In 1991, Disney released an animated classic, Beauty and the Beast, that captured the hearts of audiences around the world. Throughout the years, Beauty and the Beast received two Oscar wins and was nominated for Best Picture. Recently, Disney has started the trend of bringing animated fairytale classics to a new live action platform. This tale as old as time tells the story of how true love looks past physical appearance and finds the beauty within.

Bill Condon, the director of the 2017 production, was faced with a difficult task while making the newest rendition of Beauty and the Beast. Fans questioned why the director would attempt to remake a classic film that is flawless. However, I believe that the adventure in VFX and Motion Picture captured the nuance satisfaction of a live action movie without taking the away the magic of the animated classic. There were many plot holes that I, personally, did not realize existed until watching the newest version of Beauty and the Beast. Why did Belle and her father move to a town where they were outcasts? What happened to Belle’s mom? How was the prince before he was a beast? Condon’s live action film not only answered these questions but made the fairytale come to life.

While this movie is a magical, adventurous romance, it is also a musical in the original animated versions late. Howard Ashman and Alan Menken constructed the soundtrack, along with many other Disney classics. Menken added new songs to the movie that have never been heard. For example, “Days in the Sun,” sung by Belle and the servants replaced the song “Human Again” from the remastered version. The second ballad, “How does a Moment Last Forever”, is sung three times. The first time is by Kevin Kline who plays Maurice, while the character is writing music. The second by Emma Watson, who plays Belle, when she and the Beast are in Paris. The song is lastly heard in the credits, sung by Celine Dion,  who also sang the original “Beauty and the Beast” track in 1991. I believe that this song was repeated throughout the movie because it has lyrics of hope, creating a mixture of happiness and nostalgia. Dan Stevens, who plays the Beast, sang a song called “Evermore,” which he sings as Belle is leaving the ball after he has learned to love.

As for the original songs from the animated movie, they were just as magically delivered, especially the song Belle sings in the opening of the movie. It was so diverse and more woven in detail. However, the song “Be Our Guest,” sung by Lumiere, was a step down from the animated version, as visually stuffing as it was. Ewen McGregor who played the “larger than life candelabra” could not fully nail the French accent throughout the movie. But all in all, the addition of the beautiful songs in this movie’s soundtrack were truly outstanding.

There were changes made to the plot that ranged from subtle to obvious but continued to enhance the newest story. In the 2017 Beauty and the Beast, Belle is played by Emma Watson who is a real life female rights activist. Following her true personality, the most recent Belle portrayed stronger and bolder characteristics than ever before. She helps little girls learn to read and is a big believer in her own fate and destiny. Bella also takes on the role as the inventor, rather than her father consuming this occupation in the animated movie. Another aspect that contributed to the detail in this film was that Belle borrowed books from a church with a very small collection, which shows the reality of the 18^th century—a sanctuary welcomes everyone, even those outside of the church congregation. Emma Watson adds a sort of masculinity to the character, allowing the female Disney character to blossom into a courageous role model. Watson is a well-known feminist leader and ambassador for the United Nation. I believe that Watson fit the role of Belle perfectly.

The Beast, played by Dan Stevens was also perfectly cast in my opinion. I was a little iffy about the VPX design of the character, but it turned out well. In order to fit the physical description of the Beast, Stevens had to walk on 12-inch stilts and do motion and face capture. It was amazing to see his character development. In the beginning, they show the Beast as a prince and he is masked by make-up colors to hide his arrogance and selfishness. Then it shows the Beast’s transformation in a very realistic manner. Throughout the movie, viewers begin to see the Beast’s cold heart melt and the harshness of his childhood unfold. Stevens’s performance brought me to tears multiple times as I gained a new love and appreciation for the character. The movie captured the most beautiful conversations between Belle and the Beast which made their chemistry and attraction for one another more believable.

As for the servants, they were not my favorite part of the movie. Not to say I did not like them, but they were not as interesting. As previously stated, Ewan McGregor’s French accent was inconsistent and bothered me throughout most of the movie, although you do eventually get used to it. Lumiere’s love interest was portrayed more passionately in this film. His love for the plum feather duster, played by GuGu Mabaitra was more intimate than the animated version. Luke Evans, who played Gaston, was perfect for this role. Not only was he comical, but he added a darkness to his character that really stood out. There was so much depth in the antagonistic characters. I am going to do a shout out to the three sisters who appeared always chasing after Gaston, they were a lot vainer and desperate than the animated version.

Luke Evans, who played Gaston, was perfect for this role. He acted out the selfish, arrogant, and narcissistic actions very well. Not only was he comical, but he added a darkness to his character that really stood out. There was so much depth in the antagonistic characters. I am going to do a shout out to the three sisters who appeared always chasing after Gaston, they were a lot vainer and more desperate than the animated version.

LeFou is also an interesting character, Gaston’s sidekick. Bill Condon accounted before the movie released that LeFou would be the first openly gay character in a Disney movie. Condon states in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that “This is a great advancement for the LGBTQ community”. However, this has stirred controversy in many countries. Some Malaysian theaters threatened to pull the movie from theaters. Other countries have revised the movie, taking out the mention of a gay character. Russia put an older age limit on the movie to 16+. The movie contains a subtle, but “exclusive gay scene” where Lefu is dancing on a man and several implied gestures and rhetoric. In my opinion, the media blew the situation way out of proportion. But besides the controversy of the character, he was full of life and very funny. By the end of the movie, he seemed conflicted and overcame his necessity to be a “yes man” to Gaston and started fighting for Belle and the Beast. This added an unexpected twist and depth to this ancillary part of the story.

The production design of this movie was stunning. I was shocked by the amount of detail that was added to the set and the visual effects team pulled their “A Game”. This movie brought back my childhood and lifted my spirits. I fell in love with Beauty and the Beast all over again, definitely a five out of five rating from this reviewer.