Expected a rehash and once again Disney surpasses expectations

Rating: 8/10 (9 May 2017)

Say what you will about Disney but whomever is at the helm nowadays is brilliant. So far their live action renditions have brought in Billions. Beauty and The Beast might be the first of the truly modern day Animated classics they've "rebooted" in a live action way. I thought it looked cool and was excited to see it but cautiously so because wouldn't it just be the same thing seen before in Animation? In short...yes. In long, it didn't matter! The direction, cinematography and seeing the classic fairy tale in live action makes it all the more impressive. It is perfectly cast and wonderfully performed. I found myself excited for the familiarity of some of the musical numbers and really enjoyed the story all over again. I saw a review or two that called the film trash for being liberal and I still can't wrap my head around that. I wish this over-PC world would calm itself and just enjoy something for a change. Disney is brilliant because they found a way to remake their classic films for a new generation but they also don't skimp on sheer quality. These films Beauty and The Beast included are magnificent with huge budgets so it is understandable why they're doing it and I will keep seeing them for sure!
It seemed something of a controversy to cast Emma Watson but I think she does a very good job. I think she is finally breaking the mould that was the Harry Potter franchise. She is really perfect as Belle. It's not exactly a meaty part and she's beautiful and headstrong and makes for a good heroine. Dan Stevens is excellent as The Beast. He is as good as his animated counterpart from years ago. He perfectly captures the personality and torment and still shows some fierce loyalty to Belle. Their chemistry together is perfect for the film. It's not too intense but not understated either. In a film like this where the characters are iconic and so Disney-esque, the supporting cast is as important as ever. Luke Evans and Josh Gad are absolutely perfectly cast as the villainous Gaston and his henchman LeFou. Kevin Kline, Ewan McGregor, Ian McKellen, Emma Thompson (still would have loved to have seen Angela Landsbury return), Nathan Mack, Audra McDonald and Stanley Tucci all add something truly special to the film in their own way. Some of the more iconic characters (Lumiere and Cogsworth) are more understated I thought this time around but maybe that is okay for a live action film. Gaston is also more evil than he was in the animated version. Things are just turned up more in this version. It's a little darker, a little more vivid and large and a little more magic.
Bill Condon was a very interesting choice for the director of Beauty and The Beast. He has a lot of experience but I wouldn't have expected him to be able to pull this off. He plays things very safely. He makes sure all the things that fans of Beauty and The Beast would expect BUT he also gives it just a little bit more to keep new fans and old fans locked into a whole new remake. It's a beautiful film and stands beside it's animated counterpart. Time will tell if it will be a classic as well. 8/10