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Review: ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Revels in Joy and Enchantment

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By A.O. Scott

March 3, 2017

To quote a lyric from one of the songs in “Beauty and the Beast,” “there may be something there that wasn’t there before.” The familiar elements are all in place, of course. It’s “Beauty and the Beast,” for goodness’ sake: a tale as old as time, a song as old as rhyme and all that. And there are inspired flights of nostalgia as well, visual evocations of the predigital glory of Busby Berkeley , Ray Harryhausen and other masters of fantastical craft.

But this live-action/digital hybrid , directed by Bill Condon and starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens in the title roles, is more than a flesh-and-blood (and prosthetic fur-and-horns) revival of the 26-year-old cartoon , and more than a dutiful trip back to the pop-culture fairy-tale well. Its 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 flavor: I think the name for it is joy.

This was by no means a foregone conclusion. The reanimation of beloved properties — to use the grim business nomenclature of Hollywood — often leads to hack work and zombie-ism, as old archetypes are shocked to life and arrayed in garish, synthetic modern effects. That might easily have happened here. Look (I mean: don’t look) at the horrors that have been visited, in recent years, on Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan and the Wizard of Oz. And even if Disney had done a more convincing upgrade, on the model of last year’s “Jungle Book,” a new “Beauty” could have offended fans of the 1991 animated feature simply by existing. That movie, a high point of the ’80s and ’90s Disney revival, is close to perfect. What singing teapot would dare to challenge Angela Lansbury?

The only possible answer is Emma Thompson, whose Mrs. Potts is joined by other household objects with the voices (and, briefly, the faces) of movie stars. Stanley Tucci and Audra McDonald are the excitable harpsichord and the operatic wardrobe; Ewan McGregor and Ian McKellen are the suave candelabra and the anxious clock. Gugu Mbatha-Raw is the lissome feather duster. Young Nathan Mack is Chip, Mrs. Potts’s son. Their singing and banter is so vivid and so natural that you almost take for granted that they appear to be mechanical objects clicking and whirling in physical space, sharing the frame with human characters.

Movie Review: ‘Beauty and the Beast’

The times critic a. o. scott reviews “beauty and the beast.".

“Beauty and the Beast” is the live action re-telling of the animated Walt Disney classic. In his review A.O. Scott writes: This live-action/digital hybrid, starring Emma Watson, is more than a flesh-and-blood revival of the 26-year-old cartoon, and more than a dutiful trip back to the pop-culture fairy-tale well. Its classicism feels unforced and fresh. Its romance neither winks nor panders. The most dazzling visual flights are matched to the best of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken’s songs. There are a few moments where the digital seams show, and you’re aware of the cold presence of lines of code behind the images. Most of the time, though, you are happily fooled.

There are a few moments — a climactic high-elevation fight scene that looks like every other climactic high-elevation fight scene; a chase through the forest involving wolves — where the digital seams show, and you’re aware of the cold presence of lines of code behind the images. Most of the time, though, you are happily fooled. More than that: enchanted. The most dazzling visual flights are matched to the best of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken’s songs. “Be Our Guest” in particular is a choreographic extravaganza that enfolds decades of Disney history (all the way back to “Snow White” and “Fantasia”) in contemporary cinematic craft.

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Beauty and the Beast

There have been so many screen adaptations, official and otherwise, of Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont’s classic fairy tale “La Belle et la Bete”—“Beauty and the Beast” to you non-French-speaking types—over the years, ranging from the hypnotic 1946 live-action take from Jean Cocteau to the high-spirited 1991 Disney animated musical (which is getting a live-action remake next year), that anyone daring to attempt to bring a new version to the screen had best better bring something new and interesting. Happily, “Beauty and the Beast,” a lavish live-action French version of the tale that was produced in 2014 and which is finally making its way to the U.S. at long last, has two items of interest to its credit—a stunning visual style and the presence of two of France’s most charismatic stars in the lead roles—and the end result is a sturdy and frequently dazzling version of the material that should leave audiences swooning with delight.

Once upon a time, a widowed French merchant ( Andre Dussollier ) is forced into bankruptcy after his ships are lost at sea, making it necessary for him to sell his possessions and move to a small house in the countryside with his children, all of whom are fairly despicable aside from his beloved youngest daughter, Belle ( Léa Seydoux ). While in the city of business, he has to flee from a rotter whom his eldest son owes money and happens upon a mysterious property where he finds a single perfect red rose that he picks to bring back to Belle. The rose and the property belong to a fearsome creature known as The Beast ( Vincent Cassel ), and he demands one of two things from his intruder—either he spend the rest of his life there as a servant or the Beast will kill his entire family. Belle’s father agrees to become a servant and is given one day to say goodbye to his children. After hearing what has happened, a guilt-ridden Belle commandeers the enchanted horse that her father rode in on and goes off to the Beast’s castle to take his place.

Once there, the Beast agrees to the switch and gives Belle beautiful dresses and the run of the place as long as she returns every night in order to have dinner with him. He inquires as to whether it is possible that she might ever love him, a proposal that she violently rejects. After a while, however, her feelings towards him begin to thaw slightly and she has a series of dreams that seem to portray the castle in its former vivid glory while explaining the sad story of how the Beast came to be. Eventually, Belle is able to convince him to let her return home for one night to see her father—if she doesn’t return, he darkly intones, he will die from the loss. Unfortunately, her older brother hears the story, surmises that the castle is filled with riches and sets off with some others to kill the Beast and steal its treasures. By this time, Belle realizes that she does indeed love the Beast but will that love be enough to save him from the impending attack?

The film was directed by Christophe Gans , a French filmmaker whose past works have included such boldly eye-catching works as “Brotherhood of the Wolf” (2001), a wild kung fu/horror/French Revolution hybrid that contained an immortal visual pun in which a shot of Monica Bellucci ’s bare breast faded into a shot of a snow-capped mountain peak, and “ Silent Hill ” (2006), a screen version of the video game that proved to be as visually striking as it was narratively incoherent. Like so many filmmakers today, Gans wants to dazzle viewers with practically every scene but unlike so many of them, he has the vision to actually do it. With this film, there is hardly a moment in which the screen does not contain some kind of nifty visual—ranging from elaborate set pieces to tiny throwaways stuck in the margins—but, unlike so many F/X-heavy epics of late, he presents them with enough care and flair so that they never grow wearying. Even the heavy use of CGI is less bothersome here than usual because he deploys it in an imaginative manner for the most part. You’ve heard of some films that have been described as a feast for the eyes—this is more of an all-you-can-eat buffet that most viewers will want to happily indulge in for a long time before they finally begin to feel sated.

