Tale as old as time

Rating: 8/10 (19 March 2017)

Well, who doesn't like the Disney classic of 1991? I know, many might think, why do we need to watch another live action remake of a Disney classic? Well, because they know that we'll go to the cinema to watch it, as Disney has been proved right in the last year with: "Alice in Wonderland", "Maleficient", "Cinderella", "The Jungle Book", and it's only a matter of time before we have: "The Little Mermaid", "The Lion King" or "Aladdin" on the big screen with real actors. So if Marvel is a non-stop machine of superhero movies making, this more classical side of Disney is a non-stop machine of cartoon classic movies.
So, the movie is interesting to watch; because of course you will wonder: have they changed the story? Are the dialogues the same? What do the characters look like (in case you are of that minority who hasn't watched any advertising at all). And best of all: how is Hermione, er Emma Watson, playing Belle? So, the movie is not bad, but maybe is not that good, but as said before, is interesting to watch and enjoyable. Maybe a bit too long, and there are many added situations and details that try to give an added value compared to the 19991's one but honestly, it could have worked without it.
There is one real problem here: that the classic movie from 1991 was too good, too good, so anything that is being made will be compared no matter what, and if we do compare this one, sorry, but it loses. If the cartoon one didn't exist at all, then maybe our opinions would differ. The plot is exactly the same. Except some updated facts: more feminism, black characters, and even a gay one, which by the way, it's probably the funniest thing of the movie. Then another trouble is that making CGI characters leaves less flexibility than designing it as a cartoon, and that is why all household characters look a bit weird at the beginning, but you'll get used to it pretty fast. Then there are the human actors. Emma Watson nails it as Belle, giving her a Hermione touch of course, that will make Potterheads crazier. Opposite her is Dan Stevens who is most of the movie behind the beast face but his voice is enough for us to love the characters. But leaving the main couple aside, there is another couple that in my opinion steals the show; and those are Gaston and LeFou, which a probably the best characters in this adaptation. Gaston playing a narcissist and LeFou playing the unwanted lover, which is really hilarious and a breath of fresh air.
Last but not least, we have the other main character of the movie: the music. Just listening to the first opening tunes gives us goosebumps that we'll reappear at other points of the movie when we listen to the songs we were waiting for, special "Tale as old as time...". Plus there are three extra songs that weren't in the cartoon movie that will probably surprise us too.
A movie about a tale that we all know about. It might be too long at some point, but nonetheless it's a movie to enjoy with the whole family. It doesn't matter if you were a kid when you watched the original one or a parent of said kit, the tales is the same, what only changes is the way it is told. Just remember, when you get out of the cinema, you'll only want to watch the cartoon one and be five years old again.
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