Beauty and the Beast (2017): A Review (SPOILER FREE)

Guess who finally saw Beauty and the Beast (2017)? That’s right, I did. And it’s about time too. I don’t think I have been so psyched to see a movie since Tangled came out back in 2010. So... did it meet all of my expectations?

First of all, I should say that while I was super pumped, I did go into it with an open mind, expecting things to be different and that things might not line up with my perception of the original movie. After all, this is someone else’s interpretation. The way I look at it, it’s like someone repainting a picture of a classic (like a Van Gogh or something). It might not be exactly how I would do it, but that doesn’t mean it’s not good.

Anyways, how was it?

I LOVED it! The entire experience was positively elating. I found myself grinning from ear to ear at some points and I almost teared up at some parts just because I was so filled with joy (not because of sadness, simply because I already knew the story and was already expecting those scenes. However, in those sad scenes, the actors acted the HECK out of them... but we’ll get to that.)

Let me address some of the pre-concerns brought on by people before the movie was even released...

First, the big one: gay Lefou. As I predicted, it was not even a big deal at all. Seriously, it was barely addressed. I believe I pinpointed this “exclusively gay moment” that Bill Condon was talking about right at the end, but believe me, it is extremely subtle and played for laughs. If he hadn’t announced that Lefou was gay, most people probably would have brushed over it and all the other little moments scattered throughout the movie. Honestly, I think it was a huge mistake for Disney to make such a huge deal over this because it is barely addressed at all. 

Next, the Beast. People have been complaining about his design, how hokey the CGI is, etc. But how was it seeing it in action? I admit, at first I was not a huge fan of his design when I first saw it, I thought he was a little too human-looking (just like a hairy goat-man or something), but as I watched the movie and saw the performance that went along with it-- the voice, everything-- I was sold. Wow, Dan Stevens really sold it! He could be huge and scary at some parts and then completely charming and sweet at others. You really felt for him and his situation. I think the film did an excellent job at bringing out his human side. You could sense that he was a human trapped inside this monstrous body. And I really did not think the CGI on him was all that horrible at all. If it was, I did not notice because I was so caught up in the performance. A++ acting! (I believe if they hadn’t done the motion capture on his face and had done a prothetic instead, we would not have been able to experience those sweet subtle facial movements from Dan Steven’s face that really added to the movie.)

Then there’s Emma Watson as Belle. I thought she did amazing! I am not an Emma Watson hater and I have always thought she was a very beautiful woman, so I have never understood what all these complaints have been about. First she’s too pretty to be Hermione, now she’s not pretty enough to be Belle. Honestly! As for her acting, I have not seen her in a bad role yet, so what’s the deal? Anyways, she definitely puts her all into this role. You can tell she’s trying her hardest to not mess this up. I grew up knowing her as Hermione, so there is always that danger as an actor when you are so defined by a previous role that you will never be seen as anything else. However, here, I really believed that she was Belle. I did not see Emma Watson as Belle, I did not see Hermione talking to a Beast; I saw Belle talking to a Beast. She WAS Belle. 

As for her singing, it probably was not her strongest point (you can tell she was a little auto-tuned at some parts), but it was still very good. She sounded best at the softer moments, like at the end of “Belle (Reprise)” where she had to sound soft and sweet. But for real, it was not bad. The auto-tune perhaps was unnecessary, but it's not distracting (at least to me).

Up next, the CGI. I have already addressed the Beast, but what about the rest? Fabulous! It truly felt like a magical movie. The CGI on all the enchanted objects made them feel like they were actually there. There were concerns that some of it seemed fake and that maybe Emma Watson couldn’t pull it off with her performance, but believe me, she does it and it looks like all those things are there. I know that a lot of people have been complaining about some of their designs and honestly I do not know how to help you there. If you don’t like it, then you don’t like it. However, I personally am not too bothered by their designs and I thought they all worked (I did think some of Chip’s antics were a little physically unsound. For sure, he should have shattered at some points). 

Also, the actual magic moments were astounding (the Enchantress, the transformation, etc). I was a little worried about how the transformation would be because that is such a fantastic moment in the original, but it is completely extraordinary in this version!

Next, the musical numbers. I confess, I bought the soundtrack the minute it was released (a week prior to the movie’s release). I ranked the songs based on their performance and enjoyability. Some lyrics were changed and some new songs were added. A lot of them got an upgrade and a downgrade in my opinion. But then I saw the movie and my opinion changed on a lot of them as I actually saw the performances. My favorite songs on the soundtrack became my least favorite and my least favorite became my favorite. For example, Gaston’s song definitely got an upgrade on the soundtrack and I really enjoyed listening to it. The vocals were a lot more interesting and there definitely was a dance number added in there that had some fun music. But then I watched it and was a bit disappointed by it. It was still a lot of fun, but it wasn’t what it COULD HAVE been (I will go into more detail in a minute). 

