It’s a tale as old as time—or at least as old as the 1991 animated classic. Disney’s latest live-action remake dazzles with spectacle and profits from the major nostalgia achieved through a not-quite shot-for-shot reincarnation. The film alters some dialogue here and there and adds a few scenes and songs to add depth to the characters, but is almost exactly the same as the original, whether it be the costumes, the framing, or the songs—this film is so faithful that it hits you right in the feels.
The added bits feel natural and the new songs are a delight, but they can, at times, throw off the film’s pacing. Additionally, there’s a heaping amount of autotune, particularly for Emma Watson’s Belle, but she does have a sweet voice. As an actress, Watson embodies Belle in almost every way, but does not entirely convince when it comes to emotion.
Dan Stevens, on the other hand, plays the Beast with remarkable skill. When allowed a close up, his expressions are human and striking, but he does not get this opportunity often. If given more focus, he would likely stand out even more. It must be said that the CGI for the Beast is impressive. You can tell he’s CGI if you search for it, but it’s easily overlooked.
Luke Evans gives an absolutely stand out performance as Gaston, living up to his colourful cartoon counterpart. Josh Gad also does a great job with his character LeFou, who is hopelessly in love with Gaston and gets to have his own small arc with its own conclusion. Lumière (Ewan McGregor) and Cogsworth (Ian McKellen) have great chemistry—at least as much as Belle and the Beast—and the other household objects each have their own personalities and reasons to grow attached to them.
The film resolves several plot holes from the animated version and modernizes several other elements. Belle is a bit sassier and more proactive. LeFou being gay is not explicit, but is obvious. There are people of colour in secondary and background roles, as well as interracial relationships. Some of the dialogue is altered to add humour, but a lot of this humour falls flat. Because of the additions, the timing is thrown off a bit, and fade-to-black transitions are used in places where it seems like there could be a commercial break.
Though I’ve only seen it once, I thought I noticed some continuity errors. The action sequences are jumpy and a couple of times I found myself thinking “What just happened?” for a second before sense was restored.
Overall, these were minor things that together did not reduce my enjoyment of the film. It still holds that magical quality—though admittedly to a different extent—with astounding costume design and breathtaking musical numbers. If you loved the animated version, you’ll love this one too. If you haven’t seen either, the live-action remake will still impress, but will lack nostalgia.
– Graphic by Christophe young