That said, “Beauty and the Beast” is more than just an orgy of lavish special effects thanks to the efforts from the two leads. Seydoux, who delivered one of the most electrifying performances in recent years in “Blue is the Warmest Color,” may seem like an odd choice at first to play Belle because of the tough and no-nonsense roles that she is known for but she proves to be surprisingly endearing here in the part in the way that she makes her character come across as good and pure and true as well as being strong and direct in her dealings with the Beast. As the Beast, Cassel is at a bit of a disadvantage at first as his character is somewhat weakly introduced but his performance improves mightily during the genuinely moving flashback sequences in which we see how the Beast came to be.

“Beauty and the Beast” has a couple of slight hiccups to it that are presumably borne out of Gans’s preference for purely visual storytelling over traditional narrative—the story kind of rushes through the development of the actual romance between Beauty and Beast a little too quickly for its own good and some of the machinations during the action-filled climax are a tad convoluted. There is also the inescapable fact that, for all of its numerous glories, this version pales in comparison to Cocteau’s masterpiece. (Of course, that could be said about virtually every other film produced in the whole of cinematic history, but never mind.) That said, Gans and Co. have given us a sumptuous and highly watchable take on the story that is a more than worthy work in its own right. It may be a tale as old as time, as the song goes, but this film breathes beautiful new life into it.

Peter Sobczynski

A moderately insightful critic, full-on Swiftie and all-around bon vivant , Peter Sobczynski, in addition to his work at this site, is also a contributor to The Spool and can be heard weekly discussing new Blu-Ray releases on the Movie Madness podcast on the Now Playing network.

Audrey Lamy as Anne
Léa Seydoux as La belle
Myriam Charleins as Astrid
Vincent Cassel as La bête
André Dussollier as Belle's father
Eduardo Noriega as Perducas

Cinematographer

Christophe Beaucarne
Christophe Gans
Sandra Vo-Anh

Writer (book)

Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont
Pierre Adenot
Sébastien Prangère

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Early ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Reviews: What the Critics Are Saying

By Will Thorne

Will Thorne

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It’s a tale as old as time, with songs as old as rhyme, but how does the new re-telling of “ Beauty and the Beast ” stand up compared to its legendary 1991 ancestor?

According to early reviews of Disney ‘s latest edition, which stars Emma Watson and Dan Stevens in the title roles, the film has a few thorns and falling petals, which detract from the overall beauty of the rose.

While critics have found some recent remakes of Disney classics, such as “Maleficent” and Jon Favreau’s “The Jungle Book” to be worthy additions to magical world of Disney, others, like “Alice in Wonderland,” have been briskly panned. A major question for reviews of “Beauty and the Beast” to answer is, “Which camp does the film fall into?”

Variety’s Owen Gleiberman :

“Is the movie as transporting and witty a romantic fantasy as the animated original? Does it fall crucially short? Or is it in some ways better? The answer, at different points in the film, is yes to all three, but the bottom line is this: The new “Beauty and the Beast” is a touching, eminently watchable, at times slightly awkward experience that justifies its existence yet never totally convinces you it’s a movie the world was waiting for.”

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The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw :

Popular on Variety

“This movie is allegedly updating its assumptions to include a gay character…while leaving the heterosexual politics untouched. Beastly ugliness is symbolic of tragic male loneliness even as the imprisoned pretty woman submissively redeems her captor’s suffering. The Shrek twist on this scenario has more of a sense of humour: the woman becomes ugly as well.”

New York Times’ A. O. Scott :

“There are a few moments — a climactic high-elevation fight scene that looks like every other climactic high-elevation fight scene; a chase through the forest involving wolves — where the digital seams show, and you’re aware of the cold presence of lines of code behind the images. Most of the time, though, you are happily fooled. More than that: enchanted.”

USA Today’s Brian Truitt :

“Watson’s singing is shaky early on with the signature Belle, though she settles into her feisty character who has no patience for illiterate brutes like uber-macho town hero Gaston (Luke Evans). Stevens’ Beast is created through visual effects wizardry, but he finds the right balance between the despair of his pre-Belle days and the good-hearted, surprisingly witty dude he later becomes.”

IndieWire’s Jude Dry :

“The film that opens in theaters this weekend remains faithful to its source material, with glimmering costumes and sets that feel like Disneyland. Condon (“Kinsey,” “Dreamgirls”) practically follows the animated film shot for shot, filling in as necessary for added exposition and a few extra songs. At 129 minutes, compared to the original film’s 110, Condon’s version feels overstuffed. It also feels like that scene in the animated original when the servants dress the Beast for dinner with Belle, powdering his face and fluffing his hair until he looks ridiculous and completely out of place.”

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Beauty and the Beast Reviews

Beauty and the Beast is arguably Disney's magnum opus.

Full Review | Original Score: 10/10 | Aug 12, 2024

Disney made big strides towards recapturing its classic form with the animated fairy tale The Little Mermaid a couple of years ago, but they let an insipid heroine almost spoil the effect. But Beauty and the Beast is unambiguously successful.

Full Review | Aug 5, 2024

The film’s title song, teaching lovers to look into each other’s hearts instead of their flaws, is coincidentally flawless.

Full Review | Jun 18, 2024

This is full-blown, full-blooded animation, lacking only the special finesse and charm that stamped Disney's work in the Forties. Children of all ages, start queuing now.

Full Review | Aug 30, 2023

I could not identify with Belle because she was written as such a blank slate.

Full Review | Feb 7, 2023

Due to strong execution and smart ideals, Beauty and the Beast is easily one of the best Disney films to date.

Full Review | Jan 14, 2023

Beauty and the Beast is not only for children, rather it is for anyone interested in everything film technology of today has to offer. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Dec 12, 2022

This is pure Disney at its peak, regardless of innovations.

Full Review | Mar 22, 2021

A creative masterwork that once again proves that animation isn't just for kids.

Full Review | Original Score: 10/10 | Sep 10, 2020

If this is very much a film of good and bad bits, that is because of the way the armies of animators have been marshalled...the music, however, is the film's most consistent feature.

