beauty and the beast live action movie review

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Film Review: ‘Beauty and the Beast’

Disney's live-action remake of its 1991 animated classic, starring Emma Watson as a pitch-perfect Belle, is a sometimes entrancing, sometimes awkward mixture of re-creation and reimagining.

By Owen Gleiberman

Owen Gleiberman

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You could say that the notion of turning beloved stories and characters into brands was invented by Walt Disney. He built his empire on the image of Mickey Mouse (who made his debut in 1928), but Disney really patented the brand concept in 1955, with the launch of Disneyland, where kids could see old familiar characters — Mickey! Snow White! — in a completely different context, which made them new. Twenty-three years ago, the Broadway version of “ Beauty and the Beast ” (followed three years later by the Broadway version of “The Lion King”) introduced a different form of re-branding: the stage-musical-based-on-an-animated-feature. Now the studio is introducing a cinematic cousin to that form with the deluxe new movie version of “Beauty and the Beast,” a $160 million live-action re-imagining of the 1991 Disney animated classic. It’s a lovingly crafted movie, and in many ways a good one, but before that it’s an enraptured piece of old-is-new nostalgia.

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Going into “Beauty and the Beast,” the sheer curiosity factor exerts a uniquely intense lure. Is the movie as transporting and witty a romantic fantasy as the animated original? Does it fall crucially short? Or is it in some ways better? The answer, at different points in the film, is yes to all three, but the bottom line is this: The new “Beauty and the Beast” is a touching, eminently watchable, at times slightly awkward experience that justifies its existence yet never totally convinces you it’s a movie the world was waiting for.

A good animated fairy tale is, of course, more than just a movie — it’s a whole universe. The form was invented by Disney eighty years ago, with “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937), a film I still think has never been surpassed, and when you watch something as transporting as “Snow White” — or “Bambi,” or “Toy Story,” or “Beauty and the Beast” — every gesture and background and choreographed flourish, from the facial expressions to the drip-drop of water, flows together with a poetic unity. That’s the catchy miracle of great animation.

When you watch the new “Beauty and the Beast,” you’re in a prosaic universe of dark and stormy sets, one that looks a lot like other (stagy) films you’ve seen. The visual design, especially in the Beast’s majestic curlicued castle, is gentrified gothic — Tim Burton de-quirked. At the beginning, when Belle (Emma Watson) walks out of her house and wanders through the village singing “Belle,” that lovely lyrical meet-the-day ode that mingles optimism with a yearning for something more, the shots and beats are all in place, the spirit is there, you can see within 15 seconds that Emma Watson has the perfect perky soulfulness to bring your dream of Belle to life — and still, the number feels like something out of one of those overly bustling big-screen musicals from the late ’60s that helped to bury the studio system. It’s not that the director, Bill Condon (“Dreamgirls,” “The Twilight Saga”), does anything too clunky or square. It’s that the material loses its slapstick spryness when it’s not animated. The sequence isn’t bad, it’s just…standard.

That’s true of most of the first part of the movie, right up until the point when Belle rescues her kindly inventor father, Maurice (Kevin Kline), from the Beast’s castle — where he’s being held prisoner for having assaulted a flower — by trading places with him. Belle, a wistful bookworm, is the odd girl out in her village, and she has already brushed off several encounters with Gaston (Luke Evans), the duplicitous hunk who became a new Disney archetype (in “Frozen,” etc.): the handsome, big-chinned, icky monomaniacal two-faced suitor. On first meeting, however, the Beast seems nearly as dark. He’s a prince who was cursed and turned into a monster for having no love in him, and the best thing about the movie — as well as its biggest divergence from the animated version — is that he’s a strikingly downbeat character, a petulant and morose romantic trapped in a body that makes him feel nothing less than doomed.

He’s played by Dan Stevens, a British actor who out of makeup looks like a bland version of Ryan Gosling, but the makeup and effects artists have done an extraordinary job of transforming him into a hairy hulking figure with ram horns, the face of a saddened lion having an existential meltdown, and the voice of Darth Vader channeling Hugh Grant. Visually, the characterization makes a nod to the scowling-eyed Beast from Jean Cocteau’s immortal “Beauty and the Beast” (1946), but he also comes off as a kind of royal version of the Elephant Man: a melancholy freak trapped in solitude. I loved that for a good long while, he’s a bit of a hard-ass, a man-creature who doesn’t dare to think that Belle could love him. But then, under her gaze, he begins to soften, and his transformation is touching in a more adult way than it was in the animated version. The romance there was benign; here, it’s alive with forlorn longing.

Which is to say, the new “Beauty and the Beast” is not as kid-friendly a movie. It tries to be in certain sequences, notably those featuring Lumière the candelabra (voiced by Ewan McGregor), Cogsworth the pendulum clock (Ian McKellen), and Garderobe the wardrobe (Audra McDonald) — all of whom are basically tactile, live-action animated characters. The “Be Our Guest” musical number scrupulously revives the dancing-plate surreal exuberance of the original, but there the frenetic nuttiness was exquisite. Here it tips between exhilarating and exhausting, because you can feel the special-effects heavy lifting that went into it.

I keep comparing “Beauty and the Beast” to the animated version, which raises a question: Is that what we’re supposed to be doing? Or should the film simply stand on its own? The movie wants to have it both ways, but then, that’s the contradictory metaphysic of reboot culture: We’re drawn in to see the old thing…but we want it to be new. The live-action “Beauty and the Beast” is different enough, and certainly, if you’ve never experienced the cartoon, it’s strong enough to stand on its own. (Josh Gad, incidentally, plays Gaston’s worshipful stooge Le Fou as maximally silly and fawning, but I must have missed the memo where that spells “gay.”) Yet it’s not really that simple, is it? The larger fantasy promoted by a movie like this one is that we’ll somehow see an animated feature “come to life.” And that may be a dream of re-branding — shared by studio and audience alike — that carries an element of creative folly. Animation, at its greatest, is already a glorious imitation of life. It’s not clear that audiences need an imitation of the imitation.

Reviewed at Lincoln Square, New York, March 2, 2017. MPAA Rating: PG. Running time: 129 MIN.

Production: A Walt Disney Studios release of a Walt Disney Pictures, Mandeville Films production. Producers: David Hoberman, Todd Liebmerman. Executive producers: Don Hahn, Tomas Schumacher, Jeffrey Silver.
Crew: Director: Bill Condon. Screenplay: Stephen Chbosky, Evan Spiliotopoulos. Camera (color, widescreen): Tobias A. Schliessler. Editor: Virginia Katz.
With: Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Kevin Kline, Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Audra McDonald, Ian McKellen, Emma Thompson, Stanley Tucci.

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Review: ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Revels in Joy and Enchantment

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beauty and the beast live action movie review

By A.O. Scott

March 3, 2017

To quote a lyric from one of the songs in “Beauty and the Beast,” “there may be something there that wasn’t there before.” The familiar elements are all in place, of course. It’s “Beauty and the Beast,” for goodness’ sake: a tale as old as time, a song as old as rhyme and all that. And there are inspired flights of nostalgia as well, visual evocations of the predigital glory of Busby Berkeley , Ray Harryhausen and other masters of fantastical craft.

But this live-action/digital hybrid , directed by Bill Condon and starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens in the title roles, is more than a flesh-and-blood (and prosthetic fur-and-horns) revival of the 26-year-old cartoon , and more than a dutiful trip back to the pop-culture fairy-tale well. Its classicism feels unforced and fresh. Its romance neither winks nor panders. It looks good, moves gracefully and leaves a clean and invigorating aftertaste. I almost didn’t recognize the flavor: I think the name for it is joy.

This was by no means a foregone conclusion. The reanimation of beloved properties — to use the grim business nomenclature of Hollywood — often leads to hack work and zombie-ism, as old archetypes are shocked to life and arrayed in garish, synthetic modern effects. That might easily have happened here. Look (I mean: don’t look) at the horrors that have been visited, in recent years, on Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan and the Wizard of Oz. And even if Disney had done a more convincing upgrade, on the model of last year’s “Jungle Book,” a new “Beauty” could have offended fans of the 1991 animated feature simply by existing. That movie, a high point of the ’80s and ’90s Disney revival, is close to perfect. What singing teapot would dare to challenge Angela Lansbury?

The only possible answer is Emma Thompson, whose Mrs. Potts is joined by other household objects with the voices (and, briefly, the faces) of movie stars. Stanley Tucci and Audra McDonald are the excitable harpsichord and the operatic wardrobe; Ewan McGregor and Ian McKellen are the suave candelabra and the anxious clock. Gugu Mbatha-Raw is the lissome feather duster. Young Nathan Mack is Chip, Mrs. Potts’s son. Their singing and banter is so vivid and so natural that you almost take for granted that they appear to be mechanical objects clicking and whirling in physical space, sharing the frame with human characters.

Movie Review: ‘Beauty and the Beast’

The times critic a. o. scott reviews “beauty and the beast.".

“Beauty and the Beast” is the live action re-telling of the animated Walt Disney classic. In his review A.O. Scott writes: This live-action/digital hybrid, starring Emma Watson, is more than a flesh-and-blood revival of the 26-year-old cartoon, and more than a dutiful trip back to the pop-culture fairy-tale well. Its classicism feels unforced and fresh. Its romance neither winks nor panders. The most dazzling visual flights are matched to the best of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken’s songs. There are a few moments where the digital seams show, and you’re aware of the cold presence of lines of code behind the images. Most of the time, though, you are happily fooled.

There are a few moments — a climactic high-elevation fight scene that looks like every other climactic high-elevation fight scene; a chase through the forest involving wolves — where the digital seams show, and you’re aware of the cold presence of lines of code behind the images. Most of the time, though, you are happily fooled. More than that: enchanted. The most dazzling visual flights are matched to the best of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken’s songs. “Be Our Guest” in particular is a choreographic extravaganza that enfolds decades of Disney history (all the way back to “Snow White” and “Fantasia”) in contemporary cinematic craft.

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Beauty and the Beast Reviews

Imitation, emulation, and homage are all part of that process, but so is reappraisal and reinterpretation. Those later two actions are what drive this new fantasy film to soaring and successful heights.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Feb 16, 2024

This film is a careless exercise in capital gain; it mines a true cinema classic for commercial value and leaves nothing artistic in its wake.

Full Review | May 27, 2023

Thoroughly enchanting and the story is queerer than ever...

Full Review | Dec 21, 2022

Rather than going back to the original fairy tale by Mme. Leprince de Beaumont and reenvisioning it, the film reformats the studios cherished animated original with actors and computer-animated special FX. It's less a remake than a replication.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/4 | Apr 4, 2022

You can add Beauty and the Beast to the list of well made Disney live-action remakes. While not better than the 1991 original, it is a nice representation of one of the greatest animated films ever made and more evidence that Disney can do no wrong.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Feb 18, 2022

Redeeming love shines once again in Disney's live-action remake...

Full Review | Aug 26, 2021

In a year in which many of the biggest hits have been little more than sops to fanboys more interested in bloodletting than storytelling, here's a film for everyone ... It manages to return a splash of magic to the movies, even if only momentarily.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Aug 17, 2021

Tries to cash in on the magic without capturing what was behind that fairy dust in the first place.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/5 | May 26, 2021

Beauty And The Beast is hardly a masterpiece, but it's not faint praise to say it does its job nicely.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 27, 2021

Beauty and the Beast is a fancy affair, but delivers too little for me to fall in love with.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Feb 7, 2021

A tale as old as time, but this new film brings a new life to the story, while holding true to all the magic of the original.

Full Review | Jan 2, 2021

This is a misstep in replicating why the original struck a chord with audiences back in 1991.

Full Review | Dec 23, 2020

There's nothing wrong in saying that Beauty and the Beast heavily relies on our sentimental memories of the original. The message is still the same - beauty is skin deep and don't judge a book by its cover. But I expected more than just simple nostalgia.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Aug 26, 2020

The art in murders

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 23, 2020

It was fun in parts.

Full Review | May 11, 2020

I actually liked this movie... I thought that they handled tone really well.

