As far as their live-action remakes of animated classics are concerned, Disney has made three plays on their football field and all three have been nothing but touchdowns. First, it was Cinderella. Then came The Jungle Book. Now Beauty and the Beast joins that lineup with immaculate imagery, musical numbers that honor the 1991 original, and a production design to end all production designs.
The story still remains the same with Emma Watson as Belle, a bookworm living in her French village being misunderstood by the others for being a woman ahead of her time. She lives with her crackpot father, Maurice (Kevin Kline). After taking a trip and getting lost, Maurice seeks solitude in an old castle and then is held hostage by a selfish, arrogant prince turned beast (Dan Stevens in a convincing CGI rendering).
Belle discovers Maurice is lost by his horse and she rides to the castle only and she agrees to become the Beast’s prisoner in exchange for Maurice’s freedom. Once she starts to live in the castle, Belle discovers a series of inanimate objects that were once servants now cursed. Ewan McGregor voices Lumiere, a candelabra; Ian McKellen is Cogsworth, a talking clock; Stanley Tucci is Cadenza, a harpiscord, and Emma Thompson provides the voice of Mrs. Potts, a teapot along with her son, Chip (Nathan Mack).
Luke Evans is Gaston, the conceited and narcissistic soldier vying for Belle’s affections and Josh Gad is Le Fou, his flamboyant sidekick. Gaston wants to win over Belle, but she tells him repeatedly she’ll have nothing to do with him.
Director Bill Condon has crafted by far the most grand and operatic version of a Disney live-action remake to date with the aforementioned immaculate production, but that’s not all this Beast has going for it. Watson, Stevens, and the other actors live or animated bring a great deal of heart, humor, and whimsy to the material and the musical numbers are faithfully reproduced, specifically the opening number, “Belle,” “Be Our Guest,” and of course, “Beauty and the Beast.” These sequences alone contain a dazzling energy and a spellbinding mystique.
Here is another remake that is lovingly rendered and a worthy companion piece. It is a tale as old as time and will be remembered just as much. Now please be my guest.
Grade: A-
(Rated PG for some action, violence, peril, and frightening images.)
