Beauty and the Beast Review (2017)

Beauty and the Beast

  Before I go into this review, I must say that the first time I saw the original Beauty and the Beast was two years ago. After that, my next experience was last Saturday, watching the live action. I remember really liking the original, and I was looking forward to the live action mainly because it had such massive talents behind it. Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Ian Mckellen, and Emma Thompson to name a few. The only person I was really worried about, was Emma Watson. While she made a good Hermione, her acting otherwise hasn't impressed me much. Thankfully she did a wonderful job here.
  If you've seen the film, it goes without saying that the production and the set pieces are absolutely stunning. Everything was so elaborate and big, which gave the tone of the film this enchanting, magical quality.
  As far as the other aspects of the film, it was overwhelmingly mediocre. I know it's for kids, but I couldn't help thinking the entire time that a rated PG-13/R version of it would have been much more interesting to watch. Now that may sound really weird, but hear me out. . . 

  Imagine a film where the beast is actually terrifying, the action is gritty, and the stakes are high. Imagine a film where the characters react to talking furniture the way someone might react to it in a horror movie. A world that's a little less optimistic and little more somber. Where the romance comes off as twisted as it actually is, and where they dive into the psychological aspects of their connection/chemistry.  

   That may sound totally unappealing to you, I don't know. I just personally like to see a little more reality in my fantasy. A fresh, more layered take on what we know. I didn't want to feel like I was still watching a campy cartoon, yet that was how I felt.

  In the end, Beauty and the Beast was still enjoyable to watch, but it was also very safe and ultimately just Disney hashing out its old material for another buck. 6 out of 10 stars. (Worth Ticket Price)