Review - Beauty and the Beast (2017)

        Hey guys, Chuck here, and since we talked about the original animated classic Beauty and the Beast earlier today for Disney Renaissance Month, I thought that we might take a quick glance at the 2017 live-action remake directed by Bill Condon and starring Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Kevin Kline, Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Stanley Tucci, Audra McDonald, Ian McKellen, and Emma Thompson. 

       Okay, the story is pretty much identical to the one from the original. A prince gets turned into the Beast when he turns away an old beggar woman who turns out to actually be an Enchantress, an he has to find and earn the love of another before the last petal falls from the enchanted rose. Belle lives in a small town, Gaston is attracted to her, she takes the place of her father as the prisoner of the Beast, yadda yadda yadda. You get the idea. If you saw the original, you know the story. No new ground there, guys. One new element that makes zero sense, though, is the magic book that takes people wherever they wish to go. Also, evidently, the Beast's servants had family in the nearby town, and the spell the Enchantress cast wiped their memories of the castle and their loved ones away. Yeah, Mrs. Potts had a husband, Monsieur Jean Potts, Cogsworth had a wife named Clothilde, and both of them forgot because of the spell. And apparently in this version Mrs. Potts' first name is Beatrice and Cogsworth's first name is Henry. I don't think we needed to know that, but whatever. Regardless, wiping the memories of the townsfolk, some of whom had loved ones in the castle, that's effed up, man. 

      The songs? Pretty much the same as the originals by Alan Menken did Howard Ashman. Although, there are some altered lyrics to some of the songs written by Tim Rice, who would work with Menken on the songs for Aladdin, but we'll get to that tomorrow. A few new songs were written, such as "How Does a Moment Last Forever," "Days in the Sun," and "Evermore." They're good songs, don't get me wrong. It's just that the original songs are timeless. Iconic. I like the new ones, too, but the originals are so much better. 

      Now, one thing I will admit is that the performances of the cast add additional dimensions of depth to the characters. Kevin Kline turns Maurice from a bumbling man child to a father who was forced to save his daughter when her mother was dying years before. And his overprotectiveness for his daughter makes more sense because the loss of his wife made him more protective of Belle. Gaston isn't some big game hunter, he's now a war hero. But still pompous and full of himself. Luke Evans does a really great job with the character. Josh Gad adds a new layer of humanity to LeFou, making him less bumbling and more rounded. 

       I also like how minor characters like the Wardrobe, called Madame de Garderobe in this version, and the feather duster, called Plumette, actually have roles to play, and actually have character in this version. Both Audra McDonald and Gugu Mbatha-Raw are fantastic in these roles. One major new addition is Stanley Tucci as Cadenza, the castle Maestro turned into a harpsichord, and the husband of Madame de Garderobe. Cool. 

      As for the major returning characters, Lumiere, Cogsworth, and Mrs Potts are still a candelabra, a clock, and a teapot, respectively, albeit with more elaborate designs. Ewan McGregor, Ian McKellen, and Emma Thompson are all really good in their roles. Not nearly as iconic as Jerry Orbach, David Odgen Stiers, and Angela Lansbury, but still really good. Dan Stevens is also really good as the Beast, but the design is a mix of too safe and too different. It's really weird. In a way, it's similar to the original, but in others it's a bit of a departure. Regardless, his performance is pretty good. Now, as for Emma Watson as Belle, let's just say that I was one of those that supported her casting because I was a fan of her role as Hermione Granger in Harry Potter. However, while her acting is superb, her singing is just passable. 

       Honestly, that's exactly how I describe the entire movie: passable. And for a remake of something as iconic as Beauty and the Beast, passable isn't good enough. Outside of nostalgia for the original, I can't see much of a reason to watch this version. I mean, it made huge amounts at the box office back in 2017, and it was well received by critics and audiences at the time, myself included. But, six years later, I definitely have grown a bit more distant from it. Don't get me wrong, I still really like the movie and what Bill Condon did with it, but the original is just so much better. Regardless, I'm giving the 2017 Beauty and the Beast a rating of 4.5/5. 

       Anyway, that'll wrap it up for me today, guys, but I'll be back tomorrow as we resume Disney Renaissance Month with Aladdin.