Beauty and the Beast (2017)

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As these live action Disney remakes continue (and continue… and continue…) one question will probably be present in the minds of movie goers; from a filmaking perspective, what is the point?

If nothing is changed, it can feel pointless- or it could end up going the Cinderella route, with more new stuff crammed in than the running time can actually cope with. Luckily, the 2017 edition of Beauty and the Beast strikes a very nice balance between the two extremes. The more flexible nature of the story means that, for the most part, the new aspects add extra levels of depth to one of Disney’s greatest stories, rather than making the whole thing feel bloated. Of all the extra details and backstories added, there is just one (no spoilers here!) that feels not only pointless but extremely underdeveloped. It is a small part of the film, ironically due to the lack of development, but it just feels like an odd anomaly, a strange moment that doesn’t really go anywhere and doesn’t really link to the rest of the film.

The orchestrations of the songs are all good, in addition to the musical numbers being performed well. Three new songs have also been added and all of them are very nice- the best one by far is Evermore, a stunning new lament for the Beast as Belle leaves in the climax. Dan Stevens is also a surprisingly good singer, which adds to what is already a beautiful song.   

A mixture of the stunning cinematography and efforts to be faithful to the original film mean that overall this film is a magical experience. The great musical performances from most of the cast also help to add to this. But at the same time, the blatant autotune on Emma Watson’s voice can be very distracting- even if she is not the world’s best singer, it would have been better if her voice had been left untouched, as this would have made her performance in the songs feel far more authentic.

Luckily, in terms of acting, her Belle is very good indeed. Her version has everything that the character needs- she is curious, kind and inventive – every bit the perfect Disney princess. But the real standout performance comes from Luke Evans as Gaston. The way in which he plays the character truly is great, managing to make a character who was one of Disney’s best villains even more terrifying in this version. Seriously, this film’s rendition of The Mob Song is actually miles better than the original, thanks in part to new lyrics that add more depth to the scene, but also thanks to his performance, in terms of singing and acting.

The rest of the cast also do a very good job. Although Ewan McGregor’s French accent is not exactly the best, his overall performance as Lumière has enough charm that he gets away with it. Emma Thomson’s Cockney voice for Mrs Potts, however, is very distracting. It is difficult to understand why she even did this voice in the first place, other than an attempt to recreate Angela Lansbury’s performance in the animated film, but it really doesn’t work.   

The same cannot be said, however, for the film as a whole. Overall, it is a magical experience, with that Disney magic that makes their animated output so good, permeates through this entire film. In terms of this new trend of live action Disney remakes, it is certainly one of their best.