By Taylor Harris
We all were curious to how the characters would come to life in a convincing manner, and it is a testament to how far technology has come. Every character was beautiful and realistic. The effects are so life like, that it’s almost a little odd watching a beast slowly fall for a real girl. Just keep reminding yourself that there is a real person under all the hair. I can see the negative arguments about making the classic in real life but it was done in a very tasteful manner.
The first thought I had when watching this live action remake was Emma Watson is a great Belle. She portrays the iconic character so effortlessly that I salute the subtle changes she made to her character. Most of the changes are barely noticeable like the slight differences in the clothing and her stronger, braver nature. These changes make belle more relatable to the everyday girl who cares about her father.
I should mention Josh Gad as LeFou, making that role stand out as he did was humorous in all the right ways. One of my favorite to say the least. The cast overall is fun, funny, and extremely talented. Jokes were added in for everyone, some were corny but funny nonetheless. Some characters are more developed and it is a wonderful add. Of course, Mrs. Potts Is the lovable mother figure, Cogsworth is a silly buzzkill and Lumiere is doing whatever he wants despite Cogsworth’s warnings.
Don’t worry the classic songs were not botched by awful trying singing. All very true to the original accompaniment but with its subtle differences. All the iconic songs were theatrical and a joy to watch. Alan Menken did a wonderful job adapting the well-known songs.
This is like watching a live Broadway show with just a bigger stage. Taking the cartoon to real life and on a big screen with some theater performers really changed the feel of watching beauty and the beast. Those who hate musicals will find themselves not enjoying this remake as much as others. My bias towards musicals and Disney make this rewatch for me. I just have to remind myself that the beast is just cursed and with love, he will be a handsome prince.