Beauty and the Beast (2017)
A quarter-century on from the animated classic, Disney brings the romance fantasy tale to life in live-action. Directed by Oscar-winner Bill Condon (Dreamgirls), starring Emma Watson as the headstrong Belle, Dan Stevens (TV's Downton Abbey) as the cursed Beast, Luke Evans (Fast & Furious 6) as the burly brute Gaston, and Josh Gad (Pixels) as Gaston's sidekick Le Fou.
Beauty and the Beast is the fantastic journey of Belle, a bright, beautiful and independent young woman who 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 realise the kind heart and soul of the true prince within.
- Director:
- Bill Condon ('Mr. Holmes', 'Dreamgirls', 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn', 'The Fifth Estate')
- Writer:
- Evan SpiliotopoulosStephen Chbosky
- Cast:
- Emma WatsonDan StevensLuke EvansJosh GadEwan McGregorIan McKellanKevin KlineStanley TucciGugu Mbatha-RawEmma Thompson
Reviews & comments
Flicks, Alex Casey
flicksBeauty in the Beast is a tale as old as time. You know, the one where a successful Disney film of the 2D animation era gets dusted off and all dressed up in CGI and celebrities and plays out to a predictable end. It looks exciting and new, and there are a few winky nods to the modern folk (Le Fou is gay!!!!!) but everything else remains entirely the same out of either laziness or a fear of redneck audiences screaming at the changing world around them.
It's lovely but...WHY
Don't get me wrong its beautiful and enchanting and kids (old and young) will adore every gushy moment. It's got the incredible set design and luscious costumes, the songs that come on... we all have to admit we know. I'm just not sure why we needed a live action version, feels a lot like Disney cashing in on past glories. You can tell i'm not a real fan of...
Variety
pressIt'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.
Total Film
pressThere’s enough darkness to give it a bit of edge, but plenty of laughs for levity, and also moments sure to elicit tears.
Time Out
pressThree cheers for director Bill Condon and star Emma Watson for having the courage to make a live-action adaptation with 2017 gender politics.
The New York Times
pressIts 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 flavour: I think the name for it is joy.
Sydney Morning Herald
pressDoesn't completely work, but it doesn't completely not work either, if you have the sweet tooth for musicals that I do.
Stuff
pressThis new Beast is still a tale as old as time that looks likely to stand the test of time...
Los Angeles Times
press...he [Condon] has taken a sleek and elegant 84-minute fairy tale ... and spun from it a 129-minute epic of extravagance, a gilded monument to the more-is-more principle.
Hollywood Reporter
pressIt'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.
Empire Magazine
pressThose 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.
Flicks, Alex Casey
flicksBeauty in the Beast is a tale as old as time. You know, the one where a successful Disney film of the 2D animation era gets dusted off and all dressed up in CGI and celebrities and plays out to a predictable end. It looks exciting and new, and there are a few winky nods to the modern folk (Le Fou is gay!!!!!) but everything else remains entirely the same out of either laziness or a fear of redneck audiences screaming at the changing world around them.
Variety
pressIt'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.
Total Film
pressThere’s enough darkness to give it a bit of edge, but plenty of laughs for levity, and also moments sure to elicit tears.
Time Out
pressThree cheers for director Bill Condon and star Emma Watson for having the courage to make a live-action adaptation with 2017 gender politics.
The New York Times
pressIts 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 flavour: I think the name for it is joy.
Sydney Morning Herald
pressDoesn't completely work, but it doesn't completely not work either, if you have the sweet tooth for musicals that I do.
Stuff
pressThis new Beast is still a tale as old as time that looks likely to stand the test of time...
Los Angeles Times
press...he [Condon] has taken a sleek and elegant 84-minute fairy tale ... and spun from it a 129-minute epic of extravagance, a gilded monument to the more-is-more principle.
Hollywood Reporter
pressIt'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.
Empire Magazine
pressThose 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.
It's lovely but...WHY
Don't get me wrong its beautiful and enchanting and kids (old and young) will adore every gushy moment. It's got the incredible set design and luscious costumes, the songs that come on... we all have to admit we know. I'm just not sure why we needed a live action version, feels a lot like Disney cashing in on past glories. You can tell i'm not a real fan...
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