By Renee’ Collins
Rating: 4.5 (Out of 5 Reels)
An adaptation of the Disney fairy tale about a monstrous-looking prince (Dan Stevens) and a young woman (Emma Watson) who fall in love (IMDB).
Beauty and the Beast is one of this film critic’s favorite Disney fairy tales because Belle never sets out to marry the prince. All she wants is to live an extraordinary life on her own terms, which is a marked difference from the usual Disney fare.
Emma Watson is not an opera singer but she does a splendid job singing here and we all know she can act because of her years on the Harry Potter sets. Most are also no strangers of the dapper Dan Stevens from the Downton Abbey series who is an excellent choice as the debonair prince. The supporting character actors in this film are a who’s who in acting today. Ewan McGregor as Lumiere, Kevin Kline as Maurice, Ian McKellen as Cogsworth and Emma Thompson as Mrs. Potts just to name a few.
This film is stunningly beautiful on all levels because as usual Disney spared no expense in this remake of the 1991 original film. This film critic would like to have seen more scenes between Belle and the Beast. Other than that, this film is fantastic and offers a few changes to the original plotline. A must see on the big screen for children of all ages.