Don't believe the negativity

Rating: 9/10 (3 April 2017)

So, I have a bit to say. Some is about the movie, but most is about the horrible reviews it has been getting.
I'll start with my opinion of it: I really enjoyed it. It was fun and full of heart, like the original; not perfect, but what is? The misfires for me came in two places: Emma Watson as Belle and the ballroom scene. Emma Watson is a fine actress, but I've always felt that her range was a bit small. Her reactions to Gaston's advances at the beginning of the movie are pretty much the same as her reactions to him shooting the Beast at the end. That shouldn't be the case. And the ballroom scene... We'll, the camera work and direction just felt lacking because of the fantastic work of the original.
However, that brings me to my main thrust: all of the 1-3 star reviews here. Why? Well, after about 5 or so hours of reading, I've boiled it down to a few common threads: perception of Emma's singing, the Beast's CGI, and the lack of that ever elusive "charm" or "spirit" of the original. Firstly, there are a lot of people crying "Autotune! Emma's been Autotuned cause she can't sing!!" I'm not going to claim to be an expert on Autotune. However, I have been around great singers my whole life, and I'll say this: if she was Autotuned, it was slight. Her performance sounds like an above average (but not great) singer whose vocal coach focuses on polish over emotion in the performance. Second, the Beast's CGI was just like Shere Khan's in Jungle Book: magnificent and detailed, with an emphasis on movement of hair and moisture on it. Lastly, lack of "charm." I thought I understood that, but when people started talking about Bill Murray having "charm," I was lost. Then I realized: "charm" is subjective, unquantifiable, and is often informed by predetermined bias; in other words, if you go looking for "charm," you'll find it where you want to, and nowhere else.
All of this, however, boils down even further to one shining ray of truth: 90s kids think that their generation was the peak of culture, and that art, music, and culture is just going downhill. That belief leads them to look at the 1991 movie (which was fantastic) as the gold- standard that they have an interest in maintaining. So, nothing will be as good as it was; if this one is, then movies are getting better, not worse, and their time wasn't the peak of culture.
Tl;Dr: Ignore the 1-3 star reviews, this movie was fan-freaking-tastic and definitely worth the watch.