Image from the internet.
Confessions: this review is late in coming. True I did not watch the movie opening weekend. Also, true it was a couple of weeks ago that I saw the live-action remake.
To be clear I am old enough that the 1991 animated Disney version is the telling of Beauty and the Beast that I grew up with. It was a classic and grew to be one of my favourite Disney movies. Thus it was with mixed feelings that I saw the live-action 2017 release in theatres.
Unlike some of the other live-action remakes put out by Disney, this one was not bad. It had an excellent and slightly diverse caste. Gaston stood out as a perfect portrayal of his animated counterpart. It had all the classic songs that made the original Disney film a classic. The costumes and set pieces were pretty. So, overall a solid film.
Image from the internet.
That is not to say it didn’t have its faults. Some of them are with the original story – at least its interpretation. Some are because I am reluctant to change and a few were just poor decisions.
A couple of items that stood out for me as detractors to the film include: the ‘Be our guest’ dinner scene; Belle investigating the forbidden west wing; the underutilized, random inclusion of the sorceress and the connection of the castle to the town.
In the animated film, the lengthy but excellent song of the castle staff was used to tell some of their history over the past decade. The imagery devolves into a very cartoon interpretation of dancing plates and utensils. Which makes sense in the medium that it is portrayed. However, this is a live-action film. The design is to make it feel real. So, the change to pure CGI is discontinuous and disruptive to the flow. It makes the song feel unimportant, as nothing additional is being conveyed by the visuals and long, because there is nothing interesting or inventive in whirling platters. It was a clear disappointment, made slightly awkward by the fact that the all the food is passed tauntingly close to Belle, but extracted the instant she reaches to taste something.
Image from the internet.
After this epic fail in nutrition, Belle heads off to bed. Only, instead of going to her room she takes the opportunity to bolt at high speed through the halls of the forbidden west wing. What was supposed to be an act of curious exploration becomes this strangely placed invasion of his bedchamber. Really, the correction to this glaring offense is terribly simple – make it look like Belle is wandering the halls instead of running purposefully towards the magical rose. Which is really odd since she doesn’t know of its existence – in theory.
Like the original, the wrinkled old hag bangs on the door some dark and stormy night. The prince of the castle, visually depicted as a person close to 20 years old (at least 16), turns her away only to be cursed as a Beast. Well, in the live-action telling the sorceress remains in the little provincial village. Where she lives as an outcaste begging form the villagers who scorn her single and pathetic existence. Which makes you wonder why she will curse a selfish prince, but not lift a finger against Gaston – who is very much a selfish, controlling, and abusive brute. Her continued existence in the story raises more questions but seems to add nothing to the plot (which was extend to make it more convoluted).
Image from the internet.
Thus bringing me to my last point (though I could continue to point out the little irritations); the questionable relationship between castle and village. Yes, they start the explanation with a spell to cause people to forget the existence of the castle. But, at least 10 years have passed and I am pretty certain those who were transformed inside the castle (becoming utility items) did not age during that period of time. Otherwise, someone needs to explain to me how Mrs. Potts gives birth to an eight year old son. So, when the spell is lifted, the staff become humans and villagers suddenly recall their loved ones who lived at the castle. At a castle that should be a day’s drive away, unless you are marching against the beast at the end. Nope, there is no way I can look at this and not see some ill-conceived mess – unless the town was cursed too, but no one knew it. Also, what happened to all the guests who were dancing at the party when the curse was put down?
Image from the internet.
So, the final verdict: 2017 Beauty and the Beast live-action film gets a solid B+ rating. It is not the original animation, but it is not terrible either.
PS – did not love most of the ‘additional’ material.