Beauty and the Beast

Bill Condon (2017)

123min

PG Certificate

Review

Our Score

by Alan Jones

Not as transfixing, captivating or emotionally resonant as Disney's 1991 animation classic, director Bill Condon's live-action remake of their romantic musical fairy tale is a spectacular success in terms of sumptuous production and lavish digital finessing. Main tweaks to the core "beauty is only skin deep" fable - captive Belle (Emma Watson) must succumb to the charms of the cursed Beast (Dan Stevens) before his enchanted rose dies - include extended backstories explaining the fate of Belle's mother and the sexuality of LeFou (Josh Gad), the sidekick of arrogant hunter Gaston (Luke Evans). New songs (lyrics by Tim Rice) augment the now evergreen favourites with the Busby Berkeley-inspired Be Our Guest still the undisputed showstopper. It incorporates themes of ethnic tolerance and feminism among its more epic magical components, and Condon has sublime fun with cues taken from other famous musicals and even Watson's past Harry Potter life, in gloomy castle interiors that echo Hogwarts and Cocteau's 1946 masterpiece.

Summary

A prince is transformed into a hideous monster as punishment for his selfishness, and can only regain his human form by finding true love. Salvation comes in the form of a spirited village girl, who offers to take her father's place when he is imprisoned in the monster's castle. But as romance blossoms between the unlikely pair, a jealous rival suitor only sees a beast to be slain. Live action remake of the Disney animated fairytale, starring Emma Watson, Dan Stevens and Luke Evans, with Ewan McGregor, Emma Thompson and Ian McKellen playing the Beast's entourage of living ornaments.

Cast & Crew

Belle Emma Watson

Beast / Prince Adam Dan Stevens

Gaston Luke Evans

LeFou Josh Gad

Maurice Kevin Kline

Lumiere Ewan McGregor

Mrs Potts Emma Thompson

Cogsworth Ian McKellen

Cadenza Stanley Tucci

Agathe Hattie Morahan

Plumette Gugu Mbatha-Raw

Madame Garderobe Audra McDonald

Jean the potter Gerard Horan

Chip Nathan Mack

Cothilde Haydn Gwynne

Père Robert Ray Fearon

Monsieur D'arque Adrian Schiller

Director Bill Condon

Other Information

Language: EnglishColourTheatrical distributor: DisneyAvailable on: DVDReleased on: 17 Mar 2017

Drama

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