peers, we all concluded that we had forgotten exactly how it ended. I feel Beauty and the Beast is a good example for that category of movies you saw as a kid, but need to re-watch as an adult to fully comprehend and appreciate it all.
This live-action remake enhances the 1991 animation with new effects and a few added lines for humor. This genre usually follows generic dialogue and family-oriented quips, but to my astonishment, I laughed a good number of times. Most of those audible laughs went to the fated comedic-relief side character, LeFou, played by Josh Gad. If anything, the writers deserve the most praise when it comes to keeping the audience’s attention throughout the story.
In regard to the impending mention of the disputed “gay subplot” that Disney incorporated in the film, well … there isn’t one. To put it bluntly, I don’t even know how it was deemed as a controversy. The humorous supporting character, LeFou, says maybe one overtly homosexual line, to which I responded, “Was that it?”
Nevertheless, I give my applause to this new Beauty and the Beast, as it left my pretentious movie critic side in a pleasant shock. The costume, hair and makeup are all carefully detailed and beautiful, I have no complaints about the acting and I was even surprised by the climatic ending (mostly because I didn’t remember). Whether you had forgotten the events or not, this adaptation does justice for an iconic childhood story.
Beauty and the Beast gets a nostalgic 7/10.
Contact CU Independent Arts Writer Kristin Endahl at Kristin.Endahl.@colorado.edu.
