A frustrating under-delivery

Rating: 6/10 (19 March 2017)

This movie is not terrible, but it left me feeling deeply unsatisfied. I'm not placated by a mere nostalgia-driven rehash - I actually want a good movie, one good enough to stand on its own. That is where this film fails to deliver.
Bluntly, the whole thing felt "cheap" and shallow. The story line is virtually unchanged, and in fact most of the scenes and dialogue are lifted directly from the 1991 film. However, what was left out was the real heart and soul of the original, the subtlety of it, leaving this one flat and emotionless. Emma Watson, however talented, is no Belle; meanwhile the lovableness of the supporting characters is gone, traded for one-dimensional and at times bombastic caricatures. (Cogsworth, my favorite character as child, is completely forgettable in this version.)
Most egregiously, the character of the Beast is generally lessened. He was a mysterious character in the original and, to four-year-old me, a legitimately terrifying one. This made his internal transformation as dramatic and dynamic as his external one in 1991. Not so in 2017. He is made frivolous in the movie's beginning, his rage is missing from its middle, and there is no poignancy to his heartbreak or love in the end. Talk about having the emotional range of a teaspoon - I see why they cast Hermione. Not to mention his visual appearance is just... strange. I detest the goat horns, and something about his eyes is perpetually off. It is honestly distracting.
On to things added to the movie: first off is obviously live action. I don't understand this one. Why bother to make a live-action version and then design EVERYTHING to look cheap and fake and unrealistic anyway? I wanted this movie brought to life, not just reanimated with CGI. And then there is the music. I also didn't really need another musical, particularly if it was going to be one with frail voices, botched rearrangements, and new pieces that are cheesy and ill-fitting. Beast sings. More specifically, he sings at moment when he was roaring his heart out in the original (if that tells you anything). There's also the teleporter-book. Not sure what that is supposed to be about. It seems like nothing more than a contrived plot device added to reinforce the inclusion of Belle's backstory, which itself doesn't really wind up adding to the movie overall.
I could write another paragraph about the misplaced, token diversity peppering this movie, which I find infinitely more offensive than outright white-washing, but I won't.
A few good things: it's still a nostalgic watch. And your kids will like it, if that's why you're going. This one also makes a few more nods to the original 1740 fairy tale, which I find refreshing coming from Disney. Gaston still gets what he's got coming. But that's about it.
Bottom Line: If you are an adult looking for a solid new take on your old favorite, this is not it. If you are an adult looking for grown- up version of your old favorite, this is definitely not it. If you're looking for a way to entertain your kids for two hours, go have fun. Or let them go have fun, and stay home and watch the 1991 version while they're gone.