As elaborate and detailed as the production design and costuming are in Beauty and the Beast, there's no real sense that the filmmakers felt the need to truly try anything different. Every magical moment feels borrowed.

Full Review | May 5, 2020

The tale of Beauty and the Beast is one made from magic, and not even soulless commerce can break its spell.

Full Review | Feb 19, 2020

The seamless visual blur of CGI and live-action definitely has you enraptured throughout this classic tale.

Full Review | Feb 4, 2020

This live-action remake may not be necessary, but it's still a lot of fun.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Jan 24, 2020

‘Beauty and the Beast’ Review: Live-Action Disney Classic Still Tale as Old as Time

By Peter Travers

Peter Travers

The tale of a scary-looking dude who holds a girl hostage until she submits to him is usually the stuff of police reports. Or, of course, a Disney musical . Such is the case with Beauty and the Beast, director Bill Condon’s live–action version of the 1991 classic and the first animated feature to win an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. Condon ( Dreamgirls ) knows how to lift heavy machinery without showing the sweat. And Emma Watson is just the Disney princess-in-distress to warm the heart of a hairy ape, or bison, or whatever kind of beast the stellar Dan Stevens is playing. Working from a busy script by Stephen Chbosky and Evan Spiliotopoulos, the director fills every frame of this way-too-long 129-minute bauble with rapid motion and ravishing romance. It looks the same, moves the same and sounds the same (those Alan Menken songs!) as the original. But some of the magic has gone M.I.A.

It’s still a tale as old as time. A spoiled prince (Stevens, allowed for a minute to show his Downton Abbey handsomeness) gets zapped into a beast for being an arrogant prick; his curse can only be lifted if the egomaniac learns to love and be loved in return. Enter Belle (Watson, the perfect embodiment of the little engine that could), a scrappy bookworn/inventor who voluntarily enters the prince’s lair in return for his freeing her artist daddy (the ever-splendid Kevin Kline) who wandered in there by mistake. Belle is almost relieved to be locked up with a monster, since she previously spent her days escaping the randy attentions of Gaston (Luke Evans, a preening delight), a Bachelor wannabe whose sidekick LeFou ( Josh Gad ), is, yes, gay. This fact has earned the film cinema non grata status in some countries and rural American counties; it’s so coded that it’s barely detectable.

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The bigger twist is that the Beast is – no, not also gay – but as hot a book lover as Belle. Literacy gets a booming shoutout in this new Beauty. For our heroine, her captor’s thing for Shakespeare is a frisky turn-on. It takes her a little longer to get used to life in the palace, what with the singing and dancing furniture – inanimate objects have a habit of doing that in Disney movies. Thanks to computer wizardry, Ewan McGregor sings and swans around as candlestick, Ian McKellan as a clock, Audra McDonald as a wardrobe, Gugu Mbatha-Raw as a feather-duster, Stanley Tucci as a piano, and Emma Thompson as a teapot (she sings the title song Angela Lansbury warbled for the ages in the original). Despite all the energy they expend in their frenzied Busby Berkeley-inspired rendition of “Be Our Guest,” the animated version far exceeds it in a quality even a $160 million budget can’t buy: charm.

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What Beauty and the Beast rises or falls on is the love story, and here, allowed to slow down to let in intimate moments, the movie catches fire. Hobbled by a motion capture process that forced him to walk on stilts and wear a huge muscle suit covered in Lycra, Stevens goes beyond the call of family-musical duty to give us a flawed human being instead of a special effect; his is a Beast worth saving. Those are his eyes gazing down with passion at Watson’s Beauty, his voice choked with genuine ardor. And suddenly, in a movie built on the bones of what preceded it, there is something there that wasn’t there before. I’d call that an exhilarating gift.

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'Beauty And The Beast' Reactions & Review: Can A Tale As Old As Time Find New Life?

Disney's live-action-remake obsession continues this month with Beauty and the Beast , and it might be one of the trickiest adaptations they've tackled so far. Oh, sure, it's an easy sell: the 1991 animated feature is one of the most beloved films in the studio's catalogue, and nostalgia alone would've been enough to get some butts in seats. But on the other hand, how do you live up to near perfection? What's the point in redoing something that good? How do you make a movie that satisfies fans of the original, while adding enough of a twist to justify redoing it in the first place?

We don't have all the answers — if we did, we'd be running Disney, not blogging for /Film — but the first reactions to the first screenings offer some clues as to how the studio tried to address these challenges. See the first Beauty and the Beast reactions below, as well as our own brief Beauty and the Beast review.

Both Peter Sciretta and I saw Beauty and the Beast last night, and had our own thoughts on it.

Beauty and the Beast feels much longer than the animated film. The production and costume design are exquisite. Josh Gad steals the show. — /Film (@slashfilm) March 3, 2017

one way that #BeautyAndTheBeast is faithful to the original is that Beast's human form is still extremely disappointing — Angie J. Han (@ajhan) March 3, 2017

Of course, we weren't the only ones. Lots of other critics weighed in. Many of them loved Beauty and the Beast , or at least thought it'd be satisfying to fans of the original.

Disney's live-action Beauty and the Beast is entertaining and enchanting, particularly the musical numbers. As a Disney fan, I loved it. — Kelly W. (@kellywestbrick) March 3, 2017

Beauty and the Beast did everything it needed to do to make fans of the original happy and enchant a new audience. Going to make crazy money — Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) March 3, 2017

Disney fans will definitely love Beauty And The Beast. A super loyal adaptation, and visually gorgeous. — Eric Eisenberg (@eeisenberg) March 3, 2017

Luke Evans, Josh Gad and Kevin Kline were the MVPs of the live action Beauty and the Beast for me. Disney fans will be really happy. — Eric Vespe (@EricVespe) March 3, 2017

Beauty and the Beast is SO GREAT. True to the original with lovely additions; Luke Evans is MVP. I'm still grinning thinking about it. 🥀 — Crystal Bell (@crystalbell) March 3, 2017

Others were more measured in their praise, while still others were kind of mixed.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is gorgeous fun, a delightful remake. But the creepy Stockholm issues become WAY worse when it's humans, not animation. — Rachel Simon (@Rachel_Simon) March 3, 2017

The new #BeautyAndTheBeast has a great cast and great production design, but man... it does NOT work. Every new element makes it a mess. — William Bibbiani (@WilliamBibbiani) March 3, 2017

One frequent theme was high praise for Luke Evans and Josh Gad as Gaston and LeFou.

I just went through a rollercoaster of emotions watching #BeautyAndTheBeast & I'm still processing, but: Luke Evans steals the goddamn show. pic.twitter.com/o030YDwdQ9 — Rachel Heine ✨ (@RachelHeine) March 3, 2017

Though as some pointed out, Disney's promises of an "exclusively gay moment" may have been a bit overblown.

There's still magic to be found in Beauty and the Beast . It's hard not to be charmed by that opening number, "Belle," or amused by the Greek chorus made up of household objects that used to be people. And from time to time, Bill Condon 's remake even comes close to recapturing the wonder and majesty of the 1991 film. In particular, "Gaston" is a delight from start to finish, improving on the original with irresistibly energetic bar choreography. While Luke Evans may not be able to match the exaggerated brawn of his animated predecessor, he more than makes up for it in cartoonish bravado, and Josh Gad brings some welcome depth to Gaston's sycophantic BFF LeFou.

But as all the allusions to the original suggest, Condon's Beauty and the Beast never quite manages to transcend its status as a remake. The new version runs a whopping 45 minutes longer than the old one did, but most of the extra material feels like just that — extra material. There are half-hearted attempts to fill in some of the fridge logic of the original (like: why would the witch enchant the servants as well as the Beast, when they did nothing wrong?) and some half-baked new backstory for the primary players. There are new musical numbers that fade from memory the moment they end, and new household servant characters that are just kind of... there. Meanwhile, the couple at the center of the story, played by Emma Watson and Dan Stevens , fail to add anything new to the archetypes we already know so well.

If all you want is a chance to see some of the iconic Beauty and the Beast moments redone in live action, this film will scratch that itch. (Just try not to expect too much from that ballroom dance centerpiece, which is a big fat nothing here.) But if you've come here in search of something fresh — something more akin to Disney's live-action Cinderella , which made that ancient tale feel vital again – you may come away slightly disappointed.

Beauty and the Beast is in theaters March 17 .

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Summary Belle (Emma Watson), a bright, beautiful and independent young woman is taken prisoner by a beast in his castle. Despite her fears, she befriends the castle’s enchanted staff and learns to look beyond the Beast’s hideous exterior and realize the kind heart and soul of the true Prince within.

Directed By : Bill Condon

Written By : Stephen Chbosky, Evan Spiliotopoulos, Linda Woolverton, Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve

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‘beauty and the beast’: film review.

Emma Watson and Dan Stevens star in a tale as old as 26 years, maybe more, in Disney's live-action remake of 1991 animated hit 'Beauty and the Beast.'

By Leslie Felperin

Leslie Felperin

Contributing Film Critic

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A rococo confection featuring fiendishly intricate production values, a bravura, coloratura-rich musical score and whizz-pop state-of-the-art effects, Disney’s latest iteration of the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast is more than just eye candy. It’s a Michelin-triple-starred master class in patisserie skills that transforms the cinematic equivalent of a sugar rush into a kind of crystal-meth-like narcotic high that lasts about two hours. Only once viewers have come down and digested it all might they feel like the whole experience was actually a little bland, lacking in depth and so effervescent as to be almost instantly forgettable.

Paradoxically, despite all the palpable budget spend on fancy computer effects, it’s the cheaper, old-school, real-world bits — like the big ensemble dance sequences or the moments when the actors interact directly with each other rather than with greenscreen illusions — that pack the biggest wallops.

Release date: Mar 17, 2017

Nevertheless, this live-action-meets-CGI musical directed by Bill Condon ( Dreamgirls , The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn ) should hit the sweet spot with audiences worldwide. Adding bonus in box-office terms, its early spring release leaves it relatively few competitors, apart from Kong: Skull Island and Power Rangers on either side of its opening weekend.

Indeed, all credit should be due to Disney for canny planning on a meta level, one of the trademarks of its success over the years. This remake of the company’s 1991 animated hit tracks closely to the earlier version’s plot and story beats, includes revamps of all the old songs and arrives just in time to exploit generational nostalgia — to lure viewers who loved the last version as kids and are just becoming parents themselves. Since the 1960s, Disney has been rereleasing in roughly 25-year intervals their classic animated features, either theatrically or on home entertainment platforms. Now that all the old films are out there in the public domain, live-action remakes are the best way to keep the story brands alive, starting with Maleficent in 2014, Cinderella in 2015 and now this.

'Beauty and the Beast' Premiere: Amid Reports of Gay LeFou, Josh Gad Says He'll Let "Lovely Moment" at End "Speak for Itself"

Production companies: A Disney presentation of a Mandeville Films production Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Cast: Emma Watson , Dan Stevens, Luke Evans , Kevin Kline , Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor , Stanley Tucci , Ian McKellen , Emma Thompson Director: Bill Condon Screenwriters: Stephen Chbosky, Evan Spiliotopoulos Producers: David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman Executive producers: Jeffrey Silver, Thomas Schumacher, Don Hahn Director of photography: Tobias Schliessler Production designer: Sarah Greenwood Costume designer: Jacqueline Durran Editor: Virginia Katz Score arrangement/conductor: Michael Kosarin Score arrangement: Christopher Benstead Music producer: Matt Sullivan Songs and music, score: Alan Menken Lyrics: Howard Ashman, Tim Rice Casting: Lucy Bevan

Rated PG, 129 minutes

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There have been so many screen adaptations, official and otherwise, of Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont’s classic fairy tale “La Belle et la Bete”—“Beauty and the Beast” to you non-French-speaking types—over the years, ranging from the hypnotic 1946 live-action take from Jean Cocteau to the high-spirited 1991 Disney animated musical (which is getting a live-action remake next year), that anyone daring to attempt to bring a new version to the screen had best better bring something new and interesting. Happily, “Beauty and the Beast,” a lavish live-action French version of the tale that was produced in 2014 and which is finally making its way to the U.S. at long last, has two items of interest to its credit—a stunning visual style and the presence of two of France’s most charismatic stars in the lead roles—and the end result is a sturdy and frequently dazzling version of the material that should leave audiences swooning with delight.

