BEAUTY AND THE BEAST – Bill Condon

Disney has given us some of the greatest fairy tale films of all time, but generally they have always been animated…NOT ANYMORE! They have started a new trend, taking their most popular, and beloved animated films, and making them live! Disney brings us, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, in all its splendor and beauty, based on the animated original from 1991.

This is not all they are doing, as we speak, they are working on live acted versions of, The Little Mermaid, and Aladdin, as well. But for now let’s begin with “…tale as old as time…” BEAUTY AND THE BEAST…begins with a young book lover, Belle (Emma Watson), who lives in a small village, in mid 1700′s France. Belle lives with her father, Maurice (Kevin Kline), an inventor, and clock maker. Belle is bored, and is tired of the same routine, and wants something more out of life besides reading books, all the time. One day, while her father goes out of town for business, he crashes his carriage in the woods, and finds an old castle. He is later trapped there by a hideous beast, who was once cursed by a enchantress, disguised as a beggar, who found him to be unkind. Maurice is locked up for picking a rose from the beasts garden, and so the story goes, as most of us know it. When Belle arrives at the castle, all sorts of wonder and magic take place, as in the animated version.

To tell you further, how wonderful this new live version surpasses all expectation, well, that would be hard to do. But you know the story of…BEAUTY AND THE BEAST… Belle’s sacrifice in order to free her father, the story that unfolds between the beauty, and the beast. We all know that during her stay, Belle discovers there is nothing ordinary about this castle, as all comes to life, from dishes, to tea pots, furniture, and all else in between! All of them making her feel welcomed in this cold, dark place. It’s a castle full of books, music, and most of all…magic! In the midst of all the merriment, the Beast, must win Belle’s heart, or the curse over the castle will never be broken. I cannot urge you enough to see this incredible bit of magic, brought to life! Please, make it a priority to take a trip to your local theater, and share in the magic of, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST…

For me, it seems like it’s been awhile since Disney brought back that old magic it was originally built on…until now! I enjoyed this family musical very much! The cast was wonderful (Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Josh Gad, Ian McKellen, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, and Emma Thompson). I thought the F/X were amazing, especially for the “Be Our Guest” musical number (my personal favorite scene), and the costumes were stunning! You will find yourself singing along, and tapping your feet. This is truly a fun film for the whole family to enjoy!

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