March 19, 2017 · Watch the official trailer
Disney’s most ambitious live-action adaptation of one of their animated classics, “Beauty and the Beast” from director Bill Condon, hit theaters last weekend to magnificent commercial success.
Expanding the story to include several new songs and a richer backstory for its main characters, there’s a lot more to see in the two-hour extravaganza than the compact 90-minute running time of the 1991 version, but with varying degrees of success.
The basic fairy tale remains: a young prince transformed by an enchantress into a hideous beast can only be freed by receiving unconditional true love before the last petal falls off a magical rose. When a beautiful girl with her nose stuck in books named Belle (Emma Watson) crosses paths with the Beast, it may be the only opportunity he has of returning to human form.
It’s hard not to enjoy Watson as Belle, if for no other reason than she’s just so darn likable. But the former “Harry Potter” star doesn’t quite fit the bill as Disney’s most iconic princess. It’s as if her performance stops just short of what the incredibly talented actress meant for it to, showing a tad bit too much restraint in reverence to the 1991 animated version of the character.
Doing right by the character is one thing, but for as much as the new “Beauty and the Beast” expands character backstories and promotes more modern feminist views, Watson’s Belle still reads on screen as understated and sedate. Whether this can be blamed on an uneven script that focuses on the new plot points of the story or her fledgling chemistry with Dan Stevens’ Beast is unclear.
Hidden behind a large costume and plenty of makeup, Stevens doesn’t ever really break out as the titular Beast and usually gets overwhelmed by the other performers on screen with him, especially Watson. The new song “Evermore” does offer a decent individual moment for the character however.
Aside from the visual thrills of seeing live-action versions of classic numbers “Be Our Guest” and the title song “Beauty and the Beast,” the film’s best moments come from the pairing of Gaston (Luke Evans) and LeFou (Josh Gad).
Evans’ Gaston trades out much of the pompous attitude of the 1991 animated version for a markedly darker, treacherous turn as the primary villain. On his own, Evans falls a little flat, but in scenes with Gad’s LeFou, the duo’s remarkable chemistry shines through and makes for a rousing good time during short stretches of the film.
Best known as the voice of Olaf from Disney’s “Frozen,” Gad saunters through each scene with a wry charm that belies LeFou’s deference to Gaston, often getting the best moments with well-timed quips. Much ado has been made about the decision to make the character homosexual for this reimagining of the story, though LeFou’s unrequited love for Gaston rarely goes beyond the point of being as much adoration as affection.
Classic characters like candelabra Lumiere (Ewen McGregor), clock Cogsworth and teapot Mrs. Potts (Emma Thompson) are meticulously designed using sophisticated computer graphics, though their heavily Baroque style renders them clunky in their movements and sometimes visually unappealing. Indeed, the entire production design in Beast’s castle feels a bit stuffy.
The weakest link in the entire film is Condon, considerably out of his element with “Beauty and the Beast” and lacking the directing chops to maintain consistency on a scene to scene, character to character basis. The result is a choppy, uneven film that probably required significant editing to salvage a decent product.
Like 2014’s “Cinderella,” this Disney remake may earn awards consideration for one or two of its four new songs or in technical categories like Best Visual Effects or Best Production Design, but probably won’t be in the minds of voters for major accolades.
“Beauty and the Beast” has a lot of sparkle, and occasionally there are moments in the film that truly feel magical. But on the whole, this reimagining of the 1991 animated classic doesn’t have quite the same shine as its Best Picture Oscar nominated counterpart.
It may not be worth fighting large sell-out crowds to catch as soon as possible, but “Beauty and the Beast” does merit a trip to the theaters for families and fans of the original film alike.
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