By
Nadia Ranaputri
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| Source: fanpop |
Director:
Bill Condon
Cast: Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Ewan McGregor, Kevin Kline, Ian McKellen, Audra
McDonald, Emma Thompson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Stanley Tucci.
Disney is at it again with turning their beloved animated
films into live-action galore. After hitting success with 2015’s Cinderella and 2016’s The Jungle Book (a personal favorite Disney
live action film of mine so far), Disney is aiming slate at the tale that is as
old as time.
Beauty and the Beast is a similar story
to its original 1991 film. Bookworm Belle lives a provincial life with her inventive
father Maurice. As Maurice is on leave, he encounters an obstacle that forces
him to take the unusual path to a mysterious castle. When Maurice suddenly goes
missing, Belle sets out on a journey to find him, only to take his place as
prisoner in the castle ruled by a beast-cursed Prince.
Emma Watson’s ever-loving bookworm is a charm in the
lead. Her feistiness and femininity maintained, with a little more depth to the
character in this version. Watson’s vocals in the songs don’t always come
through, but her portrayal is nevertheless satisfying.
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| Source: Teen Vogue |
Dan Steven’s cursed Prince is a delightful mystery
that the film managed to unwrap by giving more backstory to create more
understanding of the Prince that came to be the beast. Even if covered in CGI as
his beast form, Stevens is still able to convey his anger, confusion, and his
compassion.
We mustn’t forget the supporting charms that are the
human-turned antiques who manage the castle. Ewan McGregor’s Lumière
is just as entertaining and amusing as its original portrayal, reining the
screen and relishing audiences in the classic Be Our Guest number that’s nothing but nostalgic fun. His fellow
patriots such as Sir Ian McKellen as Cogsworth, Audra
McDonald’s Madame de
Garderobe, Emma Thompson’s Mrs. Potts, Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s Plumette, and
Stanley Tucci’s Maestro Cadenza; all complete the set as these beloved antiques
that capture our hearts.
Out of all though, the standouts were the fine
performances of our antagonist Gaston (played by Luke Evans) and his sidekick
LeFou (played by Josh Gad). From the moment they came on screen during the
opening number for Belle, to bringing
full attention in the ever iconic Gaston number
(which as of today, is still my favorite song from the original film as well as
this one); they were the most memorable of the bunch.
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| Source: fashionfave.com |
As storytelling goes, it is essentially the same story as the original
film, with additions that finely adds layers and depth to not only the
characters, but the story itself. Missing voids that audiences might have
wondered about from the original film are filled through dialogue and song. There
are two new additional songs that give further backstory and depth to two
characters, which was a nice addition to the wider story.
Because the story has the beast and his loyal
servants turned antiques, they all require CGI. Most of the time, the CGI is
brilliantly incorporated with the live-action aspects of the film. The set
pieces that go along with the characters are also outstanding, recreating the rooms
of the castle that audiences have come to know from the original. The
songs as well, are brilliantly recreated through live-action, and some of the
lyrics are altered to fill voids and give more story.
Overall, Beauty
and the Beast falls victim to having the same storyline as the original
1991 predecessor, but it does not mean that it prevented me from enjoying the
film as a whole. The portrayals were charming and the new additions given in
the story were nice little touches to improve upon the original. Newer
audiences of the story will enjoy it for all the charm and magic, while
fans of the original film (like me) will also enjoy it for all its nostalgic and
additional aspects. It is after all, a tale as old as time.
Stars: 4/5
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