Full Review | Feb 6, 2020

Beauty and the Beast, an instant classic of Disney animation, offers more excitement, magic and hilarity than any of its live-action competitors released so far.

Full Review | Oct 11, 2019

Every aspect is perfect.

Full Review | Original Score: A+ | May 8, 2019

In these sterile, technological days when creations of architecture, movies and other splendors are inferior to the classics of past ages, this artisan-crafted masterpiece is perhaps the closest we'll ever come to a Gothic cathedral.

Full Review | Nov 29, 2018

The animation still pops. Each song lodges itself in your brain. The imagination jumps off the page. Most importantly, Belle and Beast's love story inspires swoons and tears.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/4 | Oct 30, 2018

The end result both saved and revitalised the studio's animation division: a sublime combination of masterful storytelling and magnificent musical interludes (overseen by legendary screen composer Alan Menken).

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Sep 20, 2018

The film that ranks seventh on the list of the 100 best animated films of the American Film Institute is full of tender scenes, delectable musical sequences and of course a phenomenal story. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Mar 22, 2018

It's a drama, musical, comedy and romance all wrapped into one and done better than most live action films to boot.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Sep 28, 2017

Songwriter Howard Ashman - a gay man dying from AIDS-related complications in Reagan's America - knew the real face of the mob all too well.

Full Review | Apr 4, 2017

Beauty & The Beast broke new ground while recapturing the spirit of Disney traditionalism.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Mar 23, 2017

The first animated film to ever earn a Best Picture Oscar nomination, this is as good as anything ever produced by the studio.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/4 | Sep 25, 2016

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Beauty and the Beast reviews: What critics are saying

The first wave of reviews for Disney's live-action adaptation are out.

After Maleficent , Cinderella , and The Jungle Book , Disney’s latest live-action retelling of an animated classic now asks whether “the tale as old as time” still holds up today? The first reviews for Beauty and the Beast , starring Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as the cursed prince, have arrived with mixed reactions.

Whether “a lifeless recreation of the original” or a “lavish and lovely take,” many foresee the film winning over fans of the 1991 original, but it could have gone further. “It’s fine and funny and sweet and lush and some of the songs are infectious, but I still don’t completely understand why it exists — and why they couldn’t do more with it,” EW’s Chris Nashawaty writes .

He explains, “Directed by movie-musical veteran Bill Condon ( Dreamgirls and the script for Chicago ), Beauty and the Beast is a movie that can’t quite figure out what it wants to say that it didn’t already say back in 1991 — when it was the first full-length animated film to be nominated for the best picture Oscar (and this was when there were only five nominees in the category, too!)”

Beauty and the Beast features a star-studded cast (Luke Evans, Ewan McGregor, Ian McKellen, Emma Thompson, and more), plus new and old songs to liven audiences. Various critics pointed to Watson, Stevens, Evans, and Gad as standouts, while others cited poor casting choices, rushed plot, and “unnecessary” musical numbers.

See more reviews of the film below.

Leslie Felperin ( The Hollywood Reporter ) “It’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. Only once viewers have come down and digested it all might they feel like the whole experience was actually a little bland, lacking in depth and so effervescent as to be almost instantly forgettable. Paradoxically, despite all the palpable budget spend on fancy computer effects, it’s the cheaper, old-school, real-world bits — like the big ensemble dance sequences or the moments when the actors interact directly with each other rather than with green-screen illusions — that pack the biggest wallops.”

Owen Gleiberman ( Variety ) “Going into Beauty and the Beast , the sheer curiosity factor exerts a uniquely intense lure. Is the movie as transporting and witty a romantic fantasy as the animated original? Does it fall crucially short? Or is it in some ways better? The answer, at different points in the film, is yes to all three, but the bottom line is this: The new Beauty and the Beast is a touching, eminently watchable, at times slightly awkward experience that justifies its existence yet never totally convinces you it’s a movie the world was waiting for.”

Dan Callahan ( The Wrap ) “Of the leading actors, only Stevens is able to make something of his part as written, and he reveals a strong tenor singing voice of his own here. His Beast is amusingly huffy and sulky and proud, and his blue eyes glow with a kind of warmth that come close to making the romance between the Beast and Belle somewhat believable, if only Condon would give him just a little more time to develop it. Condon’s Beauty and the Beast is the kind of enormous production in which it seems as if anxious executives were pressuring and second-guessing the decisions of the creative team. The result is a star-stuffed relay race that looks like an assignment more than anything else.”

Britt Hayes ( ScreenCrush ) “To say that the first trailer for Beauty and the Beast was evocative of the 1991 animated classic would be an understatement; it was a live-action carbon copy, and if Disney’s remake of Cinderella was any indication, we were in for yet another tedious — if visually stunning, well-acted, and beautifully designed — exercise in nostalgia. But Bill Condon’s live-action update of Beauty and the Beast is more reimagining than remake, a lavish and lovely take on a familiar tale (as old as time, no doubt) that enriches its source material without betraying it.”

Mike Ryan ( UPROXX ) “There’s certainly nothing that new about this version of Beauty and the Beast (well, except it isn’t a cartoon anymore), but it’s a good recreation of a classic animated film that should leave most die-hards satisfied. In other words: When you imagine what a live action Beauty and the Beast movie would be like, the final product is probably a lot like what you think it would be like.”

A.O. Scott ( The New York Times ) “This live-action/digital hybrid, directed by Bill Condon and starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens in the title roles, is more than a flesh-and-blood (and prosthetic fur-and-horns) revival of the 26-year-old cartoon, and more than a dutiful trip back to the pop-culture fairy-tale well. Its 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 flavor: I think the name for it is joy.”

Emily Yoshida ( Vulture ) “If only Beauty and the Beast were just a collection of stills, like a fancy Annie Leibowitz spread for some glossy quarterly edition of Disney Adventures. Unfortunately, it’s over two hours long, and is padded out by a hugely unnecessary number of non–Ashman-Rice musical numbers and a pointless detour where Belle finds out what happened to her missing mother. At every turn, the film seems to ask itself if what the original film did was enough, and answers with a definitive ‘no.’ But hey, at least that clock looked real.”

