Celebratory and faithful, but only for those who really want a carbon copy of the original...

Rating: Null/10 (1 April 2018)

Disney's latest live-action adaptation basically achieves what Cinderella did before it; provide a movie experience as rich and emotionally resonant as the original, with only minor improvements that serve the story to varying degrees of benefit.
Bill Condon's film succeeds most in adding substance to the main character's backstories, justifying their motivations for certain actions and decisions that seemed more questionable while watching the animated version. Visually, the production capitalises on its live-action nature by enhancing the period detail (the village and castle locations are much more immersive), and for all the timeless beauty that animation can offer, 'Be Our Guest' is undeniably all the better for the technical improvements which the special effects team could utilise this time around. Missteps include an attempt to flesh out the servant roles, resulting in plot threads that are too thin to warrant even the brief screen time afforded to them, and a failure to reach the dizzyingly poignant heights of the ballroom scene, which arguably was the film's primary task (at least for avid fans of the original).
Emma Watson takes some time to warm to as Belle - proving Harry Potter effectively taught her nothing - though as the emotional weight of the role bears down, so too does her performance improve. Opposite her, Dan Stevens manages so much more range despite only his eyes being visible.
Reviews for this remake, and the ones to come, are largely pointless. Visual splendour, memorable music and excellent storytelling are foregone conclusions, especially when the majority of the material is completely recycled. However, it does make these adaptations nostalgic, rousing affairs that are not only made for the cinema experience, but also guarantee that you aren't wasting the price of a ticket. That is, unless, you don't want to pay to watch what is effectively the same movie twice.