Once upon a time, a widowed French merchant ( Andre Dussollier ) is forced into bankruptcy after his ships are lost at sea, making it necessary for him to sell his possessions and move to a small house in the countryside with his children, all of whom are fairly despicable aside from his beloved youngest daughter, Belle ( Léa Seydoux ). While in the city of business, he has to flee from a rotter whom his eldest son owes money and happens upon a mysterious property where he finds a single perfect red rose that he picks to bring back to Belle. The rose and the property belong to a fearsome creature known as The Beast ( Vincent Cassel ), and he demands one of two things from his intruder—either he spend the rest of his life there as a servant or the Beast will kill his entire family. Belle’s father agrees to become a servant and is given one day to say goodbye to his children. After hearing what has happened, a guilt-ridden Belle commandeers the enchanted horse that her father rode in on and goes off to the Beast’s castle to take his place.

Once there, the Beast agrees to the switch and gives Belle beautiful dresses and the run of the place as long as she returns every night in order to have dinner with him. He inquires as to whether it is possible that she might ever love him, a proposal that she violently rejects. After a while, however, her feelings towards him begin to thaw slightly and she has a series of dreams that seem to portray the castle in its former vivid glory while explaining the sad story of how the Beast came to be. Eventually, Belle is able to convince him to let her return home for one night to see her father—if she doesn’t return, he darkly intones, he will die from the loss. Unfortunately, her older brother hears the story, surmises that the castle is filled with riches and sets off with some others to kill the Beast and steal its treasures. By this time, Belle realizes that she does indeed love the Beast but will that love be enough to save him from the impending attack?

The film was directed by Christophe Gans , a French filmmaker whose past works have included such boldly eye-catching works as “Brotherhood of the Wolf” (2001), a wild kung fu/horror/French Revolution hybrid that contained an immortal visual pun in which a shot of Monica Bellucci ’s bare breast faded into a shot of a snow-capped mountain peak, and “ Silent Hill ” (2006), a screen version of the video game that proved to be as visually striking as it was narratively incoherent. Like so many filmmakers today, Gans wants to dazzle viewers with practically every scene but unlike so many of them, he has the vision to actually do it. With this film, there is hardly a moment in which the screen does not contain some kind of nifty visual—ranging from elaborate set pieces to tiny throwaways stuck in the margins—but, unlike so many F/X-heavy epics of late, he presents them with enough care and flair so that they never grow wearying. Even the heavy use of CGI is less bothersome here than usual because he deploys it in an imaginative manner for the most part. You’ve heard of some films that have been described as a feast for the eyes—this is more of an all-you-can-eat buffet that most viewers will want to happily indulge in for a long time before they finally begin to feel sated.

That said, “Beauty and the Beast” is more than just an orgy of lavish special effects thanks to the efforts from the two leads. Seydoux, who delivered one of the most electrifying performances in recent years in “Blue is the Warmest Color,” may seem like an odd choice at first to play Belle because of the tough and no-nonsense roles that she is known for but she proves to be surprisingly endearing here in the part in the way that she makes her character come across as good and pure and true as well as being strong and direct in her dealings with the Beast. As the Beast, Cassel is at a bit of a disadvantage at first as his character is somewhat weakly introduced but his performance improves mightily during the genuinely moving flashback sequences in which we see how the Beast came to be.

“Beauty and the Beast” has a couple of slight hiccups to it that are presumably borne out of Gans’s preference for purely visual storytelling over traditional narrative—the story kind of rushes through the development of the actual romance between Beauty and Beast a little too quickly for its own good and some of the machinations during the action-filled climax are a tad convoluted. There is also the inescapable fact that, for all of its numerous glories, this version pales in comparison to Cocteau’s masterpiece. (Of course, that could be said about virtually every other film produced in the whole of cinematic history, but never mind.) That said, Gans and Co. have given us a sumptuous and highly watchable take on the story that is a more than worthy work in its own right. It may be a tale as old as time, as the song goes, but this film breathes beautiful new life into it.

Peter Sobczynski

A moderately insightful critic, full-on Swiftie and all-around bon vivant , Peter Sobczynski, in addition to his work at this site, is also a contributor to The Spool and can be heard weekly discussing new Blu-Ray releases on the Movie Madness podcast on the Now Playing network.

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Film credits.

Beauty and the Beast (2016)

Rated PG-13 for some fantasy violence, sensuality and partial nudity.

112 minutes

Vincent Cassel as La bête

Léa Seydoux as La belle

André Dussollier as Belle's father

Eduardo Noriega as Perducas

Myriam Charleins as Astrid

Audrey Lamy as Anne

Christophe Gans

Writer (book)

Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont
Sandra Vo-Anh

Cinematographer

Christophe Beaucarne
Sébastien Prangère
Pierre Adenot

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Beauty and the Beast: 5 ways the live-action remake improves on the original

Beauty and the Beast is a hilarious — and odd — love letter to its biggest fans

by Alex Abad-Santos

Despite how it’s been sold , Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast remake isn’t trying to be a shot-for-shot replica of the animated original. And it’s so much better as a result.

The original 1991 film is an animated classic that has its place among such Disney greats as The Little Mermaid and Cinderella . Ask any millennial or Gen X-er, and they could probably tell you exactly how many eggs the random woman in the opening number needs (six).

The first film is essentially untouchable.

New Beauty and the Beast director Bill Condon and screenwriters Stephen Chbosky and Evan Spiliotopoulos know this, and treat the first film like source material. What they’ve created is a loving homage to a classic, but also a new chapter that really embodies the spirit of the story’s heroine and what we love so much about that story. It’s difficult to say the remake is better, but here are five ways it stands apart from its predecessor.

1) This Beauty and the Beast is woke

With movies like 2013’s Frozen and 2016’s Moana , Disney has made a pronounced shift away from the traditional concept of princess movies and toward stories where its female leads have more agency. Finding “true love” with a prince charming isn’t the final goal. (My colleague Todd VanDerWerff points out that 2015’s live-action Cinderella is a sexist exception .)

Beauty and the Beast makes an effort to retain the magic of the original story, but also recognizes and addresses the latent issues — sexism, a lack of diversity, Belle’s Stockholm syndrome — that were baked into the first film. It recognizes its opportunity to incorporate balance and difference, and welcomes that opportunity with open arms.

The film’s dancing French aristocrats come in every size and color. Secondary characters, like Plumette the feather duster ( Gugu Mbatha-Raw ) and Garderobe the wardrobe ( Audra McDonald ), are played by actresses of color and have bigger roles than they did in the animated film. Belle teaches a girl to read and displays a knack for engineering, and her captivity at the Beast’s castle is slightly rewritten in a way that gives her more agency and lessens the Beast’s role in it.

Some might argue that the new movie could have done more — that Belle could have been cast as a woman of color, that casting women of color to play the feather duster and wardrobe doesn’t really count as progress, that the “true love” ending is still sexist. But it’s undeniable that with this remake, Disney tried to make Beauty and the Beast more inclusive.

2) The special effects are stunning

Disney’s live-action version of The Jungle Book , released in 2016, is still a standard-bearer when it comes to the studio’s special effects. But Beauty and the Beast ’s effects are right up there. The new movie even seems to borrow some of the snarling wolves from Jungle Book to give a couple of familiar scenes some newfound menace, especially the one where Belle’s father is attacked.

In a departure from the original movie, the characters skew more odd and weird than cute. The Enchantress’s curse is rewritten to not only change the castle’s inhabitants and servants into flatware and furniture but also to make them less human with time. If the curse runs its course, their humanity will be stripped away completely, and they will forever be dead, regular objects.

Beauty and the Beast leans into the strangeness of this scenario. Lumiere, Cogsworth, and all the rest are more startling than welcoming. Each character has a weight and a specific way of moving, and as time wears on, they stiffen and lose their personalities. This brings newfound depth and desperation to numbers like “Be Our Guest,” and adds new, welcome wrinkles to well-known characters.

3) “Gaston” is the best song

The live-action element of the new film has a pronounced effect on the soundtrack. Slower, solo songs like the titular theme “Beauty and the Beast” and the “Belle Reprise” are still beautiful, but they lose a bit of energy when translated into a live-action film. I suspect this is also what happened to Emma Watson ’s Belle, a character whose pivotal scenes in the new movie are the ones where she’s most isolated, when she can’t hide behind animation.

The live action really works in the movie’s big group numbers, particularly “Gaston,” because the ensemble members can play off of one another.

It’s a rolling number that boasts an addictive energy, and it allows for lots of choreography and playfulness since the entire town is involved. It helps that Luke Evans as Gaston and Josh Gad as trusted sidekick LeFou give the movie’s best performances and have plenty solid material to work with, but the live-action format really allows all of the movie’s ensemble musical performances to shine.

4) Beauty and the Beast isn’t a shot-for-shot recreation of the original, but it’s definitely aimed at the original’s biggest fans

The marketing for Beauty and the Beast has been clever. The trailers are shot-for-shot recreations of the trailers for the original film , teasing that the remake will mirror the original. But while a few scenes are indeed duplicates, the live-action remake doesn’t strictly adhere to the original. The result is that the moments when the new film and the old one line up become little pockets of magical nostalgia.

The new movie is made for fans, many of whom are now in their 30s. And to that point, it also closes all the plot holes those fans will recognize.

The curse is changed so that the Enchantress isn’t hexing a prepubescent little boy. (The original film involved a 10-year curse that expired on the Beast/Prince’s 21st birthday.) The curse also robs the townspeople of their memories, forgetting that the castle exists. (In the first film, the villagers seemed oblivious to the royal family and servants that lived in a castle just past the edge of town.) Belle is no longer a jerk who borrows novels from a bookstore; instead, she just goes to a library.

I have a weird infatuation with these plot holes, and they were something I really wanted to snark about in the new film — but it impressively covers all of its bases.

5) Let’s talk about LeFou

I remember watching the animated Beauty and the Beast as a 9-year-old boy and liking Gaston more than any other Disney villain at the time. Now, as a grown gay man who understands Gaston’s ideal chest-to-waist ratio, the reason is a bit clearer. But Gaston’s daddy muscle bear aesthetic isn’t the only gay thing about the animated Beauty and the Beast. Remember, in Gaston’s titular song, Gaston and LeFou have this exchange:

LEFOU: Not a bit of him’s scraggly or scrawny GASTON: That’s right! And every last inch of me’s covered with hair

The new film fully understands that. It explicitly makes LeFou gay , and his story unfolds in a way that is sure to inspire regret in anyone who prematurely declares the character “problematic” before seeing the movie.

But what’s more satisfying and entertaining is the way the new film further develops LeFou while maintaining the campiness of the original film. Evans and Gad are completely game, throwing themselves into the humor and silliness of the Gaston-LeFou dynamic and the blush-inducing surprises woven into songwriter Howard Ashman’s songs.

The subversiveness and cheekiness doesn’t end with Gaston and LeFou (before he’s turned into the Beast, the prince loves himself a formal gala and a smoky eye), allowing the playful spirit of the original to live on.

Beauty and the Beast will be released in theaters on March 17, 2017.

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Beauty and the Beast Review

Just a little change....

New Beauty and the Beast Photos

While it doesn’t rise to the heights of last year’s tremendous version of The Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast is far from the artistic misfire of Alice in Wonderland when it comes to Disney’s current love of turning their animated classics into live-action. Powered by Bill Condon’s direction and terrific performances from a game cast, it's a lovely film that includes the elements fans of the animated classic would hope to see, while also introducing some new aspects that, by and large, effortlessly fit in with the original story’s framework and yet feel appropriate as far as both expanding and grounding the characters and their world. And you’ll find it very hard to not go home humming or singing “Gaston."

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Beauty and the Beast reviews: What critics are saying

The first wave of reviews for Disney's live-action adaptation are out.