Rodrigo Perez ( The Playlist ) “Yearning to be a classic, MGM-like musical with a similar soaring grandeur, Condon’s proclivities for pomposity make for overblown songs — especially in the third act — that sound noisy, strained and histrionic. Restraint and subtlety are not terms within Condon’s filmmaking vocabulary. And while many of the massive practical sets and costumes are impressive on a production design level, there are few other elements worth lauding. Ultimately Beauty and the Beast feels like a cynical rehash seemingly created just to make a fiscal year sound promising to shareholders. This is a product that’s more manufactured than inspired.”

Matt Goldberg ( Collider ) “Unfortunately, Beauty and the Beast is the weakest of the studio’s recent live-action adaptations (I’m setting aside Maleficent and Alice in Wonderland since those are more re-imaginings than attempts to follow the plotlines of their original animated Disney movies). Everything is lavish and immaculately done when it comes to the costumes and production design, but overall, most of the additions, especially when it comes to new songs or tweaks to the plot, only end up slowing the movie down and detracting from its central love story. This new version of ‘A tale as old as time’ will have you checking your watch.”

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Beauty and the beast.

Common Sense Says
Parents Say 76 Reviews
Kids Say 100 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Disney fave has great music, strong messages, some scares.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 6+?

Beast has angry outbursts, yelling and destroying furniture. Fierce wolves attac

Lumiere comically flirts with a maid; fooling around is implied. Brief flirting

Belle is a Disney princess whose brand reaches far and wide. Expect to see princ

Raucous scene in a bar with plenty of foamy mugs sloshing around.

Use of derogatory terms, including "lunatic," "loon" "scurvy scum," "pea brain,"

Any Positive Content?

It's important to see someone for who they are, not for what they look like. You

Characters change for the better: Belle sees the beautiful person inside Beast,

As an intelligent, independent woman who values kindness over looks and status,

Intended to entertain, not educate, but kids will take in some important lessons

Violence & Scariness

Beast has angry outbursts, yelling and destroying furniture. Fierce wolves attack the main characters, grabbing Belle's father by the leg and injuring Beast -- with blood briefly shown. Townspeople decide to kill Beast and storm the castle in a scary, intense mob sequence. A fierce fight results in a character being stabbed with a knife, while another falls to his death. Spooky woods, a dangerous runaway horse and cart, imprisonment in a dungeon. Slapstick violence includes punching, biting, burning, and hitting with objects. Guns are fired, at one point killing a goose.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Lumiere comically flirts with a maid; fooling around is implied. Brief flirting by a married character in a village market scene. Budding romance between Beast and Belle, with flirting and kissing. Barmaids swoon for Gaston during the song about him -- which also includes innuendo and references to his physical appeal.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Belle is a Disney princess whose brand reaches far and wide. Expect to see princess branding on consumer merchandise, food products, etc., as well as in books, websites, and other media.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Use of derogatory terms, including "lunatic," "loon" "scurvy scum," "pea brain," "crackpot," "wacky old coot," and "bonehead."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

It's important to see someone for who they are, not for what they look like. You don't need to fear the unknown. Brains can win out over brawn. Be true to yourself, even if others think you don't fit in.

Positive Role Models

Characters change for the better: Belle sees the beautiful person inside Beast, and he sheds his anger and sacrifices his own happiness for hers. Belle is loving and protective toward her father and values intelligence and individuality over popularity or fitting in.

Diverse Representations

As an intelligent, independent woman who values kindness over looks and status, Belle goes against a lot of fairy tale clichés and doesn't need to be "rescued." Some French stereotypes in the way the castle objects behave, such as a charming butler and flirtatious maid. All characters are White (and French, although they speak English in the original film) and are voiced by almost all White actors.

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Educational Value

Intended to entertain, not educate, but kids will take in some important lessons about appreciating others for who they are, not what they look like.

Parents need to know that Beauty and the Beast ( remade in live action in 2017 ) is one of Disney's most beloved "princess" stories -- and the first animated film to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. Beast's (voiced by Robby Benson ) initial ferocity might scare younger viewers, though once they've seen his gentle side, scenes of him being hunted and stabbed by Gaston ( Richard White ) are likely to be emotionally upsetting. The sequence in which a mob comes after Beast is also quite intense, and there's some flirting and innuendo, as well as a kiss between Belle ( Paige O'Hara ) and Beast. But characters demonstrate positive traits like compassion , curiosity , empathy , humility , and self-control . Kids mature enough for feature-length stories will find this one of the best Disney movies they could spend time with in terms of intelligence, quality, and originality -- not to mention having one of Disney's smartest, most independent heroines. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

Parents say (76)
Kids say (100)

Based on 76 parent reviews

Stockholm syndrome; Gaston's behavior is pretty rapey

Beast is abusive, bad image that belle puts up with it, what's the story.

In BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, curious young Belle (voiced by Paige O'Hara ) leaves her village in search of her missing father, arriving at an enchanted castle where a prince has been cursed to live as a hideous Beast ( Robby Benson ) and his servants as living objects. Only true love can break the spell, but with Beast holding her prisoner and the townspeople plotting to kill him, can Belle see beyond his terrifying appearance in time to save him from his fate?

Is It Any Good?

Stellar music, brisk storytelling, delightful animation, and compelling characters make this a great animated feature for the whole family. Beauty and the Beast may not be Disney's most iconic movie, but it stands as one of the studio's crowning achievements, earning a Best Picture Oscar nomination (the first animated film to achieve that honor) and a Golden Globe for Best Picture.

In essence, all great stories are about transformation, and this one beats out even Cinderella as the ultimate makeover story, with Beast's inner transformation preceding his outer one. Belle remains as strong a role model now as she was when she was first created: She's confident to be herself and stick to her beliefs, even when they don't fit in with others' expectations.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Belle and Beast's first impressions of each other in Beauty and the Beast . What did they discover about each other as their relationship grew and as Beast learned humility and self-control ? What message does that send to viewers?

As one of the popular Disney princesses, how is Belle similar to Cinderella and the Little Mermaid? How is she different? Do you consider her a role model ?

How do the characters demonstrate compassion and empathy ? Why are those important character strengths ?

Why do you think Gaston was so surprised that Belle didn't want to marry him? How does their relationship poke fun at fairy tale clichés?

