Justin and I saw Beauty and the Beast on March 23, 2017! I wanted to see this over the weekend, but every theater around me was sold out. I've always been a fan of Disney animated movies. If I had to rank my Top 5 animated movies, I'd say Beauty and the Beast is my second favorite after The Little Mermaid, with Aladdin, The Lion King, and Hercules rounding out the Top 5. I was so excited to finally see this movie today, and after seeing it, I liked it even more than I was anticipating. It's definitely one of my favorite movies of 2017! Beauty and the Beast has always held a special place in my heart, because, it makes me think of my mom and dad. Belle is my mother & The Beast is my father! I always joke about it with my brothers, but it's how I feel when I watch the characters interact. Also, I saw the play they have at the MGM theme park in Orlando, and I think of my mother singing Beauty and the Beast at the top of her lungs to annoy a woman in front of her, because she kept giving nasty looks at me and my brothers, Jake & Justin. Much like Belle, Mom is/was fearless. Much like The Beast, my dad is loud, sometimes temperamental, but has a great heart and does everything he can to protect those closest to him. Don't mess with him!
The new live action movie borrows influence from the 1946 fairy tale, the 1991 animated movie, and the Broadway play. It combines all of these elements into a magical adventure that does Beauty and the Beast justice. I'm definitely considering picking up the soundtrack and the commemorative Beast & Belle dolls for this movie.
I think the cast did a phenomenal job all around. I think everybody that knows me is aware how big of an Emma Watson fan I am. Here she is once again bringing life to a favorite character of mine in Belle. What an excellent performance in terms of acting and singing. I was blown away by her voice in Belle/Provincial Life. I liked how fealess they made Belle. While Belle has always been a fearless character, Emma Watson and Bill Condon took it a step further. She's such a proper, sophisticated, talented actress! Paige O'Hara even acknowledged Watson playing her as a great choice.
I loved the design of the Beast. The CGI never bothered me. At times, they even made the CGI look like actual prosthetics and make-up. I thought they matched the voice of The Beast from the animated movie extremely well. The Beast looked intimidating, and was a great composite of two forms of the finished Beast in the animated movie. The dancing sequence with The Beast & Belle was choreographed well, and the costumes were exquisitely made.
Luke Evans & Josh Gad did a fantastic job as Gaston & Lefou respectively. Evans seemed to really get into the character, which is great, because Gaston is supposed to be over the top. Gad was humorous and provided more depth to the Lefou character than we're used to, which I liked. His interactions with Emma Watson were great. Other supporting cast members like Ian McKellen, Emma Thompson, & Ewan McGregor provided great voices for Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, & Lumiere.
Watching this movie, I can recall scenes straight from the animated movie. It was fun sitting back and watch them unfold in live action. I think Belle/Provincial Life, Be Our Guest, & Something There were performed really well. They were fun, and made you think about those memorable scenes. The battle with the enchanted objects vs. the villagers, and the scenes with Beast, Belle, & Gaston on the castle balcony were really well done. They expertly used the CGI and live action and created a visual masterpiece.
The performances, the music, the effects of the castle & the enchanted objects, the interwoven stories, the costumes, and the overall aura of Beauty and the Beast make this a definite 5/5 for me. I thoroughly enjoyed this.
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