After Maleficent , Cinderella , and The Jungle Book , Disney’s latest live-action retelling of an animated classic now asks whether “the tale as old as time” still holds up today? The first reviews for Beauty and the Beast , starring Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as the cursed prince, have arrived with mixed reactions.

Whether “a lifeless recreation of the original” or a “lavish and lovely take,” many foresee the film winning over fans of the 1991 original, but it could have gone further. “It’s fine and funny and sweet and lush and some of the songs are infectious, but I still don’t completely understand why it exists — and why they couldn’t do more with it,” EW’s Chris Nashawaty writes .

He explains, “Directed by movie-musical veteran Bill Condon ( Dreamgirls and the script for Chicago ), Beauty and the Beast is a movie that can’t quite figure out what it wants to say that it didn’t already say back in 1991 — when it was the first full-length animated film to be nominated for the best picture Oscar (and this was when there were only five nominees in the category, too!)”

Beauty and the Beast features a star-studded cast (Luke Evans, Ewan McGregor, Ian McKellen, Emma Thompson, and more), plus new and old songs to liven audiences. Various critics pointed to Watson, Stevens, Evans, and Gad as standouts, while others cited poor casting choices, rushed plot, and “unnecessary” musical numbers.

See more reviews of the film below.

Leslie Felperin ( The Hollywood Reporter ) “It’s a Michelin-triple-starred master class in patisserie skills that transforms the cinematic equivalent of a sugar rush into a kind of crystal meth-like narcotic high that lasts about two hours. Only once viewers have come down and digested it all might they feel like the whole experience was actually a little bland, lacking in depth and so effervescent as to be almost instantly forgettable. Paradoxically, despite all the palpable budget spend on fancy computer effects, it’s the cheaper, old-school, real-world bits — like the big ensemble dance sequences or the moments when the actors interact directly with each other rather than with green-screen illusions — that pack the biggest wallops.”

Owen Gleiberman ( Variety ) “Going into Beauty and the Beast , the sheer curiosity factor exerts a uniquely intense lure. Is the movie as transporting and witty a romantic fantasy as the animated original? Does it fall crucially short? Or is it in some ways better? The answer, at different points in the film, is yes to all three, but the bottom line is this: The new Beauty and the Beast is a touching, eminently watchable, at times slightly awkward experience that justifies its existence yet never totally convinces you it’s a movie the world was waiting for.”

Dan Callahan ( The Wrap ) “Of the leading actors, only Stevens is able to make something of his part as written, and he reveals a strong tenor singing voice of his own here. His Beast is amusingly huffy and sulky and proud, and his blue eyes glow with a kind of warmth that come close to making the romance between the Beast and Belle somewhat believable, if only Condon would give him just a little more time to develop it. Condon’s Beauty and the Beast is the kind of enormous production in which it seems as if anxious executives were pressuring and second-guessing the decisions of the creative team. The result is a star-stuffed relay race that looks like an assignment more than anything else.”

Britt Hayes ( ScreenCrush ) “To say that the first trailer for Beauty and the Beast was evocative of the 1991 animated classic would be an understatement; it was a live-action carbon copy, and if Disney’s remake of Cinderella was any indication, we were in for yet another tedious — if visually stunning, well-acted, and beautifully designed — exercise in nostalgia. But Bill Condon’s live-action update of Beauty and the Beast is more reimagining than remake, a lavish and lovely take on a familiar tale (as old as time, no doubt) that enriches its source material without betraying it.”

Mike Ryan ( UPROXX ) “There’s certainly nothing that new about this version of Beauty and the Beast (well, except it isn’t a cartoon anymore), but it’s a good recreation of a classic animated film that should leave most die-hards satisfied. In other words: When you imagine what a live action Beauty and the Beast movie would be like, the final product is probably a lot like what you think it would be like.”

A.O. Scott ( The New York Times ) “This live-action/digital hybrid, directed by Bill Condon and starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens in the title roles, is more than a flesh-and-blood (and prosthetic fur-and-horns) revival of the 26-year-old cartoon, and more than a dutiful trip back to the pop-culture fairy-tale well. Its classicism feels unforced and fresh. Its romance neither winks nor panders. It looks good, moves gracefully and leaves a clean and invigorating aftertaste. I almost didn’t recognize the flavor: I think the name for it is joy.”

Emily Yoshida ( Vulture ) “If only Beauty and the Beast were just a collection of stills, like a fancy Annie Leibowitz spread for some glossy quarterly edition of Disney Adventures. Unfortunately, it’s over two hours long, and is padded out by a hugely unnecessary number of non–Ashman-Rice musical numbers and a pointless detour where Belle finds out what happened to her missing mother. At every turn, the film seems to ask itself if what the original film did was enough, and answers with a definitive ‘no.’ But hey, at least that clock looked real.”

Rodrigo Perez ( The Playlist ) “Yearning to be a classic, MGM-like musical with a similar soaring grandeur, Condon’s proclivities for pomposity make for overblown songs — especially in the third act — that sound noisy, strained and histrionic. Restraint and subtlety are not terms within Condon’s filmmaking vocabulary. And while many of the massive practical sets and costumes are impressive on a production design level, there are few other elements worth lauding. Ultimately Beauty and the Beast feels like a cynical rehash seemingly created just to make a fiscal year sound promising to shareholders. This is a product that’s more manufactured than inspired.”

Matt Goldberg ( Collider ) “Unfortunately, Beauty and the Beast is the weakest of the studio’s recent live-action adaptations (I’m setting aside Maleficent and Alice in Wonderland since those are more re-imaginings than attempts to follow the plotlines of their original animated Disney movies). Everything is lavish and immaculately done when it comes to the costumes and production design, but overall, most of the additions, especially when it comes to new songs or tweaks to the plot, only end up slowing the movie down and detracting from its central love story. This new version of ‘A tale as old as time’ will have you checking your watch.”

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DVD & Streaming

Beauty and the Beast

Kids , Musical , Romance , Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Content Caution

In Theaters

March 17, 2017
Emma Watson as Belle; Dan Stevens as the Beast; Luke Evans as Gaston; Josh Gad as LeFou; Kevin Kline as Maurice; Ewan McGregor as Lumière; Emma Thompson as Mrs. Potts; Ian McKellen as Cogsworth

Home Release Date

June 6, 2017
Bill Condon

Distributor

Walt Disney Studios

Movie Review

As her name suggests, Belle is indeed lovely. She’s also sweet, kind, gentle and as bright as the stars on a moonless night. She adores her father. And she simply loves to read good books and dreams of being part of the adventures those printed pages depict.

There’s only one problem: Belle’s long list of terrific character qualities make her something of a misfit in her little provincial town. In fact, the townspeople see her as flat-out peculiar. Why would anyone bother with all that reading and dreaming and the like, they say, when she could just settle down and be happy? Or at least make some guy happy?

Like Gaston, for instance.

Gaston is a lantern-jawed brute who’s regularly fawned over by all the other young women in town. And in his mind, deservedly so. Why, just look at his smile, those muscles, those twinkling eyes. Even Gaston’s old army companion, LeFou, can’t help but sing Gaston’s praises. And he’s a guy .

Of course, the most handsome and desirable man in town naturally gravitates toward the most beautiful and desirable woman. And that would be Belle. Gaston is determined to take her as his wife. And once they’re married, well, he’ll cure Belle of her passion for reading and dreaming and all that silly stuff. Belle, however, isn’t interested. She’d rather care for her loving Papa, the town’s clocksmith, and wait to see what possibilities the future might hold for her rather than take up with an empty-headed lug like Gaston.

But none of that matters much, it would seem, in light of recent events. While her father was off trying to sell his mechanical devices in the nearest city, some wickedness must have befallen him: His horse returned without him.

In a panic, Belle goads Papa’s old-but-smart horse to take her to her father, wherever he may be. And the animal carries her to the gates of a gloomy, obviously forgotten castle. What could have happened to this overgrown old place? And why doesn’t anyone in the village even know it’s there?

Inside the strange, crumbling fortress she finds a cell. And inside that cell she finds her father. “Go away, Belle!” the old gent cries. “Forget about me. I’m lost to you.” But Belle could never just walk away from her beloved Papa. “Everything I am is because of you,” she tells him.

Besides, it’s too late.

The surly owner of this enchanted castle has heard the commotion and storms into the shadow-cloaked dungeon. With bared teeth and an angry roar, he makes the facts clear: Papa has trespassed and unwisely tried to pluck a rose from his property, and a price must be paid. If Belle wants to take his place, so be it. But someone will be the lifelong prisoner of … the Beast!

Positive Elements

The Beast, it turns out, is a cursed prince who must find someone to love him in his current monster-like form in order to break the spell condemning him to that state. Of course, Belle doesn’t know any of that. She simply shows great love and bravery in her willingness to take her father’s place. She is willing to set all her dreams aside to insure her father’s well-being and freedom. (And her father is willing to do the same for his daughter.)

Over time, Belle’s heroic, sacrificial character impacts all the residents of the castle—including a talking candlestick, a clock and a teapot, among others. These formerly human servants all work diligently to serve their furry prince and to find a way to break the curse on the castle, because their fate is directly linked to his. Belle’s presence also positively impacts the Beast, who moves from constant rage and selfishness to humility and kindness.

Eventually, the Beast realizes just how much he loves Belle. He even goes so far as to set her free so she can aid her father—even though that means he’ll likely remain alone and permanently cursed. The Beast also defends Belle from a pack of attacking wolves, becoming badly wounded in the process. And he spares an enemy rather than letting him die.

Spiritual Elements

A disguised enchantress turns the handsome (and arrogant) young prince into a beast until he can learn to love and be loved in return. We see a rose’s petals, linked to her spell, slowly drop away as time runs out for the Beast. That magic also impacts the castle’s servants, turning them into animated furniture and household items. A magical book transports Belle and the Beast to Paris. And magic plays yet another important role in the film’s conclusion.

Twice, the Beast uses strong spiritual language to describe his condition. Once, he says of his fate, “I received eternal damnation.” The second time, he scolds Belle for getting too close to that magical rose, saying, “Do you realize what you could have done? You could have damned us all.”

Sexual Content

Much has been made of director Bill Condon’s interview with the UK magazine Attitude , in which he spoke of one character’s “exclusively gay moment.”

“LeFou is somebody who on one day wants to be Gaston and on another day wants to kiss Gaston,” Condon said. “He’s confused about what he wants. It’s somebody who’s just realizing that he has these feelings. And [actor] Josh [Gad] makes something really subtle and delicious out of it. And that’s what has its payoff at the end, which I don’t want to give away.”

All of that begs an obvious question for parents concerned about this content: How is LeFou actually depicted in the film?

LeFou displays mannerisms and adoring looks at Gaston that clearly suggest he has same-sex attraction for his longtime friend. That attraction is more implied than expressed explicitly, but it’s definitely present in innuendo-laden bits of dialogue in several conversations. (Gaston, for his part, seems oblivious to his friend’s infatuation with him.)

LeFou is obviously envious of Gaston’s female-focused attentions. LeFou frowns at fawning females and tells them, “It ain’t gonna happen,” when they try to get Gaston to notice their feminine attributes. There’s also a moment when Gaston tells his friend, “LeFou, you’re the greatest. I can’t understand why some girl hasn’t snatched you up by now.” LeFou responds, “I’ve been told I’m clingy. But I really don’t get it.”

Another scene finds Gaston starring narcissistically into a mirror, telling himself, “I’m not done with you yet.” LeFou, watching from a distance, adds, “Me neither.” Eventually, LeFou tires of Gaston’s self-absorption, telling another character, “I used to be on Gaston’s side. We are so in a bad place right now.” She responds, “You’re too good for him anyway.”

Despite the director’s talk of LeFou’s desire to kiss Gaston, we never see anything to that effect. The most questionable touching we see between the two soldier friends is a choreographed segment in the song “Gaston” where, while singing Gaston’s praises, LeFou wraps his friend’s arms around himself and then nervously asks, “Too much?” To which Gaston says, “Yep.” Then they dance on.

