I was a bit apprehensive about the new live-action Beauty and the Beast that comes to theaters on March 17, 2017. Both my husband and I were afraid that it would just be a rehash of the cartoon version and that it would not have anything special to offer.
So, what do I think now that I have had a chance to see an early release of the movie???
It. Was. Awesome.
I don’t want to give away any spoilers – so I will just give a few impressions of things that I liked about the movie.
Things that were awesome:
- In just the first few minutes of the movie, plot hole questions from the cartoon were explained. Throughout the movie, you get more backstory of the beast when he was young and what happened to Belle’s mother.
- Casting was great for all of the characters. Yes, I believed Emma Watson to be Belle, and I really enjoyed the characters of LaFou, Gaston, and Maurice.
- The visual effects were STUNNING. I felt like the characters of Cogsworth, Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, and others were brought to life in a way that was not overall CGI-feeling, but real-life believable.
- The music. Oh, the music. Of course there were the favorite traditional Beauty and the Beast songs, but there were some additional new songs added in as well. A lot of times (in the Broadway musicals, for example) the new songs are not very good and don’t seem to add anything in the way of emotion or to advance the story line. But, the added songs were really amazing. I will definitely be purchasing the soundtrack for this movie. The song sung by the Beast (Evermore, performed by Josh Groban) was my absolute favorite.
- Even though I knew the plot of this movie and what was going to happen, I still teared up a few times. I became emotionally invested in the characters and was totally drawn in to the story.
Regarding the “gay” moment: it’s not a big deal at all. if there was not a lot of hype about it in the press, I probably would not even have noticed it, except for a brief second towards the end of the movie.
Overall, this movie far surpassed my expectations. Given the choice of watching this version or the cartoon, this would win hands down. I will definitely be seeing this movie again as soon as it comes out in theaters on March 17!
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Official Movie Synopsis:
Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” is a live-action re-telling of the studio’s animated classic which refashions the classic characters from the tale as old as time for a contemporary audience, staying true to the original music while updating the score with several new songs. “Beauty and the Beast” is the fantastic journey of Belle, a bright, beautiful and independent young woman who is taken prisoner by a beast in his castle. Despite her fears, she befriends the castle’s enchanted staff and learns to look beyond the Beast’s hideous exterior and realize the kind heart and soul of the true Prince within.
The film stars: Emma Watson as Belle; Dan Stevens as the Beast; Luke Evans as Gaston, the handsome, but shallow villager who woos Belle; Oscar® winner Kevin Kline as Maurice, Belle’s eccentric, but lovable father; Josh Gad as Lefou, Gaston’s long-suffering aide-de-camp; Golden Globe® nominee Ewan McGregor as Lumiere, the candelabra; Oscar nominee Stanley Tucci as Maestro Cadenza, the harpsichord; Oscar nominee Ian McKellen as Cogsworth, the mantel clock; and two-time Academy Award® winner Emma Thompson as the teapot, Mrs. Potts.
Directed by Oscar® winner Bill Condon based on the 1991 animated film, “Beauty and the Beast” is produced by Mandeville Films’ David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman with eight-time Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken, who won two Academy Awards® (Best Original Score and Best Song) for the 1991 animated film, providing the score, which will include new recordings of the original songs written by Menken and Howard Ashman, as well as several new songs written by Menken and three-time Oscar winner Tim Rice. “Beauty and the Beast” will be released in U.S. theaters on March 17, 2017.
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I loved the music from the first movie. I am excited to see this movie.
The soundtrack was really good, and I enjoyed the new songs!
I can’t wait to see it! I am really excited to hear that this version addresses the plotholes of the original. That was one thing that had been on my mind ever since I heard about the remake.
[…] tend to stay away from reviews before a movie, I like to check them out to see what to expect. Adventures By Katie and Disney Mamas have two great spoiler free reviews that will really get you excited to see the […]