Only 'True Love' can break the spell.

Rating: 9/10 (3 April 2017)

'Beauty and the Beast' is Disney's take on retelling their classic 1991 animated feature in a live-action version. Introducing an all new cast but familiar beats, and with a perfect blue-print to follow, does this version recapture that of it's predecessor?
1. First and foremost, if you are a fan of the 1991 film, you must try your best to see this film with an open mind. Although the plot in the same and the story unfolds the exact same way, there are still changes and different variations of things here and there. Everyone's main complaint is the look of the Beast (Dan Stevens). I would agree that he should have more of a vicious look, but the more I thought about it, if the original design of the beast from the animated film was translated into live-action, he would have been too terrifying and scare the daylights out of the younger audiences. In that sense, I can see why Disney altered him to be more subtle in appearance for that reason.
2. Alan Menken (the veteran Disney composer) returns to score this film, and he does yet another fantastic job in recreating his original songs for the new cast. The movie is approximately 120mins, and this can be in part to the addition of a couple new songs as well as more fleshed out back-stories, especially that of Belle and the Beast. Another complaint that crossed my ears, was the casting of Ewan McGregor as Lumiere, having been criticized for his shaky French accent judging by the trailers. Need not worry, you completely forget about your doubts when you see him on screen. Not only are the CGI effects fantastic, but Lumiere completely steals the show whenever he is on screen, especially during the "Be Our Guest" song and dance number.
3. The movie however, is not without flaws. To begin with, as beautiful as Emma Watson might be, she in no way captures the spirit of Belle. Coming to her father's rescue a couple times doesn't quite sell the point that she is as brave and courageous as she's supposed to be. She only skims the surface of the character without bringing much depth to it at all. Dan Steven as the 'Beast' however, shows more conviction in his role as the cursed Prince. His persona and feeling of a tortured soul comes closest to that of Robby Benson who voiced the Beast in the original. Sharing (a little but not as bad) the same lack of character depth as Emma Watson, Luke Evans (to me) feels slightly miscast as the handsome yet egotistical Gaston.
4. I applaud Bill Condon's direction as I was blown away by every theatrical song/dance sequences in this film. Of course the most outstanding being the classic ballroom scene which brought tears to my eyes. I also appreciate that the Beast finally gets to perform his own solo song which expressed his inner struggle of both anger and compassion. Something which was clearly missing from the animated film. There is no arguing with Disney especially when it comes to their CGI department, because they can do no wrong. The production design in beyond incredible with not a hair out of place. The magic is surely recaptured whether you admit it or not. This and 'The Jungle Book' surely stand out in Disney's live-action line-up thus far.
Fans will undoubtedly nitpick this film as much as they can simply because the animated one is sheer perfection in their eyes. Not saying it's not, but it be unwise not to give this version a chance, because it does it's best and delivers beat for beat in a spectacular way:)