Movie Details

In theaters : November 22, 1991
On DVD or streaming : October 4, 2011
Cast : Paige O'Hara , Richard White , Robby Benson
Directors : Gary Trousdale , Kirk Wise
Inclusion Information : Female actors
Studio : Walt Disney Pictures
Genre : Family and Kids
Topics : Magic and Fantasy , Princesses, Fairies, Mermaids, and More , Fairy Tales , Great Girl Role Models , Music and Sing-Along
Character Strengths : Compassion , Curiosity , Empathy , Humility , Self-control
Run time : 90 minutes
MPAA rating : G
MPAA explanation : nothing that would offend parents for viewing by children
Awards : Academy Award , Golden Globe - Golden Globe Award Winner
Last updated : September 9, 2024

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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RETRO REVIEW: Even After 33 Years, Beauty & the Beast Is Still Disney’s Romantic Masterpiece

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In discussions about Disney films, especially those made during the Disney Renaissance, Beauty and the Beast will almost always be mentioned — and with good reason. Hot off the success of The Little Mermaid two years prior, Walt Disney Animation Studios turned to a tale as old as time for their next big animated venture. Released to theaters in Fall 1991, Beauty and the Beast, directed by Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale, was a major hit, breaking the box office and receiving near-universal acclaim from adults and children alike.

Three decades later, Beauty and the Beast is still heralded as one of Disney's greatest films. In 2014, TIME Magazine named it one of the greatest films of all time, and the United States National Film Registry selected it for preservation, dubbing it culturally, historically and aesthetically significant. This is high praise, indeed. But does it live up to the hype? Is it as beautiful as people remember it, or are certain critics right that it's a beastly romanticization of a toxic relationship? In this case, the majority rules. It's not just nostalgia; Beauty and the Beast is really that good. In fact, it may be Disney's masterpiece.

Beauty & the Beast Is a Masterclass in Adaptation

The writers added depth to the fairy tale without betraying its tone and themes.

Beauty and the Beast's (1991) Critical Reception
IMDb	Letterboxd	Rotten Tomatoes
8.0/10	3.9/5

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Bittersweet and strange,

Finding you can change,

Learning you were wrong...

- Mrs. Potts

Beauty and the Beast was released at the height of the Disney Renaissance. This period saw Disney returning to its '30s roots, depicting well-known fairy tales with a slight narrative upgrade. In this case, the fairy tale of choice was La Belle et la Bête, written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve in 1756. At surface level, it's the same story: a prince is cursed to be a beast until someone can fall in love with him. The tale also included other elements, such as a merchant father, Beauty's crueler older sisters, a riches-to-rags situation, evil sprites and so forth. It was the perfect vehicle for Disney, so much so that back in the '30s and '50s, attempts were made to adapt it, but fell through. It would take until the '90s for the studio to finally crack this well-known tale. Clearly, it was worth the wait.

As with previous fairy tale adaptations, the writers took liberties with the source material. Some surface-level ideas like the evil fairy, the enchanted rose and the father were kept, but recontextualized. This time around, the enchantress had a legitimate reason to curse the prince. The rose was directly tied to the Beast's curse and livelihood. Finally, Belle's father, Maurice, had a legitimate reason to enter the castle, prompting the Beast's rage. Belle's wicked sisters were omitted, as was the family's backstory of lost wealth. Both Belle and Maurice were written as eccentrics – Maurice being an inventor and Belle being intellectual – enhancing their endearing relationship, and their reputations among the townsfolk.

Conversely, new elements were added as well. The inclusion of a villain, Gaston, gave Beauty and the Beast's adaptation a worthy antagonist who posed a threat to both the Beast and Belle's survival. The Beast's story was updated for extra pathos. Since the enchantress had a reason for cursing him, the Beast's character arc is one of redemption; he must earn love and humanity by becoming a better person. This explains why the romance in Disney's update unfolds more naturally as opposed to the original fairy tale's oblique and simplistic approach. Disney didn't make it too complicated. After all, this is still a simple story meant for families. However, it has just the right amount of thematic depth for it to be more believable, while still being a fairy tale not to be rationalized.

Beauty & the Beast Excels at Characterization

The characters’ depth and personalities resulted in one of the best casts in the disney canon.

Voicing Belle was Paige O'Hara's film debut.
The Beast's real name, Prince Adam, was only revealed in Beauty and the Beast's supplementary material.
Voicing Maurice was Rex Everhart's final film performance.

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She warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within. - The Narrator

Beauty and the Beast's character designs, paired with the voice acting, are perfect matches. Belle is one of the most popular Disney leads because she's just so adorable. The artists based her design and mannerisms on Judy Garland. They combined the kind of whimsical sincerity and innocence with a hint of sarcasm and a concealed backbone that Garland was known for. Like her inspiration's most famous roles, Belle was unaware of her beauty but somewhat self-conscious of her status as an outlier in town. Much of her appeal has to do with her voice actress, Paige O'Hara, who put her Broadway experience to good use in the song's many gorgeous songs. So convincing were her tears in the final sequences that, apparently, the directors stopped recording – only for her to break character and proclaim, "Acting!" Their reaction was legitimate. Few can sit through the film's ending without at least one tear shed thanks to O'Hara's heartrending delivery.

The Beast's design – a mammalian chimera with elements of wolves, bears, lions, bison and boars added into the mix – is a testament to the Disney Animation art department's talent. His appearance is both fearsome and endearing; hideous yet easy on the eyes. What else can be expected of a character design by Chris Sanders, a storyboard artist who would go on to design the equally creepy-cute Stitch a decade later? Robby Benson's voice acting adds to the appeal. He sounds animalistic and monstrous, but, as the filmmakers so accurately put it, the human prince can be heard under the beastly fur and fangs. Beast is one of the most dynamic characters in the Disney canon. His transformation from a selfish, volatile tyrant to a vulnerable, passionate, selfless – if sometimes insecure and petulant – hero makes him one of the greatest love interests on film. He's genuinely terrifying and unlikable in his first appearances, but even from his first interaction with Belle, there is a spark of humanity signaling his potential for kindness. It's a testament to the writers' talent that the Beast is as adored as he is by viewers in spite of his initial savagery. He earns the audience's love just as he earns Belle's.