LeFou also says that he and Gaston were recently wrestling and that Gaston bit him, after which he raises his shirt up to show a ring of bite marks on his stomach.

Later on, two things happen: During the villager’s raid on the Beast’s cursed castle, the enchanted castle servants fight back against the invading humans. A magically animated wardrobe spits out reams of fabric at three henchmen, effectively dressing them all in women’s gowns, wigs and garish makeup. Two of the guys look at themselves in horror and run away, while the last one primps and preens proudly while smiling at the camera. Near the conclusion, LeFou is dancing with a woman in a crowd, then in a quick move gets matched up with the above-mentioned, dress-loving henchman for a brief dance—which is apparently the “exclusively gay moment” that Condon was referring to in his interview.

During the opening musical number, the local butcher eyes a pretty customer approvingly. She raises an eyebrow and asks him, “How’s your wife?” Three young women in tight dresses with plunging necklines repeatedly swoon over Gaston. Some of Belle’s outfits reveal a bit of cleavage, too. Lumière the candlestick and a French maid feather duster become human and kiss. And the animated wardrobe and a piano regain their humanity and share a kiss, too. Finally, Belle and the now-human prince share a kiss as well.

Violent Content

There are several dangerous and perilous moments throughout the film. They’re not bloody, but they are perhaps a notch or two more intense than the animated version. Sensitive young viewers might find them to be too much.

For instance, wolves attack Belle, Papa and the Beast at different times, leaping and snapping at them with sharp fangs. Papa’s horse is bitten. Likewise, Beast receives a savage bite on the shoulder during his tumbling battle with the wolf pack; that wound eventually causes him to crumple over, unconscious.

Upon learning of the Beast, Gaston vows to kill him. He incites a mob of angry townspeople to march on the castle with clubs and pitchforks. A fight breaks out between the human attackers and the anthropomorphized furniture. The townspeople are battered and beaten back—burned, jabbed, thumped and smashed.

Later, the Beast battles an attacker in a vicious battle. The two pound each other with fists, claws and clubs. The Beast is ultimately shot three times (bloodlessly). The attacker falls to his apparent death in a deep chasm. And the Beast collapses to the rooftop and appears near death.

Elsewhere, Belle learns her mother died from the plague. (A flashback shows the woman with nasty sores on her face.) Gaston, knocks out Papa and ties him to a tree, intending him to be attacked by wolves.

Crude or Profane Language

Gaston meanly calls a woman a “filthy hag.” We also hear people called “idiots.”

Drug and Alcohol Content

The local pub has bottles of alcohol on its shelves. Patrons drink from flagons of beer. Some glasses at meals could contain wine.

Other Negative Elements

Gaston lies repeatedly to cover his misdeeds and convinces LeFou to lie, too. Some townspeople meanly dump Belle’s laundry into the street because she starts teaching a young girl to read.

This live-action rejuvenation of Disney’s classic 1991 animated musical is in many respects a thing of sumptuous beauty. In fact, some of the scenes in this new Beauty and the Beast —such as the famous welcome-to-the-feast number, “Be Our Guest”—are nothing short of magical. On top of that, this fairy tale fantasy’s encouragements to choose kindness and compassion, and to look beyond surface beauty, all ring as clear and true as a, uh, Belle.

That’s the good news here.

But then there’s all that other stuff that we have to deal with as well. What are we to make of director Bill Condon’s claims that his Beauty and the Beast features Disney’s first “gay moment” (as described above)?

Adults will likely notice the film’s obvious homosexual innuendos and recognize them for what they are. But will kids? In a different, more innocent time, I wonder if these scenes would have been viewed by youngsters as little more than silliness. Alas, however, we live in this activist age. A day when actors and directors and studios feel it necessary to insert such things in an attempt to normalize and elevate certain sexual choices. And, unfortunately, they’ve chosen to do so this time in a movie aimed at children.

Both director Bill Condon and actor Josh Gad seem to be trying to walk back their comments about this deliberate, pro-homosexual agenda—perhaps in light of calls from some prominent Christians to boycott it. Gad told USA Today , “Too much has probably been made of this entire thing. At a certain point what I want to be talking about is how wonderful, how entertaining, how amazing this movie is for all audiences.” Likewise, Condon told screencrush.com , “It’s all been overblown,” and then added, “Why is it a big deal?”

But the fact that Condon doesn’t understand why this could be such a big deal to many who don’t believe homosexuality is normative is telling indeed. The result? Families that don’t embrace Beauty and the Beast’s pro-gay moments will be forced to grapple with how best to respond to them. And for those who were looking forward to revisiting this beloved tale as old as time with a younger generation, that’s a disappointing and difficult decision to have to make.

After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.

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Beauty and the beast.

80 CineVue Joe Walsh CineVue Joe Walsh Adoring fans of the original will surely not be disappointed. Disney have cast their magic spell once again, creating a modern romantic fable with lavish visuals and wickedly entertaining performances.
80 The Telegraph Tim Robey The Telegraph Tim Robey It’s the music that makes it particularly special, and appreciating that is entirely the point of the live-action remake.
80 Empire Nick de Semlyen Empire Nick de Semlyen Those who predicted this wouldn’t hold a talking candle to the animated original will be pleasantly surprised. The tale may be as old as time, but it’s retold with freshness, brio and flair.
80 Total Film Matt Maytum Total Film Matt Maytum A delightful live-action recreation of a familiar fable. You’ve seen it before, but its spirit and pizzaz are pretty much irresistible.
67 Entertainment Weekly Chris Nashawaty Entertainment Weekly Chris Nashawaty It’s fine and funny and sweet and lush and some of the songs are infectious, but I still don’t completely understand why it exists — and why they couldn’t do more with it.
60 We Got This Covered Matt Donato We Got This Covered Matt Donato Beauty And The Beast lacks some of the astonishing visual prowess of previous Disney live-action remakes, but still sings and dances with enjoyable style.
60 The Hollywood Reporter Leslie Felperin The Hollywood Reporter Leslie Felperin It’s a Michelin-triple-starred master class in patisserie skills that transforms the cinematic equivalent of a sugar rush into a kind of crystal meth-like narcotic high that lasts about two hours. Only once viewers have come down and digested it all might they feel like the whole experience was actually a little bland, lacking in depth and so effervescent as to be almost instantly forgettable.
50 IndieWire Jude Dry IndieWire Jude Dry Aside from the thrill of its lavish sets and costumes, there isn’t much new to offer in this Beauty and the Beast.
45 TheWrap Dan Callahan TheWrap Dan Callahan This new mainly live-action Disney version of the oft-told story directed by Bill Condon feels largely perfunctory. Where it flounders most is on the miscasting of several crucial roles.
42 The Playlist Rodrigo Perez The Playlist Rodrigo Perez Ultimately Beauty And The Beast feels like a cynical rehash seemingly created just to make a fiscal year sound promising to shareholders. This is a product that’s more manufactured than inspired.
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Beauty and the beast, common sense media reviewers.

Disney fave has great music, strong messages, some scares.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Intended to entertain, not educate, but kids will

It's important to see someone for who they are, no

Characters change for the better: Belle sees the b

As an intelligent, independent woman who values ki

Beast has angry outbursts, yelling and destroying

Lumiere comically flirts with a maid; fooling arou

Use of derogatory terms, including "lunatic," "loo

Belle is a Disney princess whose brand reaches far

Raucous scene in a bar with plenty of foamy mugs s

Educational Value

Intended to entertain, not educate, but kids will take in some important lessons about appreciating others for who they are, not what they look like.

Positive Messages

It's important to see someone for who they are, not for what they look like. You don't need to fear the unknown. Brains can win out over brawn. Be true to yourself, even if others think you don't fit in.

Positive Role Models

Characters change for the better: Belle sees the beautiful person inside Beast, and he sheds his anger and sacrifices his own happiness for hers. Belle is loving and protective toward her father and values intelligence and individuality over popularity or fitting in.

Diverse Representations

As an intelligent, independent woman who values kindness over looks and status, Belle goes against a lot of fairy tale clichés and doesn't need to be "rescued." Some French stereotypes in the way the castle objects behave, such as a charming butler and flirtatious maid. All characters are White (and French, although they speak English in the original film) and are voiced by almost all White actors.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Beast has angry outbursts, yelling and destroying furniture. Fierce wolves attack the main characters, grabbing Belle's father by the leg and injuring Beast -- with blood briefly shown. Townspeople decide to kill Beast and storm the castle in a scary, intense mob sequence. A fierce fight results in a character being stabbed with a knife, while another falls to his death. Spooky woods, a dangerous runaway horse and cart, imprisonment in a dungeon. Slapstick violence includes punching, biting, burning, and hitting with objects. Guns are fired, at one point killing a goose.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Lumiere comically flirts with a maid; fooling around is implied. Brief flirting by a married character in a village market scene. Budding romance between Beast and Belle, with flirting and kissing. Barmaids swoon for Gaston during the song about him -- which also includes innuendo and references to his physical appeal.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Use of derogatory terms, including "lunatic," "loon" "scurvy scum," "pea brain," "crackpot," "wacky old coot," and "bonehead."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Belle is a Disney princess whose brand reaches far and wide. Expect to see princess branding on consumer merchandise, food products, etc., as well as in books, websites, and other media.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Raucous scene in a bar with plenty of foamy mugs sloshing around.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Beauty and the Beast ( remade in live action in 2017 ) is one of Disney's most beloved "princess" stories -- and the first animated film to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. Beast's (voiced by Robby Benson ) initial ferocity might scare younger viewers, though once they've seen his gentle side, scenes of him being hunted and stabbed by Gaston ( Richard White ) are likely to be emotionally upsetting. The sequence in which a mob comes after Beast is also quite intense, and there's some flirting and innuendo, as well as a kiss between Belle ( Paige O'Hara ) and Beast. But characters demonstrate positive traits like compassion , curiosity , empathy , humility , and self-control . Kids mature enough for feature-length stories will find this one of the best Disney movies they could spend time with in terms of intelligence, quality, and originality -- not to mention having one of Disney's smartest, most independent heroines. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Community Reviews

Parents say (75)
Kids say (100)

Based on 75 parent reviews

Stockholm syndrome; Gaston's behavior is pretty rapey

Beast is abusive, bad image that belle puts up with it, what's the story.

In BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, curious young Belle (voiced by Paige O'Hara ) leaves her village in search of her missing father, arriving at an enchanted castle where a prince has been cursed to live as a hideous Beast ( Robby Benson ) and his servants as living objects. Only true love can break the spell, but with Beast holding her prisoner and the townspeople plotting to kill him, can Belle see beyond his terrifying appearance in time to save him from his fate?

Is It Any Good?

Stellar music, brisk storytelling, delightful animation, and compelling characters make this a great animated feature for the whole family. Beauty and the Beast may not be Disney's most iconic movie, but it stands as one of the studio's crowning achievements, earning a Best Picture Oscar nomination (the first animated film to achieve that honor) and a Golden Globe for Best Picture.

In essence, all great stories are about transformation, and this one beats out even Cinderella as the ultimate makeover story, with Beast's inner transformation preceding his outer one. Belle remains as strong a role model now as she was when she was first created: She's confident to be herself and stick to her beliefs, even when they don't fit in with others' expectations.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Belle and Beast's first impressions of each other in Beauty and the Beast . What did they discover about each other as their relationship grew and as Beast learned humility and self-control ? What message does that send to viewers?

As one of the popular Disney princesses, how is Belle similar to Cinderella and the Little Mermaid? How is she different? Do you consider her a role model ?

How do the characters demonstrate compassion and empathy ? Why are those important character strengths ?

Why do you think Gaston was so surprised that Belle didn't want to marry him? How does their relationship poke fun at fairy tale clichés?