“Be Our Guest” though! The soundtrack itself wasn’t all that great for me. I mean, it’s a great song and all (it’s a total classic after all!), but when I first listened to it, I was only mildly entertained. However, when I watched it on screen... that was one of the moments I was grinning widely from ear to ear. So good!

Then I must address “Evermore”, one of the new songs. It was written for the Beast (because he never had a big singing moment in the original movie, only a few lines in “Something There”). Wowy-wow-wow! That song was SO impactful! And Dan Stevens sings the HECK out of it! I mean, I got the shivers from it! Such a beautiful song!

Lastly, the changes made and new plot additions. I liked pretty much all of them. I won’t go into all of them since that would be getting into spoiler territory, but know that this movie does an excellent job of filling in plot holes, rounding out characters and giving them backstories, and explaining things about the curse in particular. It is excellent!

I also have to praise Kevin Kline’s Maurice. He is a lot less silly than the animated one. You really feel for him and the closeness between him and Belle (the scene where they are separated when Belle takes his place in the dungeon... dang. I was almost moved to tears). Plus the way the movie plays out because of the changes made to his character is a lot better in my opinion.

Now for my criticisms...

My big one was Gaston. As I said, there were a lot of changes made, one of them being Gaston. They made him more... sinister and conniving. This is not necessarily a bad thing because he was very good at it and it worked with the story they were telling. However, they took away a lot of his ridiculousness while they were at it. Why couldn't he be both sinister and silly? Because in the original he was just a ridiculous jerk-turned villain. His silliness is why so many people love him. There was not enough emphasis on his absurd arrogance, his over-the-top manliness, his oblivious rudeness, and stupidity. I mean, if you listen to the lyrics of “Gaston”, it just tells you all about him. It cut a lot of people’s favorite scenes that define him as a preposterous character (such as his marriage proposal to Belle where he already has the wedding set up outside her house because he assumes she will say yes). 

Then the song “Gaston” itself was majorly underplayed. I understand that there are things you cannot do in live action like swallowing dozens of eggs whole or snapping a leather belt with your neck, but the song really was not absurd enough to emphasize how ridiculous Gaston is. While the song was still pretty fun, it should have been hammed up a little, I think.

I place no fault on Luke Evans for any of this though because with the character he was given, he played it magnificently. There were some moments he had that were pretty funny, but mostly he was a sneering, manipulative, evil character. And I believe Luke Evans nailed it. He was a much more real person which was probably their intent since the rest of the movie seemed a lot more real.

My other criticism was that it seemed a little rushed. There was just so much added backstory-wise, extra songs, etc. there left so little for Belle and the Beast to actually fall in love. I mean, those scenes they have together are very sweet and well acted, but they were so quick and there were not that many; at least as not as many as I would have liked. And the ending was a little rushed too. Right after the Beast turns back into a prince... it’s hard to explain. The original gave the audience plenty of time to soak it all in, like putting lots of emphasis on his eyes, letting Belle get a good look at his face, etc. But that scene in this movie lasts just a short minute before cutting away to other things.

I feel like the filmmakers were more interested in the side characters and other stuff rather than Belle and the Beast’s romance because there was so much more time spent on the servants and other characters... which is odd since the movie is called “Beauty and the Beast”. 

It was really not that bad though because like I said, those moments that are there are very good. I only wish that there had been more.

(One last note, the “Beauty and the Beast” dance sequence was not quite as magical as I had hoped for. The cinematography seemed more focused on the ballroom itself instead of what was happening in the ballroom. It should have had some closeups on their faces and the emotion therein. It did not take advantage of those emotional swells in the music and get you really into it. You could not feel the love as strongly as the original. Because before that moment, their relationship had more of a close friendship feeling and that ballroom scene is key to grounding it as a romance... I was just a little disappointed that it was not majorly juiced up.)

In the end, though, it was a truly magical and enchanting experience. Like I said, I went in there with an open mind, expecting things to be different. And things were different both in good and not-as good ways. I could not tell you if it was better, worse, or the same as the original. They are both their own separate thing. I suppose it all depends on taste. I will say that this version is definitely good though! In the end, I am so glad I went! I will most definitely be seeing it again! 8/10.

READ MY SPOILER THOUGHTS HERE