On a rainy and cold Saturday, the end to a snowy, frigid Spring Break, my family and I ventured out to our local movie theater. Stuck with dizzying 3D tickets, we sat enchanted by Disney’s latest masterpiece. The live-action Beauty & the Beast did not disapoint. From the chillingly real CGI to the Oscar-worthy singing performances, this classic reboot lived up to the hype.
Newsflash: Hermonie can sing!
Ignore all of the critics claiming Emma Watson was cast as the Disney princess simply for name recognition. While she is no Audra McDonald, I was very impressed with Emma Watson’s voice. Her feminist personality shined through her character, and she managed to bring some 21st century girl power to a tale as old as time.
I almost forgive Dan Stevens for leaving Downton Abbey for this. Almost.
Other than the amazingly well-done CGI effects, Dan Stevens (Matthew Crawley, Downton Abbey) soared as the Beast. Lovers of Downton Abbey will be able to see Stevens’ face and mannerisms in the Beast. Even if you are not familiar with Stevens, you cannot help but love him in his period clothing and his deep tortured voice. I would fall in love with him to break a spell too.
Dan Stevens and Emma Watson are my new shipping obsession.
The chemistry between Dan Stevens and Emma Watson was captivating. Watching them interact – even though Stevens was unrecognizable – was thoroughly entertaining. The filmmakers added a touching backstory about Belle’s mother and slightly more depth to the Beast’s curse. With these new additions, viewers are able to feel more at ease with the whole idea of the Stockholm Syndrome thing, and feel like the characters truly fall in love over time. If I don’t marry Dan Stevens, I would be okay if Emma Watson did.
Overall, amazing.
In retelling of one of the most enchanting love stories of all time, audiences are blessed with a wonderfully talented ensemble cast, and small additions to a beloved original story that fit in like they were written into the original. The only criticism I can give my new movie obsession is that every character has a different accent. The story is set in France, yet Belle and the Beast are British, I’m not sure what Mrs. Potts is, LeFou and Gaston are American, etc. It’s almost as frustrating as all the characters in Spartacus having British accents in Ancient Rome. Most of the comedic moments came from Josh Gad as LeFou (in a more prominent role than the original) and Luke Evans as Gaston. The back-and-forth between Gad and Evans made us ship their budding bromance. Disney lovers will rejoice when they see their favorite moments from the animated movie in this new form. In all, Beauty & the Beast was absolute pleasure to watch.