We all may know this Disney classic as a “tale as old as time,” but that tale hasn’t stayed so old. Recently, Beauty and the Beast was remade into a live-action motion picture, meaning the audience will be watching real people instead of cartoons. It seems to be slowly happening to all the classic Disney movies, such as Cinderella and Mulan.
As you may all know (or not) I am obsessed with Disney; I have no shame and even have multiple jibbitzs of Disney princesses on my crocs, and yes I still have crocs (they’re coming back.) So, me being a Disney fanatic and all, I just had to go and watch this new version of Beauty and The Beast to see if it met my standards.
It definitely did, but I do warn you it’s not all what you would expect. Coming into the movie I expected everything to be exactly like the original cartoon version, so the changes took me by surprise.
Do you recall anything about Belle’s (Emma Watson) mother in the original? I know I didn’t, and I’m a super-Disney fan. In the new movie, we get to know more about who Belle’s mother is and what happened to her. The fact that the new movie added background about Belle’s mom really helps you understand why Belle and her father (Kevin Kline) are the way they are and how it influences their close relationship.
Remember the Beast (Dan Watson) in the original? The cartoon character of the beast really made you think when you were little, “How could Belle ever fall in love with him?” This new version will make you think the Beast is not so much a beast but actually very appealing to the eyes.
At first I was a bit scared by how realistic the beast looked, but he ended up making my Hot Guy List. The Beast does not look like he just stays in that lonely castle and sobs all day. The Beast hits up the gym with arm and leg days. Talk about B-U-I-L-T. Plus, his bright, blue eyes also waver in his favor. You’ll know what I mean when you watch the movie. At the end you’ll be asking yourself, “Why did he have to turn back into a human?”
I had to take a breather since I was caught off guard by some major plot changes. The changes truly made the movie better and gave more insight to the characters. The character development evolves Beauty and The Beast into a movie not just meant for kids, but teenagers and adults.
But the little change that came the longest way was Gaston’s (Luke Evans) sidekick, LeFou (Josh Gad), dancing with another guy in the movie. This simple, but powerful act made the whole movie even better because it was a statement from Disney that acknowledges and supports the society we live in now. This may have not have been the norm for back in the day, but it reflects on our current society. I really liked how they added this in the film because it shows that fairy tales are for everyone. So two thumbs up for Disney — be sure to check out this awesome twist on a classic story.
