If you know me, you know I have loved "Beauty and the Beast" since I was old enough to indulge in the wonders of the VHS. When I was a kid, my entire bedroom was decked out with "Beauty and the Beast" stuff; sheets, bedspread, pictures, dolls, themed toys, you name it, I have it. (I still have some of it, actually...and I've gotten more. My bathroom in my apartment in Indy is Belle themed...I know, I have a problem.) If all of that wasn't enough to convince you of my love, I've seen the Broadway touring show twice, I own it on DVD and VHS, and my favorite Christmas movie is the "Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas" from 1997. So it shouldn't be much of a surprise that I was beyond excited for the live action remake, especially since it starred Emma Watson. I was lucky enough to see it the day after it hit theaters...and I definitely think that everyone should find time to see it. Here's why.
1. The Cast
Every actor/actress cast fit embodied their role so well...I can't even explain it. It looked so natural - like they were born to play these roles. (Not hard to believe since the cast was made up of a lot of notable actors/actresses). There was also some diversity amongst cast members which I love to see.
2. The Music
Alan Menken wrote the score for the animated version in 1991 and I was thrilled that he was one of the composers for the live action score. It was beautiful, still adhering to some of the original songs but adding new ones that only enhanced the movie.
3. The Set/Costumes/Props
Oh. My. God. I wish I could own Belle's wardrobe (and learn how to do my hair like hers) because it was BEAUTIFUL. Each cast member wore costumes reminiscent of the animated ones but they were much more intricately detailed and had a different take. For example, Belle wore multiple dresses that were spin-offs of her traditional blue one, but she always had it partially tucked into a pair of pants. They were also much more floral, which I liked. As for the set, the castle was incredibly detailed and the village was quaint. Each technical aspect of the movie enhanced the overall atmosphere and plot, nothing took away from it.
4. The Animation
My dude, the servants (Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, Chip, Plumette, etc.) were all so detailed and realistic looking. WHAT KIND OF TECHNOLOGY?!!?!?! It was impressive.
5. The Backstories/Development
This was one of my favorite things about the movie. The writers gave a backstory on Belle's mother, the Beast's childhood, and a little bit on Gaston, and the relationships between the characters (especially LeFou and Gaston, Belle and Maurice, and Belle and the Beast) were more clearly established and developed. (New relationships were also added between the servants and the townspeople which were quite funny.) It made the movie feel complete and thorough and the relationships and events seem more believable.
6. Belle
Ugh, I love Emma Watson. Her Belle was the epitome of what Belle has always been to me: a headstrong, brave, intelligent woman. The little nuances that Watson and the writers gave her Belle made all of these traits much more evident (such as Belle's ability to see what tool/part her father needed next for his invention, being the only girl in town able to read, plotting her escape from the Beast's castle). I've always looked up to Belle, but I do even more so now and I am glad that this next generation of girls will have that role model.
7. LeFou
Josh Gad delivered the funniest character of the movie by far. LeFou was always there for some comedic relief and a splash of genuine goodness, despite being aligned with the evilest character of all. Honestly, I loved the fact that he was gay - it came as no surprise after watching the animated LeFou for so long. It deepened his relationship with Gaston and also set up a lot of the humorous moments.
8. Animated Roots
While the live action version did several things differently, I appreciated that it stuck to its animated roots. Many of the songs were the same, the scenes were the same, the characters were the same, they were just much more developed. I did not feel like I was watching a different movie, just a more "grown-up" one.
9. Accuracy of the Time Period
Not all of the characters were French, but the time period was pretty spot on. The Beast dressed like Middle Ages French royalty (especially in human form), the dancing fit with that era, and the townspeople's perception of Belle and her mother's story fit within that time as well.
10. It's "Adult."
I kind of mentioned this before, but the live action version is much darker, complex, and more "grown up" than the animated version. I love this. It can be hard to get something out of the animated version other than nostalgia after you grow up, but there is a lot to take away from this one. It's still geared toward children but there are aspects that would appeal to adults as well, and I like that. It's almost as if Belle and the storyline have grown up along with the generation the animated version debuted with.
Bottom line: if you see one movie this year, make it this one. You will not be disappointed, I promise. (Although, I will admit, I'm kind of biased. But still. Go see it. There's a lot to love.)