Then there is Gaston, one of animation's most beloved villains. No one hams it up like Gaston, or reaches meme status like Gaston. And nobody performs their role as a villain and foil like Gaston. At this point, Disney Studios were well-aware of their reputation for adhering to formula, especially of the stereotypes and tropes that their predecessors of the '30s to the '50s leaned on. Among the studio's most overplayed conventions was the handsome, heroic and strapping male lead. Gaston was designed as a twisted parody of this sort of masculine archetype, warped into something both comical and dangerous. Voice actor Richard White gave perhaps one of the greatest performances of all time here, with his booming and blustering delivery adding to Gaston's unhinged and infectiously malicious charm.

Beauty and the Beast's supporting cast is no slouch, either. Rex Everhart is endearingly dorky and bumbling as Belle's father, Maurice, with their father-daughter relationship being genuinely adorable. Jessi Corti as Gaston's hapless patsy, LeFou, has some of the funniest moments in the movie. He did lead the glorious villain song, after all. The castle's servants, rendered down to animate objects resembling their former occupations – a form of poetic punishment from the enchantress's curse – feature the talents of David Ogden Stiers in his best pompous performance as the uptight Cogsworth, Jerry Orbach channeling Maurice Chevalier as Lumiére, and Angela Lansbury as the kindly Mrs. Potts – who famously recorded the film's iconic title ballad in one take. Truly a legend. Disney's plucky comedic sidekicks can be hit or miss, but Maurice and the castle's servants are a good example of this trope done right. They have dramatic and tragic moments, and do not interfere when scenes get serious between the main players. They enhance the tone and plot of the film, rather than taking from it.

Beauty & the Beast Has Disney's Best Onscreen Romance

The movie has belle and beast earn each other's love.

Beauty and the Beast's Critical Reception, According to Rotten Tomatoes
Title	Rotten Tomatoes
(1991; Animated)

(2017; Live-Action)

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"He's no monster, Gaston – YOU are!" - Belle

Beauty and the Beast has one of the Disney canon's most unique and memorable romantic pairings, Belle and the Beast. This is not a story of immediate attraction or love at first sight; in fact, the two begin as enemies. The politically-correct 2010s and 2020s have turned a harsher eye on older tales, rationalizing and deconstructing tropes that, while not perfect, still serve a purpose to their respective stories. In the '90s, when a new wave of feminism and empowerment rose in the United States, the romance presented in Beauty and the Beast was seen as refreshing and relatable. Notably, many Disney couples during this Renaissance have a balanced dynamic, spend time together, banter together, and have distinct personalities. Belle and the Beast just so happen to have one of the more memorable depictions of this dynamic.

However, many viewers today argue that Beauty and the Beast romanticizes abuse and Stockholm Syndrome. Detractours would point out that Belle was essentially the Beast's prisoner, accusing her of embodying the now-maligned Manic Pixie Dream Girl archetype. In brief, they believe that Belle was used more as a catalyst for the male lead's growth than to tell her own story. But this glosses over the important point of this story: Belle is not a Manic Pixie Dream Girl. If anything, her characterization is closer to something out of a Jane Austen novel, most notably Lizzy Bennet of Pride and Prejudice. In brief, Lizzy was a strong-willed and conventionally feminine character who could be blunt, eccentric and proud. She was always willing to confront foolish or downright reprehensible people. Belle's negative reactions to the Beast's rage, temper and violence make him second-guess his demeanor. Ironically, the Beast's first human moment is when he ravages the wolves that attack Belle and her horse when she attempts to escape. This comes shortly after his fit of rage when he discovers Belle interacting with the cursed rose in the West Wing. His immediate expression after she leaves is a devastating piece of animation.

Belle influences the Beast's growth as a person, but his transformation from villain to hero and from enemy to lover is his own choice to make. This is in contrast to Gaston, who, when confronted by Belle about his behavior, instead doubles down on his aggression. Another aversion to the Stockholm Syndrome comparison is that Belle immediately leaves the Beast's domain once she has the chance, upon seeing her father in danger. By this time, a mutual affection bloomed between them, and the Beast's first true act of compassion was to let Belle to leave at the cost of his own happiness and possible humanity. In gratitude, Belle and Maurice later choose to return to the castle to save the Beast's life. Furthermore, is Belle's choice to confess her love to the Beast. Their happy ending was well-earned from both sides, making this one of the more real romances Disney has offered, willing suspension of disbelief aside.

Humanity, or the lack thereof, is the central theme of Beauty and the Beast. As Disney's adaptation of The Hunchback of Notre Dame would later ask, "Who is the monster, and who is the man?" Beauty and the Beast poses a similar question through the contrast between Gaston and the Beast. Both men start out aggressive and vindictive. They are surrounded by enablers at every turn. While the Beast was punished for his actions and lost his human form, the villagers reward Gaston's arrogance and vanity. Belle is at the center of this love triangle, and she is also the only one willing to confront them. She rebuffs Gaston's crudeness and anti-intellectualism. Similarly, she rebukes the Beast for mistreating her father, and for his bad temper and entitlement. Here is where the similarities between the men end. Their differences are clearest in the climactic battle. The Beast's movements are fluid, upright and human. Gaston looks disheveled, snarling, crawling and scampering on all fours like an animal. Gaston ironically loses his humanity whereas the Beast earns his, thanks to some help from a good woman, and a lot of self-reflection. It's a simple message, but a beautiful one.

Beauty & the Beast Is Disney Animation at Its Finest

The movie is the disney renaissance’s peak.

Top 5 Disney Renaissance Musicals, According to Rotten Tomatoes
Title	Rotten Tomatoes
(1992)
(1991)
(1994)
(1989)
(1999)

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If it's not Baroque, don't fix it. - Cogsworth

Beauty and the Beast is one of Disney's great aesthetic triumphs. The Disney Renaissance is arguably the studio at peak form, in terms of animation and storytelling. Beauty and the Beast makes a good case for this argument. The animation is smooth, clean and luscious, with the backgrounds looking like real-life paintings. The color palette is a rich canvas of jewel tones such as red, blue, gold, emerald green, mahogany brown, and rich purple with almost Gothic lighting. The little town Belle and Maurice live in may be provincial, and Beast's castle may be cursed and decked with gargoyles, but they are certainly beautiful. The character animation is also spectacular. Subjects move with a smoothness and fluidity that looks natural without veering into the uncanny valley.

