Did Original Justice, Despite Poor Direction

Rating: 8/10 (20 March 2017)

I'll start by mentioning that I adore the original animation, rating it as my #1 Disney film. When I heard this was coming out, I was extremely excited. I had no idea what to expect and avoided the trailers because I wanted to keep an open mind - something that turned out to be very necessary!
First I'll start with a few weaker points.
The absolute killer for me was the general feel. It was nowhere near as vibrant as it should have been and I didn't feel enough contrast between the first and second halves. When I found out that the director of some Twilight films was involved, everything became very clear. At some points it just felt so grey and not very Disney-like and I truly think that poor direction held this production back. Especially some of the happier scenes in the castle - I was sitting thinking 'Jesus, isn't the saturation a little bit off'. I know it's supposed to be gloomy, but isn't the whole film really about finding beauty in unlikely places? That being said, the scene where Belle is racing through the gardens after being released was stunning.
Secondly the portrayal of a gay man for comic relief was distasteful and a little insulting. Props to Disney for having the guts to include this, however I can't help feeling that it was more for publicity than anything else. The whole thing with that musketeer being dressed as a woman was completely stupid and shortsighted; the same ridiculous clichè that the community tries so hard to cast off. If you're going to include a gay character, make it a full part of a story and not just comic relief or a fleeting scene obviously added to tick boxes. It was all quite irrelevant to be honest.
Lastly with the negatives - I didn't completely love the effects. I thought the cartoony feel was charming and not something I expected. Personally I felt this worked well - although the town felt more charming than anything else and I felt myself asking Belle, 'is it really that awful?'. On the other hand, it somewhat seemed a half-done job; halfway between an animation and live-play. The enchanted objects in the castle had really strange faces that didn't convey the comforting characters they're supposed to be but their bodies (for lack of a better word) were rather well animated. The Beast was a bit strange to look at too and felt half-baked. There was without a doubt, room for improvement there. The castle, however; was breathtaking and did the animated version the justice it deserved.
An area which I'm quite undecided on is Emma Watson as Belle. I adore her as an actress; I think she has some real talent but I can't work out whether she was right for the role. On one side she conveys the small-town girl role who wants adventure very well. Her inquisitive side is very believable and it's very clear she doesn't fit in. On the other side i don't really think she has the warmth of the original Belle; it was as if she cared more about rebelling and staying in the castle than about her feelings for the Beast. This is NOT a criticism of her acting at all - what she did, she did well despite the poor direction. I just believe there could have been a better fit.
Acting-wise the standout roles were probably Gaston and Lumiere's voice acting. They really carried the film in my opinion; Gaston was definitely more comedic than the original but this was a welcome addition. Lumiere was the perfect host and despite the questionable animation, was still the same charming character as before. I don't think any of the acting was particularly weak - still room for more believability but I blame the silly choice of directors - why choose the director of a cheap, wooden, gloomy series about vampires and werewolves for a vibrant Disney epic?
The film stays true to its roots and whilst it doesn't add much, what it did add worked really well. For example the book which took Belle back to Paris was something that really built upon her character, even if it was a little bit far-fetched. It answered some questions which were left unanswered before.
Something I really missed was the Beast's roar as Belle ran from the castle after letting her free. It's small, I know, but was incredibly powerful in the original. They could have saved themselves the effort of writing that extra song and portrayed the same pain.
Overall a good adaptation which somehow kept the charm of the original despite being held-back by poor choice of directors. Lots of room for improvement but certainly not a waste of time or money. Please also ignore these family-friendly negative comments. The 'gay' scene (it feels like a total joke even calling it this) lasted for probably not even a second and should have been cut anyway as it was totally pointless. Like I said, if you're going to include inclusive relationships, don't force it into a classic and do it properly! If girls were discouraged from reading and learning, I'd hardly expect anyone to be open- minded enough to accept a same-sex relationship.