True Disney Magic

Rating: 8/10 (25 March 2017)

When the animated Beauty & the Bast premiered in the early 1990s, that was the peak of animation at that time. One could say the same about this new effort as well, for how it seamlessly blends the animation with its perfect casting to make a beautiful film on a number of different levels.
For a basic plot summary, this movie tells the story that you are accustomed to hearing. Belle (Emma Watson) is a bookworm living in a small, "boring" village, with an eccentric father (Kevin Kline) and a macho arrogant court-er, Garcon (Luke Evans), making her life difficult. When her father gets lost on a trip back from the market one night, however, he stumbles upon a castle inhabited by a ferocious Beast (Dan Stevens), who once was a prince but now cursed into an animal until he can know true love (explained in the film's preamble). The ever-doting Belle sets out to retrieve her father, also finds the castle, and the rest is history.
First off, I thought this film did a wonderful job of portraying the basic story that we all know and love. It doesn't mess with too many plot elements, and even adds in a few new wrinkles (always needed to keep a reboot fresh). The film's plot stands the test of time alone, so in this case I'm glad that Disney didn't try to make too many sweeping changes.
Of course, the success/failure of any B&B film is going to come down to the casting of Belle, and Watson is absolutely born to play the role. We're talking once-in-a-lifetime casting here, as there is even synergy between her real life persona and Belle. She is smart/headstrong enough to portray Belle, while also beautiful enough to be a true Disney princess in the golden robe.
All the fun auxiliary roles are fun too, what with Cogsworth (Ian McKellen), Lumiere (Ewen McGregor), Mrs. Potts (Emma Thompson), and Chip (Nathan Mack), among others, livening up the procedures when necessary. No drop-off from the original here.
About the only thing that didn't work for me in the film? Josh Gad's LeFou. Annoying "gay character" controversy aside, I just felt like his performance was a bit creepy and forced. I think I would have preferred him to be in awe of Gaston rather than in love with him.
Finally, as I alluded to in the opening, it is amazing how seamless the interaction of reality and digitization meld together here. In years past, certain characters would have "looked fake" or it would have had to be fully animated to level the playing field. Not here. Much like "The Jungle Book" live-action remake before it, B&B is extremely impressive on the eyes.
Overall, I thought that "Beauty & the Beast" was a great take on the old classic. The casting was nearly perfect, the story remained basically intact, and for perhaps the first time in the tale's visual portrayals the meld between human/animal characters dwindles to almost nothing. It may not reinvent the wheel in obvious character or story ways, but the subtle things go a long way in making it a great overall experience that the entire family can enjoy.