The ‘tale as old as time’ has finally come to us in live action and Disney did not disappoint. Retelling Beauty and the Beast, this classic was done so beautifully it paid homage to the animated movie but also added its own take and style to this new incarnation. From the scenery, to the costumes, to the music, and even the original story, all made this Beauty and the Beast rendition unforgettable.
The scenery of this film was just as breath taking as the Live action version of Cinderella in 2015. The village was just like the one in the animated movie with even more color. The exterior of the beast’s castle is even darker in this incarnation but the inside of the castle looks incredible. The library was even more enchanting than in the original and the infamous ballroom looked stunning; the set designers really went all out to have the film be true to the original but still have its own unique look.
The infamous yellow dress Belle wears in the ballroom scene may not be as big and flowy as the one in the animated film. The dress is still dazzling the way it moved; that scene is sure to bring a smile to those who are fans of the animated film. Belle’s original outfit is probably the one aspect that had slight changes from the original. On Belle’s apron, she has more layers and pockets, and then in the first musical number Belle has her dress pinned up that is practical for her to walk through the terrain and mount a horse.
Original composer Alan Menken is back to score this remake and he has out done himself with the musical score. Menken updated the classic songs Belle, Gaston, be our Guest and Beauty and the Beast, and added new songs. Beast’s song Evermore to Belle’s How does a moment last forever, this new music gave the classic story an even more emotional element. The new music gave the story even more background to the main characters.
Although Beauty and The Beast is a simple fairy tale it was given a bit of an upgrade on this classic tale. Simple questions ae answered, like how did the village not know about the prince? Or what happened to Belle’s mother? Even though the animated film is predictable the live action had unpredictable moments that added to a magical ending.
The best part of this was that it was not a beat by beat remake but a retelling, a reimaging of the classic tale that many older generations have grown up with and loved. If possible, Beauty and the Beast is defiantly worth watching in IMAX. The film was originally filmed in IMAX and what that means is that the image of the film is larger and the more vivid the image shown in regular theaters. Whichever way you choose to view Beauty and the Beast this film is worth seeing.