The only thing out of place would be the early digital elements used in the classic ballroom dance scene but, thankfully, it doesn't take away from this memorable sequence. The whole movie is a testament to the beauty of traditional animation, and re-watching it is both heartwarming and heartbreaking. The score and soundtrack, courtesy of legendary composer Alan Menken, gives Beauty and the Beast its signature tragic, bittersweet fairy tale feeling. The opening sequence alone – set to mournful piano and strings – brings chills to this day.

If there is one word to describe Beauty and the Beast, it would be competence. This is a film that does almost everything right. It has an excellent cast of characters, a believable and well-earned romance that still fits within a fantastical setting, magnificent animation and art direction, voice acting, and an overall respectable interpretation of the original fairy tale. To top it all off, the original tale's elements are updated enough to resonate with contemporary audiences, without taking too many liberties. Everything about this film's existence only hammers home just how redundant Disney's live-action remakes — and their current brand of self-conscious, self-flagellating deconstructions — really are. Beauty and the Beast got everything right. There was nothing that needed improvement.

Beauty and the Beast is arguably Disney's magnum opus, the product of a studio without insecurities, brought to life by a team of talented artists at the top of their game. It's a simple story, but it has just the right amount of narrative, thematic and emotional complexity to give it depth, without overwhelming it. It has a great, relatable heroine, a worthy love interest and hero, a gloriously hammy and threatening villain, and a supporting cast full of color and personality. The animation is top-tier, the art direction breathtaking, the colors are vibrant and autumnal. Menken's soundtrack was so stunning that it gave this film new life on the Broadway stage. It also has what is possibly one of the best animated couples, with an ending that could rouse tears from a stone. It might be a reach, or a case of nostalgic bias, to call Beauty and the Beast the best film to come from Walt Disney Animation Studios. That is up to the individual. But it's certainly up there.

Beauty and the Beast is available to buy, rent and stream.

Beauty and the Beast (1991)

A prince cursed to spend his days as a hideous monster sets out to regain his humanity by earning a young woman's love.

Gorgeous animation
Creative and respectful adaptation of a fairy tale
A believable and compelling romance
Magnificent characters and cast

walt disney animation

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‘beauty and the beast’: film review.

Emma Watson and Dan Stevens star in a tale as old as 26 years, maybe more, in Disney's live-action remake of 1991 animated hit 'Beauty and the Beast.'

By Leslie Felperin

Leslie Felperin

Contributing Film Critic

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A rococo confection featuring fiendishly intricate production values, a bravura, coloratura-rich musical score and whizz-pop state-of-the-art effects, Disney’s latest iteration of the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast is more than just eye candy. It’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. Only once viewers have come down and digested it all might they feel like the whole experience was actually a little bland, lacking in depth and so effervescent as to be almost instantly forgettable.

Paradoxically, despite all the palpable budget spend on fancy computer effects, it’s the cheaper, old-school, real-world bits — like the big ensemble dance sequences or the moments when the actors interact directly with each other rather than with greenscreen illusions — that pack the biggest wallops.

Release date: Mar 17, 2017

Nevertheless, this live-action-meets-CGI musical directed by Bill Condon ( Dreamgirls , The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn ) should hit the sweet spot with audiences worldwide. Adding bonus in box-office terms, its early spring release leaves it relatively few competitors, apart from Kong: Skull Island and Power Rangers on either side of its opening weekend.

Indeed, all credit should be due to Disney for canny planning on a meta level, one of the trademarks of its success over the years. This remake of the company’s 1991 animated hit tracks closely to the earlier version’s plot and story beats, includes revamps of all the old songs and arrives just in time to exploit generational nostalgia — to lure viewers who loved the last version as kids and are just becoming parents themselves. Since the 1960s, Disney has been rereleasing in roughly 25-year intervals their classic animated features, either theatrically or on home entertainment platforms. Now that all the old films are out there in the public domain, live-action remakes are the best way to keep the story brands alive, starting with Maleficent in 2014, Cinderella in 2015 and now this.

'Beauty and the Beast' Premiere: Amid Reports of Gay LeFou, Josh Gad Says He'll Let "Lovely Moment" at End "Speak for Itself"

Production companies: A Disney presentation of a Mandeville Films production Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Cast: Emma Watson , Dan Stevens, Luke Evans , Kevin Kline , Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor , Stanley Tucci , Ian McKellen , Emma Thompson Director: Bill Condon Screenwriters: Stephen Chbosky, Evan Spiliotopoulos Producers: David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman Executive producers: Jeffrey Silver, Thomas Schumacher, Don Hahn Director of photography: Tobias Schliessler Production designer: Sarah Greenwood Costume designer: Jacqueline Durran Editor: Virginia Katz Score arrangement/conductor: Michael Kosarin Score arrangement: Christopher Benstead Music producer: Matt Sullivan Songs and music, score: Alan Menken Lyrics: Howard Ashman, Tim Rice Casting: Lucy Bevan

Rated PG, 129 minutes

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Summary Belle (Emma Watson), a bright, beautiful and independent young woman 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 realize the kind heart and soul of the true Prince within.

Directed By : Bill Condon

Written By : Stephen Chbosky, Evan Spiliotopoulos, Linda Woolverton, Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve

Beauty and the Beast

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Beauty and the Beast

A prince cursed to spend his days as a hideous monster sets out to regain his humanity by earning a young woman's love. A prince cursed to spend his days as a hideous monster sets out to regain his humanity by earning a young woman's love. A prince cursed to spend his days as a hideous monster sets out to regain his humanity by earning a young woman's love.

Gary Trousdale
Linda Woolverton
Brenda Chapman
Chris Sanders
Paige O'Hara
Robby Benson
Jesse Corti
514 User reviews
166 Critic reviews
95 Metascore
33 wins & 32 nominations total

Top cast 56

(as Bradley Michael Pierce)

Monsieur D'Arque

Featherduster

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Trivia All songs were the last complete works for a movie by Academy Award winner Howard Ashman . Ashman died eight months prior to the release of this movie. This movie is dedicated to Ashman; at the end of the final credits, you can read the dedication: "To our friend Howard, who gave a mermaid her voice and a beast his soul, we will be forever grateful."
Goofs During the fighting scene between Gaston and Beast, Gaston says "Belle is mine!" But his mouth is saying something else. This is because, he was originally supposed to say, "Time to die!" but the writer changed it to fit Belle back in the scene.

