:/

Rating: 3/10 (21 May 2017)

I wasn't expecting much from this but i will say i'm still more disappointed than i'd hoped. The animated film is just so good, but it's like the people making the new one weren't quite sure why.
Just from a technical standpoint, the movie is really poorly made. Really, really bad pacing. Similar length of many of the scenes we got from the original but packed with three times the dialogue, which made the whole thing rushed. A complete lack of dramatic breathing room in scenes that should've had huge tension. (panning AWAY to a wide shot for intense, iconic moments where there were closeups in the original)
There were so many quick cuts and wide / medium shots it's like the director was afraid of spending too long on faces because the emotional reactions were so short and simplified. The sets all had overhead, bright lighting that took away a lot of the mystery and ambiance that the animated version had. I doubt that kids would even really be able to enjoy this more than the animated one too because the quick, rapid lines don't add anything new and are harder to pay attention to for kids.
The acting was bad all around, and even the really good actors in this had their potential wasted, so i think a good half of the blame at least falls on the script and directing.
I will say that, with some exceptions, the costume designers and production designers really went all-out on this. The first few shots in the film are incredibly beautiful. But the camera doesn't appreciate them and maintains it's wide and medium shots of everything, while they're lit with flat lighting. Frustratingly, Belle's iconic gold-yellow dress they made look like wet juicy fruit gum, even when the extras are dressed to the nines, and the beast's dramatic facial design and color patterns in the original are gone and he's just kind of a gray blob.
You might be able to enjoy the movie for its nostalgic quality or because you like some of the actors but this really doesn't show anybody's best qualities or give us a new take on the story, and it's best just to watch the original again.