Be our guest--again--in Beauty and the Beast (2017)

Post date: Mar 20, 2017 6:05:51 PM

By: Robby Timmler, Staff Writer

Posted March 20th, 2017

Beauty and the Beast (2017) is the live action remake of the 1991 animated picture of the same name. Beauty and the Beast is about a shallow prince (played by Dan Stevens) that denies to shelter an old lady from a storm because of her ugliness. The old lady then turned into a beautiful enchantress that turns the prince into a beast and curses everyone that lives in the castle. The enchantress then gives the prince a rose and says that the prince must find love before the last petal falls or he will be a beast forever. The story then presents Belle (played by Emma Watson), the most beautiful girl in the village, but is considered odd because she reads. Belle is accompanied by her father Maurice (played by Kevin Kline) an inventor that has the last living memories of Belle’s mother, who died when Belle was still a baby. While traveling during a storm, Maurice stumbles upon a hidden path that leads him to a large castle in the woods. Maurice goes in and finds that he has trespassed onto the Beast’s castle and is kept prisoner for it. Belle witnesses her father’s horse gallop into the village without him, which leads her to think her father is in trouble and goes out searching for him. Belle then finds the beast’s castle, her father, and the Beast himself and in an act of courage trades her life for her father’s. While staying at the castle she runs into the servants of the castle like Lumiere (voiced by Ewan McGregor), Cogsworth (voiced by Sir Ian McKellan), Madame Garderobe (voiced by Audra McDonald), her love Maestro Cadenza (voiced by Stanley Tucci),Plumette (voiced by Gugu Mbatha-Raw), Mrs. Potts (voiced by Emma Thompson), and her son Chip (voiced by Nathan Mack). Over time Belle and the Beast get to know each other and start to fall for in love, but that all changes when Gaston (played by Luke Evans), a former captain, is told by Maurice about Belle’s capture by the Beast, which leads him to hunt down the Beast and save Belle.

Beauty and the Beast (2017) is very refreshing and adds new twists and developments that weren’t thought of before. The acting is excellent and the chemistry is wonderful, especially between the two leads, and Gaston and LeFou (played by Josh Gad). Luke Evans and Josh Gad work great together and add a lot of the humor to the film. The CGI (Computer Generated Images) of the Beast and servants are great and don’t detract from the film. The film, while playing the classic tunes, also adds new songs too, some of which that fit, and others that don’t. Also with the songs being in live action, the film adds new lyrics, dance choreography, and visuals. The song “Be Our Guest” is on par with the original, but the new rendition sung by Emma Thompson of “Beauty and the Beast” is only okay. The new rendition is only okay because it doesn't have the sweet and gentle singing of Angela Lansbury, for her singing voice gave the song emotion that couldn't be captured again. Beauty and the Beast (2017) is very refreshing because it fills in the questions that was left unanswered by the original--like why nobody wondered where the prince or his servants have been for all those years, and what happened to Belle’s mom. Like the original, this version doesn’t explain the length of time the Beast has to find love before the last rose petals falls. This film doesn’t answer where was Maurice traveling to before he found the castle, or why the castle starts to crumple every time a rose petal falls. The film fills some plot holes while making its own. Beauty and the Beast (2017) gets a 8.5/10.