I Yearned To Enjoy This

Rating: 5/10 (6 June 2017)

Honestly I just finished watching this at home June 6, 2017 as it came out on DVD to rent and/or sell today ..... and I am left with the same feelings ..... it could have been so much better IF ( a big if and in my opinion ) the two main lead characters had been chosen more carefully and had actually wanted to lead the story. Please keep in mind I am a fan of the 1991 version as that is also my birth year, but disregarding that version and taking this film all on its own; I was still perplexed in not a good way by the end of watching this a second time through ( my first had been in the theater ). Even so Belle's (Watson) voice was so crazy auto tuned it literally nearly ruined my concentration and honestly I found the Beast character to be flat as well; both seemed to be truly aiming to help us ( the audience ) understand that they came to do a stage play..... not a film that much was felt by myself. The supporting actors ( the live talking house hold objects ), ( Gaston and his side kick ), ( the towns people ) >ALL< projected and emoted So much more convincingly than the two main leads in this 2017 remake of the 1991 classic. They >ALL< appeared and carried themselves and their voices as if they came to do their jobs above and beyond what's on the manuscript. I admit there are additional scenes in this live-action remake that add nice story filler and contribute to the bulk of the storyline that simply was missing from the 1991 animated version...... but that DID NOT Salvage this film on the whole from this epic train wreck.
Truth be told IF I ignore these few and albeit startling obviously obnoxious glaring annoyances from the minute of the opening frame until the glitzy spaz of an ending...... I can admit it is somewhat a nostalgic feeling to see this live-action version but; IF Only ...... IF Only the lead two main leads had not been so utterly flat lined in how they delivered their individual performances and even together it seemed they had zero chemistry on each scene no matter the situation within the film.
I can personally swallow all the flashy displays of costumes and over dressed up sets, the CG was passable and it seemed they did try to make it glamorous and enchanting which it was, but what wrecked the ballroom scene for me was how pitiful and flat and plain the Belle dress was!!!!! I mean really it was plain and I could assume budget cuts? That yellow dress on Belle is a statement piece of the character and yet I was left with my mouth hanging open in utter dismay and bewildered astonishment upon seeing it for a second time; I was grotesquely underwhelmed. {Trying desperately not to compare it to the 1991 version but BUT)....... The 1991 yellow dress on Belle was just that a gorgeous gown and the character wore NO jewelry or many accessories...... the dress was the main event and even on a animated character it SHOWED CLEARLY! This 2017 version of that yellow gown left me sad and unimpressed to say the least.
Buttttttttttt ......... overall I wish Disney had tried much harder to put out a film worth watching ( and no I do not want a cookie cutter version of the 1991 version ) but I truly enjoyed Maleficent and Cinderella and Jungle Book ......... Why Oh Why is this Beauty & The Beast 2017 lacking? While remakes prior to it are seemingly more enjoyable and make clear that they attempted make it enjoyable for the audience no matter what changes were made etc etc the actors in those seemed to want to be there and absorb the character role and make it their own........ the two main leads in this did no such thing which only did more to reek havoc on the storyline rewrite.