Mixed Feelings

Rating: 5/10 (6 April 2017)

Before I start this review, I have to preface it by saying that I am a huge fan of the Disney version that was released in the 90's, so that may have had a bearing on what I thought of this one.
I have nothing against Emma Watson, and though I've never seen her in anything else so I can't testify to her acting ability, I thought she was totally wrong for the part of Belle. She seemed to have only two facial expressions: "Something stinks," and "Something stinks, but I'm going to smile through it anyway." Some of the most emotional scenes lacked the power to move me because I couldn't get past how bland she was.
Something that really bugged me was the quality of the CGI. It wasn't just the enchanted castle staff, either, although seeing them brought to life from their cartoon form was a bit jarring and creepy at times. I was sorely disappointed in the appearance of the Beast. It seemed to me that they tried to make him look too much like the cartoon version, and it didn't translate well into a real-life CGI look. All I could think about every time he was in a scene was how off he looked, so much so that it was distracting.
There were some things I really enjoyed, like the fact that they kept the original songs and even added some new ones. The "Be Our Guest" sequence was particularly gorgeous, and I thought they did a fabulous job bringing that scene to life.
I like that they explained some things that weren't explained in the earlier cartoon version (like what happened to Belle's mother, why they left Paris, why the Prince was so awful in his prior human life, and why no one seemed to remember the castle and its inhabitants). Luke Evans was brilliant as Gaston, and they couldn't have picked a better LeFou than Josh Gad. The rest of the all-star cast (including Stanley Tucci, Ewan McGregor, Ian McKellen, and Emma Thompson, just to name a few) were outstanding in their roles as usual, but I do feel like Kevin Kline was underused just a bit as Maurice.
In all, it was a decent movie. Because my expectations were high, I was a bit disappointed, and I can't say that it's one I feel like I need to see again or add to my collection. But if you're looking to be entertained and dip a toe into nostalgic feelings, you'd probably enjoy it.