Beauty and the Beast came out two weeks after my 3rd birthday. For years, it was my everything- I played sang Belle constantly, watched the movie repeatedly, and had a whole set of toys that would reenact the movie daily. It was a major part of my life as a child and for years I’ve even been debated getting a tattoo in honor of the movie.
So when Disney announced they were doing a live action version, I was excited- but nervous. I was afraid that they would change the story too much and it wouldn’t be as good, or that it wouldn’t be the Beauty and the Beast that I grew up with. After seeing the movie, what did I think? Well, for one, I’ll be getting that tattoo.
The story
We all know the story behind the movie- it’s a Tale as Old as Time. Belle lives in a “provincial town” in France, where she dreams of a bigger life. Gaston, the town’s resident handsome jerk, is infatuated with her- despite his best friend Le Fou reminding him that they’re quite different. “She’s so well-read, and you’re so… athletically inclined.”
Still, Gaston persists because she’s the most beautiful woman in town and to him, that makes her the best. And doesn’t he deserve the best? Gaston begins looking for an opportunity to win her heart when his more forward approach doesn’t work. Belle has no interest in the borish brute and wants far more than to become someone’s little wife in a small town. She wants adventure, and she knows she doesn’t need Gaston to help her find it.
Sadly, before she has a chance to find adventure, it finds her. On a trip to the market, her father Maurice stumbles upon a castle. He is all kinds of lost and is cold, so he lets himself in and helps himself to the food and fire that have appeared, despite the host not being present. He finally begins to leave but remembers that he promised Belle a rose from his journey. When he sees the front of the castle covered in them, he cuts one for her- only to find himself face to face with the Beast.
From there, it’s hard to say too much without giving any major plot points. While the live action movie does hold true for the most part to the original, some things have been changed- some in order to make more sense, and others to add more to the story. Overall, the story follows the one that you’re familiar with, with just a few major differences. Without giving anything away, I will say that we do get to find out more about Maurice’s character, as well as what happened to Belle’s mother. Gaston’s story also zig zags a little bit away from his original one, but it does hit the biggest moments- the “Gaston” scene in the tavern is remarkably well done, as is the final showdown.
The characters
One of the best parts about the original is the humor. The storyline behind this story is very dark when you think about it, and yet we always remember it as a mostly light-hearted story because of the comic relief brought to the film by some of the supporting characters. Some of the jokes have changed in this version, which I thought was fun because it made it surprising and even more funny, but the characters held true to their personalities. Cogsworth is always too wound up, Lumiere always has romance on the mind- both his own with the feather duster {Plumette} and the budding romance between Belle and the Beast. Mrs. Potts only has the one son, Chip, and while part of Chip’s story from the original is changed, he’s still adorable. Your old friends are all here- they just look a little different.
The music
As always, the Beauty and the Beast soundtrack is breathtaking. It has all the classic songs- “Be Our Guest”, “Beauty and the Beast”, “Belle”- but with some beautiful additions. Celine Dion sang “How Does a Moment Last Forever”, which in the movie is sung by Belle. In this movie, Beast gets his own song called “Evermore” and I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve played that song since I got the soundtrack last week. Dan Stevens really brought it with his powerful vocals and you can just hear the raw emotion coming from the Beast.
Overall thoughts
Disney’s live-action version of Beauty and the Beast is basically the same as the animated one- but with more. More character development. More songs. More breathtakingly beautiful scenery and visuals. More emotion. More tissues, please.
If you’re looking for a total retelling, like Maleficent, this isn’t it. Nor does it try to be. It’s Beauty and the Beast. It is very true to the original except for when changing something adds more dimension to it. I went in expecting to see my favorite animated movie come to life and that’s exactly what I got. The nostalgia got me before they even pulled away from the Disney castle logo in the beginning, but it was more than just nostalgia. The story really built on the characters- everyone from Belle to Maurice to Gaston to the castle’s servants. That made some moments even more emotional- some sadder, but some happier.
But what about…?
Look, even as a total superfan of the original, I know there are some things about the animated movie that don’t make sense. If you have a question about something from the original, there’s a really, really good chance it’s been answered in the live action film. Everything from the timeline to why not everything talks to why the town suddenly forgot they had a Prince is answered, so if you’ve had a burning question about the original movie you need to see this one.
Can kids go see it?
If you’ve seen the original, you know there’s a pretty intense final battle- which might be a little more intense now since it’s live action and not animated. That said, it’s not particularly violent so you can absolutely make your own call on that. Beast yells a couple of times and Gaston is definitely a bad guy, but otherwise I don’t think there’s much to red flag. I won’t be taking Zac to see it in theaters because he’s barely 3 and the Beast might scare him at that size, but he will be allowed to watch it at home when it is on Blu-ray and Digital. I will likely be bringing Shane, who is 7, to see it, and I have absolutely no concerns about doing so.
Beauty and the Beast is NOW PLAYING! Be sure to follow Beauty and the Beast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more information and follow the #BeOurGuest & #BeautyandtheBeast hashtags for more! {You can also check out more coverage including clips, images and more here and my interview with Emma Watson and Dan Stevens here, exclusive interview with Luke Evans and Josh Gad here, exclusive interview with Audra McDonald and Gugu Mbatha-Raw here, a round-up of great Beauty and the Beast gift ideas here, and my experience at the Williams Sonoma Beauty and the Beast event here!}