Movie Details

In theaters : November 22, 1991
On DVD or streaming : October 4, 2011
Cast : Paige O'Hara , Richard White , Robby Benson
Directors : Gary Trousdale , Kirk Wise
Inclusion Information : Female actors
Studio : Walt Disney Pictures
Genre : Family and Kids
Topics : Magic and Fantasy , Princesses, Fairies, Mermaids, and More , Fairy Tales , Great Girl Role Models , Music and Sing-Along
Character Strengths : Compassion , Curiosity , Empathy , Humility , Self-control
Run time : 90 minutes
MPAA rating : G
MPAA explanation : nothing that would offend parents for viewing by children
Awards : Academy Award , Golden Globe - Golden Globe Award Winner
Last updated : July 17, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Beauty and the Beast review: "A delightful live-action recreation of a familiar fable"

GamesRadar+ Verdict

A delightful live-action recreation of a familiar fable. You’ve seen it before, but its spirit and pizzaz are pretty much irresistible.

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

Following Maleficent , Cinderella and The Jungle Book , Disney continues its run of live-action adaps of its animated back catalogue with a slavishly faithful and lavishly mounted rendering of Beauty and the Beast. It might just be the studio’s best re-do yet. A nostalgia rush for viewers over a certain age, and magical enough in its own right to convert newcomers, it’s a roaring success.

Clinging closely to the template of the 1991 Best Picture nominee, its story, characters and songs will feel potently familiar to anyone who’s seen the Mouse House’s first crack at the tale as old as time. While it’s a good 40 minutes longer than the animation, any additions are well-judged by director Bill Condon ( Dreamgirls , The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 and 2 ), and nothing new distracts from the familiar formula.

A slightly revised prologue sees the vain prince (Dan Stevens) transformed into the furry fiend by a wandering enchantress. He’s condemned to a lifetime of isolation in his castle – unless he can find true love before the last petal wilts from the rose that’s counting down his fate. In a nearby village, meanwhile, Belle (Emma Watson) feels like an outcast for reading books and dreaming bigger than the small-minded locals.

Of those aforementioned additions to the plot, most are minor tweaks centred on Belle, increasing the independence she already had in the cartoon compared to some other Disney heroines (at one point, Watson’s Belle definitively states, “I’m not a princess!”).

Devising inventions and hatching escape plans, Belle is also given a little more backstory, which adds to the foundation of her relationship with the Beast. Watson’s natural strength and sweetness fit perfectly with the role, and she meets the role’s musical demands.

Stevens, who looks alarmingly like the cartoon’s prince, gives the Beast a soulful voice in a mo-capped performance. If the CGI isn’t always perfect (it’s hard to shake the feeling that the tech might have been more up to the challenge in a couple of years’ time), it’s good enough to prevent any major distractions, even in the centrepiece ballroom scene.

Gaston, as played by Luke Evans, is again a scene-pincher. With biceps (and arrogance) to spare, Evans is more hissably cruel than the cartoon’s doltish hunter Josh Gad, meanwhile, adds layers to Gaston’s sycophantic right-hand-man Le Fou. The supporting cast are, in general, a hoot, mostly composed of the Beast’s enchanted homewares: servants having assumed the form of various ornaments or pieces of furniture while their master is under the spell.

Present and correct from the cartoon, there’s Cogsworth the clock (voiced by Ian McKellen, a standout), candelabra Lumière (Ewan McGregor) and tea-spurting Mrs. Potts (Emma Thompson), and this version adds Stanley Tucci as a harpsichord. All impressively digitally rendered, they’re part of a large supporting cast that almost steals the limelight from Belle and Beast, especially as the rose-petal countdown feels more urgent for all involved here.

Even McGregor’s “Maybeee she iz zee one” French accent feels less egregious in context: these performances are all panto-broad, adding to the film’s Broadway atmosphere. Which brings us to the songs...

A huge benefit for this adaptation is that it gets to revisit Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s songs. Once again, ‘Be Our Guest’ is a highlight, as Lumière and co tempt Belle to stay for dinner via a Busby Berkeley-style song-and-dance routine, but there’s also joy in seeing Belle and Gaston’s numbers given new life (and you’ll be humming them for days afterwards).

Some new verses are weaved in to extend classic songs, and a couple of completely new tracks sit comfortably alongside the old favourites, though only time will tell if they have the same staying power.

Familiarity can be a double-edged sword, but it plays in Beauty and the Beast’s favour. You’ve seen this film before, but when it’s redone with such warmth and craft (Jacqueline Durran’s exquisite costumes deserving special mention), it’s impossible not to be won over anew. This is finely tuned entertainment that should satisfy all quarters of the audience. There’s enough darkness to give it a bit of edge, but plenty of laughs for levity, and also moments sure to elicit tears.

One minor gripe though – it feels like a trick was missed by not releasing it at Christmas. Presumably wanting to avoid clashing with Rogue One , the film’s snow-shrouded castle, musical numbers and all-round family friendliness would’ve made for an ideal festive treat. Still, it’s hard to imagine this lovely fairytale is going to have to beg for guests at any time of the year.

I'm the Editor at Total Film magazine, overseeing the running of the mag, and generally obsessing over all things Nolan, Kubrick and Pixar. Over the past decade I've worked in various roles for TF online and in print, including at GamesRadar+, and you can often hear me nattering on the Inside Total Film podcast. Bucket-list-ticking career highlights have included reporting from the set of Tenet and Avengers: Infinity War, as well as covering Comic-Con, TIFF and the Sundance Film Festival.

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31 of the biggest differences the live-action 'Beauty and the Beast' makes from the animated movie

Warning: There are spoilers ahead if you haven't seen the live-action "Beauty and the Beast."

Disney's live-action " Beauty and the Beast " is now in theaters. If you head out to see it, you'll notice a lot has changed from the 1991 "tale as old as time" you may remember.

Keep reading to see the biggest changes the live-action movie makes from Disney's original animated classic.

1. The Prince doesn't get turned into the Beast right at the film's start.

The live-action film starts off very different from its animated counterpart. While there's still a narrator over the movie's intro, the film's prologue ditches the stain glass window format and expands on how and why the Prince was transformed into a hideous Beast.

We see the Prince hold a ball with many of the village's townspeople. The Enchantress intrudes on the party disguised as a beggar woman. When she's turned away by the Prince and laughed at by his company, she casts the spell on the Beast and everyone in his castle.

2. The enchantment itself is a little different and darker.

The original spell says the Beast's rose will bloom until his 21st birthday. If he doesn't learn to love and find someone who can love him in return by the time the last petal falls, he'll forever remain a beast while his servants will be trapped as household objects.

In the new film, we're never told how long the rose will bloom; however, when the last petal falls from the flower its suggested all of the Beast's servants will be killed. The Prince will remain a beast, but all of the servants will become actual inanimate objects. It seems a bit excessive.

3. There's a reason it's always wintertime at the castle.

In the animated feature, it appears to quickly turn from fall into winter while Belle is imprisoned by the Beast. The live-action film clears up the quickly changing seasons by making it so the enchantment makes the castle shrouded in an eternal winter.

4. The Enchantress' spell doesn't only affect the Prince's castle.

In the animated tale, the enchantment is only placed upon the Prince's servants. The live-action movie extends the spell so it is cast over the entire village so they have no memory of the Prince, his castle, or the people in it.

The saddest part of this addition is that some of the townsfolk have forgotten their wives and husbands who are servants in the Beast's castle.

5. Belle doesn't get her books from the town's library.

Reading by women is frowned upon in the live-action film. Instead, Belle stops by a church to pick up a new story.

6. Belle doesn't read to a flock of sheep sitting at a giant fountain.

If you're hoping to see some sheep in "Beauty and the Beast," you're out of luck.

In the animated movie, Belle sits down at a giant fountain and starts showing a group of sheep her favorite part from the book she just picked up from the library. She doesn't show it to anyone in the live-action movie, but still sings the lyric pointing out her favorite part of the book.

The scene plays a bit strange because she isn't singing to anyone at this point. Belle's just walking around perusing through the hardcover. While it's easy to see why Disney may have skipped on the sheep, it's a little more peculiar she didn't sit down at a fountain to point out the scene to anyone. It's especially frustrating when you see a giant fountain was created for the movie set after Belle sings the lyric and the scene zooms out over the village.

7. The triplets who fawn over Gaston are brunette instead of blonde.

In the cartoon, the trio wear red, gold, and green dresses. In the live-action film, the three are less sexualized and wear matching outfits instead of ones with different colors.

8. Gaston (Luke Evans) is a war hero and comes off as generally nicer than his animated counterpart.

Gaston gets the biggest and best character updates in the live-action adaptation .

The character comes off as overtly sexist in the animated feature film, but here it's easy to see why the townsfolk may revere Gaston as bit more. The character is a war hero who also protected the town from marauders when he was a teen .

"I'd say there's a little more humanity to the character [now]," Evans told EW . "He's not as brash as you remember in the film."

Instead of tossing Belle's book into a pile of mud and criticizing her for reading a book without photos, a seemingly curious Gaston inquires about her latest read. At the same point, he asks if he may join her for dinner and offers her flowers. When he proposes to Belle, he's not as overbearing with a giant orchestra waiting in the background. He simply gets turned down, taking some of the zeal out of the original scene.

9. LeFou is an improvement over his bumbling animated counterpart.

While LeFou has been praised for being Disney's first openly gay character, he's a standout character for being more than Gaston's bumbling pal. Here, LeFou is the one meta voice in the film who appears to know he's in a remake and he's far more witty and outspoken than his animated counterpart.

Gad simply looks like he had the best time of any actor on set while filming. Read more about the update to his character here .

10. Belle is an inventor.

While Belle's quirky father may be the inventor of the family in the animated feature, it's Belle who has the itch to invent useful devices in the live-action adaptation. We get to see Belle show off a washing machine contraption she cobbles together so she can spend more time reading.

11. Her father, Maurice, is an artist and music box maker.

Maurice still has a creative eye, but he dabbles in the arts this time around. Not only does he make intricate music boxes to sell, but he's also a skilled painter.

12. The Beast locks Maurice up for a completely different reason.

In the animated movie, the Beast simply locks up Belle's dad for trespassing and sitting in his favorite chair. In the live-action film, the Beast refers to him as a thief after Maurice attempts to pluck a white rose for Belle from his garden.

Maurice's entire scene of visiting the castle comes off like he's raiding the castle for its food rather than searching for a warm, safe place to stay the night.

13. Belle gets a moment to say goodbye to her father before the Beast sends him back to the village.

One of the most heartbreaking moments of the original is when the Beast drags Maurice off without allowing his daughter to bid farewell before becoming his prisoner forever.

The live-action film remedies this by having Belle tell the Beast that "forever can spare a minute" and snags a moment with her father before sending him back to the village.

14. The Beast doesn't give Belle a room in the castle.

In the animated movie, Lumiere suggests the Beast may want to consider showing Belle to a nicer room instead of a dungeon since she'll be their guest for awhile. That conversation never takes place and Lumiere takes it upon himself to release Belle from her cell. He and his buddy Cogsworth then navigate Belle to a tower bedroom in the East Wing of the castle.

Cogsworth, not the Beast, first tells Belle about the forbidden West Wing where the Beast dwells.

15. Stanley Tucci plays an entirely new character.

In addition to the classic characters in the original animated film, Tucci joins the cast as Maestro Cadenza who gets transformed into a harpsicord.

16. There are three new songs.

The new songs are "Days in the Sun," "How Does A Moment Last Forever," and "Evermore," the latter of which is sung by the Beast (Dan Stevens).

The music was written by original composter and lyricist Alan Menken and joined by Tim Rice, who worked with Menken on "Aladdin."

17. Belle tries to escape from the castle.

In the animated film, Belle sulks in her new bedroom about her new home. When the Beast comes to invite her to dinner in the movie, Belle is seen tossing a homemade rope constructed out of drapery and cloth out a tower window.

18. Every time a petal falls from the Beast's rose, his servants become a little less human.

One of the most effective changes in the new movie is that the castle crumbles a bit more each time the Beast's rose loses a petal. At the same time, the characters continue to become a little less human and more rigid.

19. Gaston's bar song has some never-before-heard lyrics from original "Beauty and the Beast" lyricist Howard Ashman.

Ashman died during the production of the 1991 movie due to complications from AIDS. Some of his original lyrics can also be heard in the song, "Beauty and the Beast."

