Runtime: 2hr 9min
Director: Bill Condon
Release Date: 17th March 2017
Rating: PG (UK), PG (US)
Guest writer Natasha and I share our thoughts on this Disney classic turned live-action fairytale, starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens.
We all know the story - a shallow Prince is cursed by an enchantress, leading to him taking captor beautiful book-worm Belle many years later. Add in an ensemble of talking furniture, a handsome 'hero' to come to Belle's rescue, and a village of idiots, and you have yourself a movie that implies it teaches you that beauty is more than just skin-deep, it is about what lies within. Taken from the original animated classic (which itself came from an 18th century fairy-tale), Beauty & the Beast is the latest live-action remake of old fairy stories.
He Said...
I was so very ready to tear this film apart! A reboot of a classic - a common Hollywood cash-grab tactic - and it's starring the rather mediocre Emma Watson. I honestly believed this was going to be literally terrible, but I was pleasantly surprised by the talents of the supporting cast and the cinematography especially, with great music performance and wonderful direction, I clearly underestimated this flick. There was a specific scene where Belle walks and sings upon a hill in a blue dress; looking exactly like a Sound of Music rip-off, and plenty of the film was essentially a copy of the original - but this was a far better decision than going in a completely different direction. The film acts more as a homage to the original than a brand new take on the story, so the movie is simply a spectacle-added version of the beloved original Disney cartoon. The drawback to this is that a lack of originality can always be criticised, yet I can't see any other direction they could have taken the film - meaning it was doomed to be either slightly good or terrible from the start, it's just a relief this movie was in the slightly good category - the music had me humming as I left the cinema and the acting (even that of Emma Watson) wasn't half bad either! Overall, I can say I enjoyed the film, and that's the main thing that matters over originality, and I never thought I'd find myself saying that when my expectations were so low.
6.5/10
She Said..
Admittedly, I was prepared for my childhood Disney favourite to disappoint - despite an all-star cast and a tale as old as time, the live-action picture had me eye-rolling from trailer-day. Credit where credit is due, Beauty & the Beast was largely better than I had initially anticipated; magical atmospherics, reminiscent music and (at times) some brilliant acting (with particular nod to the supporting cast). However, I can't help but feel its' try-hard attempt at cinematic masterpiece fell short in spite of itself. The direction and choreography, while would have been seriously fantastic for a West End theatre production, did not translate nearly as well onto big screen. And while I'm all for writers prerogative, the certain elements of the story that were so unnecessarily changed made me kind of mad. Adding to my picture peeves, the 'real-life' furniture was aesthetically odd, Dan Stevens was almost forgotten about despite having the title-role, and Emma Thompson (who can all-too-often do no wrong in my eyes) really over-did it with her whole 'Eliza Doolittle' cockney accent. On the flip side, Emma Watson (who I find a bit hit or miss) shattered my misconceptions to deliver a rather wonderful depiction. Overall fairly good throughout - if slightly unremarkable. Fancy a watch anyway? Be my guest.
6.5/10
