If you haven’t realized yet from my previous Her Campus articles or my Facebook profile pictures, I am an enthusiastic Disney fan. It comes naturally from living in Florida most of my life, and having Cinderella’s castle just two hours away from my home. I grew up constantly watching the animated Disney classic films while wearing my princess dresses pretending to find Prince Charming. So with this type of passion for the company, I obviously went to go see the live action remake of “Beauty and the Beast” during the opening weekend. I absolutely enjoyed the movie, and here are the reasons why.
1. Great Acting
The talent chosen to reenact these classical fairytale characters did not disappoint at all. They truly embodied the personalities of the animated characters, and their facial expressions clearly conveyed their dialogue and emotions. Emma Watson played the beautiful and brave Belle, Dan Stevens acted as the scary Beast, Luke Evans portrayed the self-centered Gaston, Josh Gad was the humorous LeFou, and Kevin Kline represented the intellectual Maurice. The chemistry amongst the characters was very strong, and each actor added their own unique touch to these well-known characters. Even Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, and Chip were even more animated and detailed in this film as well. They had more personality and distinctly performed human-based actions. They felt just as real as the human characters even though they were on the verge of being turned into houseware collectibles forever.
2. Traditional/ New Music
The music from “Beauty and the Beast” is well composed and Celine Dion rocked it in the animation classic. This time the new actors had the chance to sing while acting and dancing simultaneously. The original songs were given a slight twist with how long it would take them to sing, and the orchestra instruments were more clearly defined and heard in each song. There are even some new songs featured in this movies such as “Evermore” and “How Does a Moment Last Forever”. These songs added to the plot of the movie and allowed the characters to express their feelings through song and lyric. I have already downloaded the album from iTunes, and of course I listened to it while writing this article.
3. Extravagant CostumesWhile the characters still dressed similarly to the animated classic, these costumes were given more detail to be noticed on the big screen. In my opinion, these costumes were as exquisite as what you would see on Broadway. Even Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, and Chip had a more detailed and polished appearance. The costumes were traditional, glitzy, and meticulous, and each design portrayed the personalities of the characters and actors.
4. Classic Storyline
The movie followed closely to the traditional animated storyline, but this film also provided some extra scenes and information that supply viewers with more information about Belle and her family. I will not say anymore for those who have not seen it yet as I do not want to spoil the surprises. I believe that Disney would not stray away from the classic story though because that would upset its audience and dedicated fan base. Instead, they provided a modern twist on an adored classic fairytale, and brought the film to life by creating it a live action remake, and added some new elements to it to make the film its own unique experience.
“Beauty and the Beast” opened this past weekend with a massive $170 million in its domestic debut and $180 million overseas. It’s also the biggest weekend ever for a film not rated PG-13. It was a joy to get to see this live action remake of “Beauty and the Beast” as I grew up watching this animated classic on repeat on a VHS tape. It is worth the money for the ticket to see this classically redone movie that brings magic and happiness to all who watch.
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