While there are some additional lyrics in the pub song, fans will notice others were taken out. Some of the scenes are also changed up from the original. Gaston doesn't juggle or eat a bunch of eggs. Instead, there's some playful sword fighting and dancing on tables.

20. Gaston helps Maurice look for Belle.

Instead of tossing Maurice out of the pub when he claims a Beast has Belle, Gaston decides to help him out. He and LeFou go on a fruitless search for the castle. In the animated film, Maurice goes wandering in the woods by his lonesome before getting lost.

When their search comes up dry, Gaston starts to question Maurice's sanity before ultimately leaving him tied up in the woods alone.

21. When Belle decides she wants to leave the castle, everyone tries to prevent her from escaping.

After Belle heads to the forbidden West Wing in the animated movie, she flees the castle quickly. No one gets in her way; everyone is just sad to see her go. In the live-action film it feels like the servants are a bit more desperate for Belle to stay and break the spell. The servants have the front door locked and Belle escapes through a smaller door meant for an animal.

22. The Beast has a magical book that can take him anywhere and anytime his heart desires in the world.

This is a huge change from the animated movie. The Beast tells Belle he received it from the Enchantress. He uses it to visit the outside world while being unseen. It's not really clear how it works. It looks like it's straight out of Emma Watson's "Harry Potter" franchise.

23. We learn what happened to Belle's mom.

Belle's mother is never addressed in the original movie. Here, we learn in a flashback she died from the plague shortly after Belle was born in Paris.

24. We also learn about the Beast's parents.

In a subsequent flashback, we see the Beast's mother also died from an illness. Mrs. Potts says the Prince's father made him cruel.

25. During the song "There's Something," Belle gets pummeled in the face with a snowball.

In the animated movie, the Beast goes to throw a gigantic snowball at Belle, but it hilariously falls on his head instead. Emma Watson told Jimmy Kimmel she really was hit in the face while filming with a snowball .

26. Belle leaves the castle to save her father in her gold ballgown and heels.

In the animated film, she changes out of the gown into something more practical before racing home to her father.

27. Chip doesn't leave the castle with Belle when she returns home to her father.

In the 1991 movie, he helps Belle and her father escape from being locked up in the cellar. This time around, Belle uses a hairclip to get them out of a locked vehicle.

28. Gaston abandons LeFou once they arrive at the castle.

When LeFou is in need of help from his sidekick, he gets left behind. Instead, Gaston delivers one of the film's best lines: "Sorry old friend. It's hero time." As a result, LeFou changes sides during the battle and starts fighting alongside the transformed servants.

28. Gaston doesn't use a bow and arrows against the Beast.

In his showdown with the Beast, Gaston goes modern with a gun after Belle steals his arrows and snaps them in half.

30. The transformation scene is altered.

In the animated tale, Belle breaks the spell as the final rose petal falls. In the live-action movie, Belle tells the Beast she loves him after the final petal falls. Consequently, all of the servants become inanimate objects briefly before the Enchantress enters to break the spell.

You can read our breakdown of the changed scene here .

31. Belle kisses the Beast when she tells him she loves him.

In the animated movie, the two don't kiss until after the Beast is transformed into a Prince, sealing the reversal of the enchantment over the castle. This time around, when Belle tells the Beast she loves him, she offers him a quick kiss on the lips.

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Disney classic movies are some of the most beloved films of all time. As such, fans were hesitant when they learned that Disney would be remaking many of their original animations as live-action films. While many of these live-action remakes have been widely criticized, there are some positive aspects to these new films.

RELATED: Beauty & The Beast: Ranking The Main Characters Based On Their Intelligence

The most successful live-action remake is clearly Beauty and the Beast . While many of the live-action remakes have been criticized for feeling like cheap imitations, this film had its own identity. There was something new to add to this story and fans were excited to hear it. It also helps that the characters in Beauty and the Beast are grounded in our world, meaning that many fans can identify with Belle and can identify a Gaston in their life. Check out these 6 reasons why the live-action film was better than the original, and these 4 reasons why the original will always be the best.

Live-Action: Stealing The Rose

In the original fairytale Beauty and the Beast written by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve in 1740, Maurice is captured by the Beast when he tries to pick a rose from the Beast's garden to bring home to Belle. In the original Disney film, this was left out and the Beast apprehended Maurice simply for trespassing in his castle.

In the live-action remake, Maurice's theft returns to the story. While this will excite lovers of the original fairytale, this decision also adds a complexity to the Beast's capture of Maurice. Of course, this is still a huge overreaction on the Beast's part, but given his sensitive relationship with roses, his motivations are easier to understand.

Original: Eccentric Maurice

Belle's eccentric but brilliant father Maurice added a lot of joy to the original film. Fans were expecting a similar energy from this character in the remake. Unfortunately, this Maurice was a lot more tame and controlled. While he still was brilliant, the quirkiness with which he had been associated with was gone, leaving fans missing the Maurice they had come to love.

Live-Action: Backstory

In the original film, not much is known about what happened to Belle's mother and nothing is known about the Beast's past. The remake does a great job at providing more depth to these characters by creating a backstory for them both.

RELATED: 5 Things The Live-Action Disney Remakes Get Right (& 5 Things They Get Completely Wrong)

Fans are given the chance to see the prince grow into a troubled boy after his mother passed away, leaving him to be raised by his cruel father. This is significant as it shows that the prince is transformed following a pattern of behavior, not a choice in one circumstance. Belle becomes a woman curious about her mother and Maurice's inability to talk about what happened adds depth to both of these characters. When Belle travels to the past with Beast, the two bond over the loss of their mothers.

Original: Castle Servants

Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, Lumiere, and Chip smiling together

Fans were excited about the casting in Beauty and the Beast with huge names such as Ewan McGregor and Ian McKellen portraying the castle's servants. Unfortunately, many of these characters fell short when compared to their original forms.

Though Lumière and Cogworth were played well, they didn't compare to the playful energy that existed between the characters in the first film. And no one can replace Angela Lansbury's flawless performance as Mrs. Potts.

Live-Action: New Songs

Three new songs were added to the live-action film, "Days in the Sun," "How Does a Moment Last Forever," and "Evermore." These songs were all written by Alan Menken and Tim Rice. Having the original composer on board helped these songs seamlessly integrate with the older songs.

While they added to the backstory, they also accomplished things that Menken had wanted but couldn't make work in the original animation , such as giving the Beast a power ballad.

Live-Action: Gaston and LeFou

Beauty and the Beast Luke Evans Josh Gad Gaston LeFou

One of the best things about the live-action remake is the relationship between Gaston and LeFou. Luke Evans and Josh Gad play off each other perfectly, adding new levels to their relationship. LeFou seemed like nothing more than a stupid henchman in the original film. In the remake, he is a character with his own identity and his relationship with Gaston seems more genuine.

Live-Action: Consequences For Passing Time

Beauty and the Beast Cogsworth Mrs Potts Lumiere Plumette

In the original film, the falling of the rose pedals seemed random. While it was clear that time was running out, all else remained the same. A clever change in the remake was giving more significance to the passing of time.

RELATED: 10 Hilarious Bios If Disney Princesses Had Dating Apps

As the rose petals fell, the castle and its inhabitants were affected. With each fallen petal, the castle began to crumble and the characters slowly transformed, becoming less like their human selves and more like intimate objects.

Original: Animation

Belle and the Beast dancing in Beauty and the Beast.

While the CGI in the live-action is stunning in its own way, there is something special about the original animation. With this style of animation becoming a thing of the past, it is even easier to appreciation this dying art form. The amount of detailed work that was required to pull off this film is astounding. and fans can't help but remain in awe of the talent of the original animators.

Live-Action: Modern Belle

Belle was always a head-strong and progressive character. But what seemed progressive upon the film's release in 1991 does not hold up today. In order to make Belle current and relevant, her character was modernized. There are specific examples of her cleverness beyond her love of books. She is shown to be an innovator and leader, just like her father.

While Belle teaches a young girl to read in the live-action remake, her reading to the Beast is removed from the remake. Instead, Beast is already an avid reader and the two bond over this connection. This is another subtle way in which Belle was given more agency as she shared a connection with the Beast over their similar interests and intellect rather than their relationship being mostly based on her caring for the Beast.

Original: Be Our Guest

The original "Be Our Guest" scene is one of the most memorable scenes in cinematic history. The bright and contrasting colors made the imagery of this scene stand out in the memories of many. The playfulness between Cogsworth and Lumiere in this scene is hilarious, leaving fans with a huge smile on their face. Belle's reaction to the spectacle is regularly shown and her excitement is palpable. The film also draws information from classic Hollywood musical films and stage shows as the characters dance on towers, perform synchronized swimming in a bowl of soap, and break into a kickline.

There was no way that the CGI version of this scene was going to be able to compare to this iconic scene. The muted color palate along with other CGI challenges made it impossible to match the energy of the original scene.

NEXT: Disney Villains: 5 Times We Felt Bad For Them (& 5 Times We Hated Them)

Beauty and the Beast (2017)

At Cortland Rep, Disney’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’ beguiles, enchants, delights as only live theater can (review)

Updated: Aug. 01, 2024, 1:33 p.m.
| Published: Aug. 01, 2024, 1:08 p.m.

Molly Bremer as Belle and Eli Vanderkolk as Lumiere with cast in Cortland Repertory Theatre’s production of “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast,” running July 31 – August 17. (Photo by Eric Behnke, provided by Cortland Repertory Theatre.) Eric Behnke

Linda Lowen

The “tale as old as time” is one we know well thanks to the kingdom of Walt. And if you grew up with a video home system—what was once called VHS—you can pretty much recite the whole thing verbatim (“Marie, the baguettes! Hurry up!”). The plot, the characters, the rhythms of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” are so ingrained in us, the answer to “More beer?” (“What for? Nothing helps”) is a foregone conclusion. So why spend the money to see a musical you already know by heart?

Cortland Repertory Theatre’s production of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” is a case study of why live theater beguiles, enchants, and delights like no other form of entertainment. It’s the movie one better, because when you breathe the same air as the characters—whom you know and love and who deliver exactly what you expect—it is deeply comforting, reassuring, and satisfying in a way few things are once you become an adult. Live theater recreates a magic we knew intimately as kids but have almost forgotten as adults.

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‘Beauty and the Beast’ Rapidly Pulled From Disney Park After Controversial Incident

in Disney Parks , Disneyland Resort

A costumed Beast and Belle perform on a brightly lit stage, with Belle wearing a golden gown and the Beast in a formal blue outfit. The backdrop, reminiscent of Disney Park's enchanting style, includes colorful designs and a candelabra on the left side, creating a magical Beauty and the Beast theatrical atmosphere.

It looks like two major characters were recently removed from one of Disney’s biggest shows, leaving fans to wonder what went wrong, and why these characters were suspended from the production.

Mickey Mouse performing on fan-favorite Disney show Fantasmic! at Disneyland Park

For over three decades, Disneyland Park has captivated audiences with its nightly spectacular, Fantasmic!. A mesmerizing blend of fireworks, water effects, pyrotechnics, music, and live performance, the show transports guests into the enchanting world of Mickey Mouse’s imagination.

From classic Disney heroes to iconic villains, Fantasmic! weaves a tapestry of beloved characters and thrilling encounters, culminating in a triumphant battle between good and evil.

While Fantasmic! has consistently been a beloved cornerstone of Disneyland, the show has faced its share of challenges. In April 2023, a fire engulfed the Maleficent dragon animatronic, leading to the temporary closure of the show and necessitating medical attention for several cast members exposed to smoke.

While the cause of the fire remains under investigation, the incident resulted in significant damage to the lighting and stage, forcing show creators to reimagine the iconic dragon sequence.

The Maleficent dragon incident is not an isolated occurrence. Disneyland has experienced several fire-related incidents throughout its history. From castle fires to parade float malfunctions, the park has faced its share of challenges related to pyrotechnics and electrical systems.

