Movie Review - Beauty and the Beast

DISNEY is taking a rather big risk by adapting its own beloved film which became the first animated feature to be nominated for best picture at the 1991 Academy Awards.
But to give credit where it is due, director Condon has injected a few new things into this adaptation that are not seen in the original animated film.
This live action movie begins with a flashback of how a pompous prince (Dan Stevens) gets turned into a beast after he has been unkind to a poor elderly stranger who enters his castle.
Turns out the old lady is actually an enchantress, and not only does she turn him into a cursed beast, but she also turns all those who live in his castle into household objects.
Back to the present day, we find Belle (Emma Watson), the daughter of a clockmaker (Kevin Kline). She is an oddity in her small French village because she loves to read and dreams of seeing the world.
Courting her is the most eligible bachelor in town, Gaston (Luke Evans), a vain conceited man who does not take kindly to being rebuffed.
To cut a long story short, Belle’s father runs afoul of the Beast when he takes a rose from the Beast’s garden, and Belle volunteers to take his place.
While the Belle and Beast friendship develops as in the first movie, the parts where Belle’s father desperately seeks help to save his daughter, and how Gaston’s true colours are revealed, are what give this movie some extra depth.
Evans excels as the villainous Gaston, and LeFou (Josh Gad), Gaston’s effeminate sidekick, is not that obvious for most part of the story.
As for other cast members such as Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Audra McDonald, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Ian McKellen and Emma Thompson, some stood out better than others.
As the whole, I feel more warmth and chemistry between the leads in the animated film. But this film should still do well for those who are fans of the actors and the story.

Watch the trailer here :