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Beauty and the Beast

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Dan Stevens and Emma Watson in Beauty and the Beast. (Disney)
Dan Stevens and Emma Watson in Beauty and the Beast. (Disney)

What it's about:

The fantastic journey of Belle, a bright, beautiful and independent young woman who is taken prisoner by a beast in the beast’s castle. Despite her fears, she befriends the castle’s enchanted staff and learns to look beyond the Beast’s hideous exterior and realise the kind heart of the true Prince within.

What we thought:

To say that I was excited to watch the live action remake on one of Disney’s most loved animations is an understatement, but much to my disappointment, Beauty and the Beast was not as amazing as I thought it would be.

There is a lot of pressure when it comes to revitalising and bringing an old classic, especially one as loved as this, back to life and sometimes it proves to be a little too much pressure.

Of course bringing characters such as the Beast, Cogsworth, Lumieré and the rest of the castle’s bewitched staff to life came as no easy task and I will admit that was one of the three things I loved most about the film. 

Each character is crafted in a way that makes these everyday objects seem real and alive while not making it look too animated. And the a-list cast who took on these different roles only adds more life and colour to an already detailed picture.

I have to give a shout out to Gaston and his LeFou as well. This duo was perfectly cast and while their characters are supposed to be disliked, I absolutely loved how much they made me dislike them.

The second thing I loved about Beauty and the Beast is how writers, Stephen Chbosky and Evan Spiliotopoulos, gave the starring roles a back story. We get to find out a little bit more about Belle’s mother and who the Beast was before the spell was cast, we even get to learn more about the Enchantress who casts the spell. These small additions humanise the fairytale and made the story seem a lot more realistic, which will keep adults intrigued just as much as it will children.

The third thing I loved about the fairytale was the soundtrack. Old classics and some new ones enriched the story of Belle and the Beast and everything in between. 

Now, for the part I didn’t like, and obviously, this is purely based on my own personal taste. Emma Watson as Belle just didn’t do it for me. Sure, she definitely has the look, I mean, when she walks out in Belle’s iconic yellow dress I got goosebumps but other than that, she just fell flat for me.

There were moments that I felt she didn’t really know how to portray the character and it ended up in awkward moments which was disappointing. However, I may just be comparing her personality to the animated version a little too much.

That being said, the magical element of this remake really makes for great entertainment. I will still advise anyone who grew up with the Disney animation to go watch it and for parents to introduce their kids to it too.

Oh, and sidenote: The ‘huge’ gay moment, although important, is really nothing to write home about. In fact, if you blink you may just miss it.

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