While these incidents have disrupted operations and caused temporary closures, Disney has consistently demonstrated its commitment to guest safety and the restoration of its beloved attractions.

A large, dragon-shaped structure at night, emitting a strong jet of fire from its open mouth against a dark background, reminiscent of Fantasmic!

More recently, a technical malfunction during a Fantasmic! performance highlighted the intricate nature of the show’s pyrotechnics. An unexpected burst of fireworks during Mickey Mouse’s climactic scene underscored the potential risks associated with large-scale pyrotechnic displays. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and the show continued to its conclusion.

Despite these setbacks, Fantasmic! remains a beloved and iconic part of the Disneyland experience. Disney’s dedication to maintaining the show’s magic while prioritizing guest safety is evident in its ongoing efforts to enhance the spectacle and address potential hazards.

Now, another issue has arisen when it comes to Fantastic!

Disneyland guest Matt DH shared that Belle and The Beast were removed from last night’s performance of Fantasmic! at Disneyland Park. It appears that the float and characters were removed entirely, however, the music “Tale as Old as Time” did still play. During this time, the other Disney romance characters, Rapunzel and Flynn and Ariel and Eric continued to dance through the Beauty and the Beast section in order to not have a lull in the show.

No Beauty and the Beast float during the first show of Fantasmic! tonight at Disneyland so the other floats danced to the song instead

No Beauty and the Beast float during the first show of Fantasmic! tonight at Disneyland so the other floats danced to the song instead pic.twitter.com/C20l727Aep — Matt DH (@DisneyScoopGuy) July 28, 2024

Disney has not explained why the characters were missing from the show, but this could be due to a vast amount of reasons. There could have been a technical issue with the float or the costumes, the show may have been missing their performers yesterday evening, and so much more.

Either way, it is clear that things were not going right, so in order to keep the show moving as planned, a quick change was made, and the other four characters filled in the void.

This is likely not a permanent change, as Beauty and the Beast is one of the more popular IP’s at Disney , without much controversy surrounding the narrative.

Belle and Beast from Beauty and the Beast performing on Fantasmic! at Disneyland Park

Back when the live-action film came out, there were some issues with those who were not happy with LeFou being a part of the LGBTQ+ community.

Director Bill Condon’s reimagining of a classic hit a nerve: a drive-in theater in Alabama boycotted the film, the Russian government considered doing the same, and Malaysia’s film censorship board asked Disney to cut the film’s gay scene, which the studio refused.

The fact that an Alabama movie theater, the Russian government, and Malaysian censors all opposed a Disney film was notable. This Alabama theater became part of the national conversation about LGBTQ tolerance.

The Henagar Drive-In in Henagar, Alabama, was at the center of this controversy. In 2017, a representative of the theater posted a now-deleted Facebook message declaring they would not show the movie because LeFou is gay, and homosexuality conflicted with Christian beliefs.

”When companies continually force their views on us, we need to take a stand,” the March 2 Facebook post stated. “We all make choices, and I am making mine. If I can’t sit through a movie with God or Jesus sitting by me, then we have no business showing it. I know there will be some that do not agree with this decision. That’s fine. We are, first and foremost, Christians. We will not compromise on what the Bible teaches.”

The boycott’s reach was perhaps most evident in a petition from the American Family Association (AFA), a fundamentalist “family values” group, supporting the boycott. The petition, which stated that “Disney wants to normalize homosexuality in its productions,” garnered over 50,000 signatures — more than 20 times Henagar, Alabama’s population of 2,300 (according to the 2010 census).

josh gad (left) as lefou and luke evans (right) as gaston in beauty and the beast tavern scene

In the new Beauty and the Beast, Gaston and LeFou do not have a sexual relationship, although LeFou reminisces about their bonding time during an unspecified war.

LeFou had an unrequited crush on Gaston throughout the movie and eventually realized he was gay, acknowledging that Gaston wouldn’t reciprocate his feelings. The “gayest” part of the movie occurred during the “Gaston” number, where Condon and company used Ashman’s original lyrics.

There was meant to be a spin-off with Gaston and LeFou, but it has yet to materialize.

There has also been a lawsuit that Disney has had to settle regarding the film, which you can read more about here.

Even with this “woke” upset, an accusation Disney has been hit with time and time again, The Walt Disney Company has made it clear that they have a goal of inclusivity and will not divert from that, from their films to their theme parks (a good example being the removal of Splash Mountain and the addition of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure).

Plus, the live-action Beauty and the Beast grossed over $1.2 billion worldwide, becoming the second-highest-grossing film of 2017 and the tenth-highest-grossing film of all time in 2017, so I think Disney has little they are worried about when it comes to promoting Belle and Beast in their theme parks.

Have you ever noticed characters missing from a Disney show or performance?

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COMMENTS

Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Nov 20, 2017 Full Review K. Austin Collins The Ringer The live-action remake of the 1991 Disney classic hits all the right nostalgic notes - if only it dared to take a few more risks.
Film Review: 'Beauty and the Beast'
Film Review: 'Beauty and the Beast'. Disney's live-action remake of its 1991 animated classic, starring Emma Watson as a pitch-perfect Belle, is a sometimes entrancing, sometimes awkward ...
Beauty and the Beast movie review (2017)
This "Beauty" is too often beset by blockbuster bloat. Advertisement. The familiar basics of the plot are the same as Maurice, Belle's father ( Kevin Kline, whose sharp skills as a farceur are barely employed), is imprisoned by the Beast inside his forbidding castle for plucking a rose from his garden and Belle eventually offers to take ...
Review: 'Beauty and the Beast' Revels in Joy and Enchantment
"Beauty and the Beast" is the live action re-telling of the animated Walt Disney classic. In his review A.O. Scott writes: This live-action/digital hybrid, starring Emma Watson, is more than a ...
Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast is a fancy affair, but delivers too little for me to fall in love with. Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Feb 7, 2021. Jordy Sirkin Jordy Reviews It. A tale as old as time ...
Peter Travers: 'Beauty and the Beast' Movie Review
March 17, 2017. 'Beauty and the Beast' does justice to Disney's animated classic, even if some of the magic is M.I.A. Peter Travers reviews a new tale as old as time. Disney. The tale of a scary ...
Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Beauty and the Beast: Directed by Bill Condon. With Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Josh Gad. A selfish Prince is cursed to become a monster for the rest of his life, unless he learns to fall in love with a beautiful young woman he keeps prisoner.
'Beauty And The Beast' Reactions & Review: Can A Tale As Old As ...
Disney's live-action-remake obsession continues this month with Beauty and the Beast, and it might be one of the trickiest adaptations they've tackled so far.Oh, sure, it's an easy sell: the 1991 ...
Beauty and the Beast
In conclusion, the live action retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" was a complete and utter exhibition of self-sabotage on both ends of the spectrum; its pathetic attempt at being comparable to the original film was missed completely (being alike in name only), and it certainly couldn't stand on its own merits as its own film due to the ...
'Beauty and the Beast' Review
'Beauty and the Beast': Film Review. Emma Watson and Dan Stevens star in a tale as old as 26 years, maybe more, in Disney's live-action remake of 1991 animated hit 'Beauty and the Beast.'
Beauty and the Beast movie review (2016)
There have been so many screen adaptations, official and otherwise, of Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont's classic fairy tale "La Belle et la Bete"—"Beauty and the Beast" to you non-French-speaking types—over the years, ranging from the hypnotic 1946 live-action take from Jean Cocteau to the high-spirited 1991 Disney animated musical (which is getting a live-action remake next ...
Beauty and the Beast: 5 ways the live-action remake improves on the
3) "Gaston" is the best song. The live-action element of the new film has a pronounced effect on the soundtrack. Slower, solo songs like the titular theme "Beauty and the Beast" and the ...
Beauty and the Beast Review
Disney's new live-action version of Beauty and the Beast is a well done, hard to resist version of a beloved story. ... All Reviews Editor's Choice Game Reviews Movie Reviews TV Show Reviews Tech ...
Beauty and the Beast reviews: Here's what critics think
The first reviews for Beauty and the Beast, starring Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as the cursed prince, have arrived with mixed reactions. Whether "a lifeless recreation of the original ...
Beauty and the Beast Movie Review
Parents Need to Know. Parents need to know that Beauty and the Beast is Disney's live-action remake of the classic 1991 animated musical, with Emma Watson as book-loving, independent Belle and Dan Stevens as the Beast.Although the movie will appeal to even very young viewers, especially those familiar with the original, the…
Beauty and the Beast
This live-action rejuvenation of Disney's classic 1991 animated musical is in many respects a thing of sumptuous beauty. In fact, some of the scenes in this new Beauty and the Beast—such as the famous welcome-to-the-feast number, "Be Our Guest"—are nothing short of magical. On top of that, this fairy tale fantasy's encouragements to ...
'Beauty And The Beast' Live Review: ABC Special's Best & Worst ...
ABC reopened a tale as old as time on Thursday with Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration, fusing the original 1991 Disney animated film with live-action (but not actually live) performances ...
Beauty and the Beast (2017)
We Got This Covered Matt Donato. Beauty And The Beast lacks some of the astonishing visual prowess of previous Disney live-action remakes, but still sings and dances with enjoyable style. 60. The Hollywood Reporter Leslie Felperin. It's a Michelin-triple-starred master class in patisserie skills that transforms the cinematic equivalent of a ...
Beauty and the Beast (2017 film)
Beauty and the Beast is a 2017 American musical romantic fantasy film directed by Bill Condon from a screenplay by Stephen Chbosky and Evan Spiliotopoulos.Produced by Walt Disney Pictures with Mandeville Films, it is a live-action/CGI remake of Disney's 1991 animated film Beauty and the Beast, itself an adaptation of Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont's version of the fairy tale "Beauty and the ...
Beauty and the Beast Movie Review
Parents need to know that Beauty and the Beast (remade in live action in 2017) is one of Disney's most beloved "princess" stories -- and the first animated film to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar.Beast's (voiced by Robby Benson) initial ferocity might scare younger viewers, though once they've seen his gentle side, scenes of him being hunted and stabbed by Gaston (Richard White) are ...
Beauty and the Beast review: "A delightful live-action recreation of a
This is finely tuned entertainment that should satisfy all quarters of the audience. There's enough darkness to give it a bit of edge, but plenty of laughs for levity, and also moments sure to ...
'Beauty and the Beast': Differences Between Live-Action and Animated
Here are all the big changes the live-action "Beauty and the Beast" makes from Disney's 1991 animated movie. Menu icon A vertical stack of three evenly spaced horizontal lines.
6 Reasons The Beauty And The Beast Live Action Is The Best (& 4 Reasons
Live-Action: Stealing The Rose. In the original fairytale Beauty and the Beast written by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve in 1740, Maurice is captured by the Beast when he tries to pick a rose from the Beast's garden to bring home to Belle. In the original Disney film, this was left out and the Beast apprehended Maurice simply for ...
At Cortland Rep, Disney's 'Beauty and the Beast ...
Molly Bremer as Belle and Eli Vanderkolk as Lumiere with cast in Cortland Repertory Theatre's production of "Disney's Beauty and the Beast," running July 31 - August 17.
Watch Beauty and the Beast
Embark on an epic adventure with Belle, Beast, and all the characters you love, with the music you'll never forget.
'Beauty and the Beast' Rapidly Pulled From Disney Park After
Plus, the live-action Beauty and the Beast grossed over $1.2 billion worldwide, becoming the second-highest-grossing film of 2017 and the tenth-highest-grossing film of all time in 2017, so I ...
AV Club
The 8 best Shudder original movies streaming right now By Richard Newby October 21, 2022 | 2:00pm; Celebrate Christmas with the subversive 1940s rom-com that turned gender roles on their head By ...

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Beauty and the Beast: 5 ways the live-action remake improves on the original

1) This Beauty and the Beast is woke

2) The special effects are stunning

3) “Gaston” is the best song

4) Beauty and the Beast isn’t a shot-for-shot recreation of the original, but it’s definitely aimed at the original’s biggest fans

5) Let’s talk about LeFou

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Beauty and the Beast

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