A Tale as Old as Time – A Review of the Live Action Disney film, Beauty and the Beast

Hey Sweeties,

I’m not going to lie, I’m thirty-years old in a few months and I still find pleasure in curling up on the sofa and watching a Disney film, I’m not ashamed to say this (read my post too old for Disney). I am not really into all the modern Disney films (I mean, I do not get the hype about Frozen AT all…) but the classic films from my childhood I still love.

When I heard a year or so back about the re-telling of Beauty and the Beast as a live-action film I was intrigued, but it is only when the trailers and teaser scenes started appearing on the internet did I take a deeper interest. Anyway, to cut a short story even shorter, I found myself with little to do on the opening weekend of the film so I took myself to the cinema for a Saturday afternoon screening.

Oh My Days… Beauty and the Beast is so good!

The film made me laugh, it made me want to cry (it is okay, I held my composure in front of the kids), and it made me want to punch Gaston in the face; and when the film finished I wanted to applaud.

Beauty and the Beast

The Plot

For those of you not familiar with Beauty and the Beast, the story is essentially about a selfish prince who gets a spell put upon him, which turns him into a beast, his staff into objects and the castle into a bleak winter, erased from the memory of the local village. The spell can only be broken if the beast can love another before the last petal falls from an enchanted rose (that’s the one in the jar).

In the local village, lives Belle and her Father, Maurice -an inventor. On his way to the invention fair, Maurice loses his way in the forest and ends up stumbling across the castle. Before he leaves, Maurice picks a rose in the garden to take back to Belle but the Beast catches him and arrests him for stealing. Meanwhile back in the village, Belle is alerted that something is wrong and heads out to the woods to find her father.

(Because we haven’t got all day to go into detail here), Belle ends up replacing her father as prisoner at the castle and the rest of the film is spent watching Belle and the Beast learn to accept each other, while Mr Too-pretty-for-his-own-good Gaston back in the village gathers an army of villagers together to come and destroy the Beast.

If you do not know the rest of the story… I will not spoil it for you.

Belle

Of all the Disney princesses, Belle might be from a small town, but she has wider ambition that few of the other princesses do. Also, Belle was the first of the original group of Disney princesses to not fall for the first man that shows her some interest and that to be happy, is not necessarily to be a wife.

In the film, Emma Watson plays Belle and I think she fits the character perfectly –she has that beautiful, fresh, English rose look about her, but you know that behind her complexion is a well-read brain and feisty personality… just like, Belle.

The Rest of the Cast

You know a film is going to be good when it boasts such a stellar cast – Dan Stevens (Beast); Luke Evans (Gaston); Josh Gad (LeFou); Ewan McGregor (Lumiere); Ian McKellen (Cogsworth); and Emma Thompson (Mrs Potts)…

The Scene with the Dress

If you know the original version, you know exactly which scene I am on about and like the rest of the film, this scene particularly does not disappoint. Within the story, it marks a shift in the relationship between Belle and the Beast, but visually it is truly stunning and every woman in the room will lust after Belle’s gorgeous yellow gown as it swishes, swirls and moves with Belle’s every twist and turn on the dance floor.

Beauty and the Beast Gif

Beauty and the Beast: A Summary

There was trepidation that Beauty and the Beast was going to ruin everything the animated version had instilled in Disney fans’ hearts, but in truth, we had nothing to worry. Disney’s generous budget has meant this film has the best of the best costume, set, cast, soundtrack and script…everything. It all works incredibly well and it really does not matter that you may already know the story. Because it is live-action, the film suits both a child and adult audience who will each get different things from it.

Honestly, if you have not seen this film, do! It will not disappoint at all and you can thank me later! (psst, make sure you stay to watch the credits).

 

Have you seen Beauty and the Beast? Let me know what you thought of the film in the comments.

Until next time x

2 Comments

  1. Caz 3rd April 2017 / 7:07 pm

    I loved it too! Huge fan of the animated one and was so impressed with the live action. There were some scenes that were identical, even down to the way the actors wore expressions and yet the extras/changes were really well done and fitted perfectly as well. I went with my boyfriend who has only seen the animated version a couple of times and he 1. cried and 2. said he’d happily see it again at the cinema – we rarely go to the cinema for anything other than comic book films so this is high praise indeed!

    • Claire
      Author
      3rd April 2017 / 7:11 pm

      Wow, bonus points for your boyfriend for not only giving something different a go… but getting emotional as well! I’m glad you loved the film, I have literally not heard a bad word against it so several million people cannot be wrong! 🙂 x

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