Beauty and the Beast, directed by Bill Condon and with a screenplay penned by Stephen Chbosky and Evan Spiliotopoulos, is a very by-the-book and straightforward remake of the 1991 animated Disney classic. The film does not take any needless risks in its interpretation of the original, and consequently, its appeal to viewers is based almost solely on the nostalgia factor and the natural charm and likability of its lead, played by Emma Watson. Being that I have no childhood attachment to the animated movie and find Watson to be overrated, I found myself frequently bored and, quite frankly, more than a little freaked out by the CGI-powered talking wardrobe. That is not to say the film is anything remotely resembling a failure — on the contrary, it does a fine job in paying homage to the original and has received high praise from audiences (sporting a solid 7.9 on IMDb) — it was just made with a very specific demographic of Disney-loving millennials in mind.
On a positive note, Beauty and the Beast takes full advantage of its vast financial resources, as it is nothing short of visually impressive. An obvious example of this is the use of CGI for the Beast and various personified household items (which, in spite of the borderline terrifying wardrobe, are about as good-looking as a talking teacup and candlestick can be). It also extends to the set and costume design, both of which are incredibly intricate and lend the film a believable, fairy tale appearance, as well as the diverse and color-rich cinematography.
In just about every other respect, though, the film suffers from utter complacency and mediocrity. The writing is unbearably bland in terms of dialogue, and any bit of characterization is limited to cheap and tired cliches. Only adding to this issue is the main cast, which, in spite of the bevy of A-list actors, is overall, quite forgettable. None of the performances are particularly bad (though, I’d argue a couple of the singing voices could be described as such), but when combined with the lack of a creative screenplay they make for a remarkably boring experience. Also — if I may digress and rant for a moment — for as much publicity as Disney received for its inclusion of an LGBT character, you’d think it could do better than "stereotypical feminine and weak-willed sidekick of the bad guy."
Beauty and the Beast, to put it in the simplest terms possible, is not a film that was made for me. That doesn’t make the movie bad, nor does it mean that my taste in movies sucks — it’s just a simple fact of life. Same as the fact that there were, unfortunately, no better movies to review this week; oh, and the fact that Emma Stone is objectively the superior Emma. Now excuse me while I go watch Logan for a third (and probably fourth and maybe fifth) time.
Two stars (out of five).
