A Satisfying Remake

Rating: 7/10 (19 March 2017)

Disney's highly anticipated remake of the 'tale as old as time' has arrived, and while not perfect, it certainly packs in cutting-edge special effects and extravagance that can please audiences of all ages. The film's plot is very similar to that of the original version. However, the CGI effects are often very realistic. There are, however, some exceptions, as the character designs of the Beast and some of the 'object' characters (such as Cogsworth and Lumiere) could have been done better. That said, from its lavish set pieces to realistic-looking CGI wolves, the film overall is visually enthralling.
The music in the film is excellent, and the scenes where such music can be found are choreographed perfectly. "Be Our Guest" and the climatic action scene where Gaston's mob storms the castle are easily the two best scenes in the movie. The performances are slightly hit-or-miss, however. The acting could have been slightly improved, as Emma Watson gives a solid but unspectacular performance as Belle. Still, however, Disney does a very good job overall of adapting this story for modern audiences using live action and delivers an entertaining end result. Recommended. 7/10