Beast : [struggling] You came back.

Belle : Of course I came back. I couldn't let them... oh, this is all my fault!

[Belle cradles the Beast's head]

Belle : If only I had gotten here sooner.

Beast : Maybe... it's better... it's better this way.

Belle : [Belle tries to silence him] Don't talk like that! You'll be alright. We're together now; everything's going to be fine, you'll see.

Beast : At least... at least I got to see you... one last time.

[Beast dies from his injuries and blood loss]

Belle : No, No! Please--please--please don't leave me.

[Belle begins to sob]

Belle : I love you!

[the last rose petal falls]

Crazy credits "To our friend, Howard, who gave a mermaid her voice and a beast his soul, we will be forever grateful. Howard Ashman (1950-1991)"
The "In Association with Silver Screen Partners IV" credit is replaced with "The Special Edition Of--" on the opening title sequence. The 2002 Platinum Edition DVD omits this credit and the Walt Disney Pictures Presents credit stays on screen.
The 2002 Platinum Edition DVD omits the Beast's "stutter" ("You wan-wanna stay in the tower?").
The animation in some of the scenes went back through the clean-up animation department a second time, to correct problems such as wavering lines and missing details, which, while not very noticeable during a traditional 35mm showing of the film, would have been discomforting on a much large IMAX screen. Small details, such as the blood in Beast's wound after his fight with the wolves, were also added.
At the end of the "Something There" sequence, the background has been changed from Belle and Beast in front of the fireplace to an empty hallway, and a bit of the character animation has also been altered in this shot.
Six minutes of new footage was added between the songs "Something There" and "Beauty and the Beast," most of which is made up of a new musical sequence, "Human Again." This song was written by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken for the original version of the film, but cut for continuity purposes. After Alan Menken altered the song to make it work for the Broadway stage version of Beauty and the Beast, the song was worked back into the film.
During the "Human Again" song sequence, the household objects clean up the Beast's castle, which necessitated having the background artists go back and digitally re-paint the backgrounds for the castle scenes that followed so that the castle was clean.
The animation for Cogsworth's line to the Beast after Belle is freed ("Yes-yes-yes, but...why?") was completely re-done, as the directors never liked how the animation looked in the original version.
New sound effects are added to the shot where Belle and Phillippe leave the castle to find Maurice, which are supposed to suggest that the Beast trashes his room in anguish (and also so that the backgrounds from this point on would not have to be repainted).
The ending credits are longer to necessitate the addition of an additional passage of score music, the version of the 'Transformation' theme that was cut out of the original film, to the end of the film.
Connections Edited from Bambi (1942)
Soundtracks Prologue (uncredited) Music by Alan Menken

User reviews 514

Dec 10, 2001
How long is Beauty and the Beast? Powered by Alexa
This question's in regard to the tune that the brass band play at what would've been Gaston and Belle's wedding. Did it originate from somewhere or did Alan and/or Howard write it themselves?
What was the Beast's actual name?
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November 22, 1991 (United States)
United States
Official Facebook
Official site
La bella y la bestia
Walt Disney Feature Animation - 500 S. Buena Vista Street, Burbank, California, USA (Studio)
Walt Disney Pictures
Silver Screen Partners IV
Walt Disney Animation Studios
See more company credits at IMDbPro
$25,000,000 (estimated)
$218,967,620
Nov 17, 1991
$424,967,620

Technical specs

Runtime 1 hour 24 minutes
Dolby Stereo (original release)

More to explore

The New Beauty and the Beast Is a Lifeless Re-creation of the Original

Imagine it’s the late 1980s, and you work as an animator at Walt Disney Studios. You’ve been assigned to Beauty and the Beast, a film populated by talking teapots, candlesticks, and wardrobes that’s being pitched as a Broadway-worthy musical extravaganza. You’ve been assigned to design an uppity clock named Cogsworth, and as you sit down to figure out his myriad facial expressions and physical movements, an unshakable thought runs through your head: This is fine, but I just feel so hamstrung by my medium. This guy’s never going to look like an actual clock with a human face. I’m doomed to fail.

You’d be glad to know, then, that Walt Disney Studios has set out to remedy everything wrong with the original 1991 Beauty and the Beast by producing a “live action” remake of the film. Finally, the unfulfilled promise of the original has come to fruition, by reimagining all its fantastical elements in CGI, and keeping them more faithful to real-world physics, I guess because that seemed like it would be fun.

It’s easy to understand the lure of making the ephemeral tangible; it’s what Disney is banking on for a whole slate of planned live-action treatments of their back catalogue. It’s also the basic premise of Disneyland, and the thing that fuels countless enterprising cosplayers. But in the new Beauty and the Beast the word “tangible” is egregiously stretched. After a couple musical numbers, it occurs to you that the film you’re watching is every bit as animated as the original, but it’s somehow turned out less lifelike, despite its considerable technological advantage.

You likely know the story: A spoiled prince (Dan Stevens) is turned into a beast, and all his servants into objects, in a curse that will be lifted if he ever learns to love and be loved in return. A rebellious bookworm named Belle (Emma Watson) volunteers herself as his prisoner in place of her eccentric father (Kevin Kline) who has accidentally wandered onto beastly property. Over time, they grow fond of each other, despite or because of the lopsided power dynamic in their relationship, but they must overcome the most eligible bachelor Gaston (Luke Evans, the only person having any fun here) and a town full of fearful villagers who would rather see the beast’s head on the wall at the local tavern.

Aside from its production techniques, the film has also sought to update its story for today’s social mores. The poor, provincial town that Belle lives in is more diverse and explicitly anti–female literacy (Belle gets her books from a chapel, not a bookstore), effectively turning her defining hobby into a form of high-stakes resistance. Maurice, her father, is an artist instead of an inventor; it’s Belle who’s out there trying to engineer the world’s first washing machine with a horse and a rolling bucket. And the Beast is revealed to be a bit of a bookworm as well. The titular pair bond over Shakespeare, which softens a romance that’s always been a little hard to swallow.

But it doesn’t make up for his face: an eerie, uncanny valley blend of lifelike CGI fur and Stevens’s human eyes, which never seem to really connect with whatever’s in front of them. We see Stevens briefly as a human in an opening ball scene (which, with its powdered wigs and face paint, unquestionably situates the story in the 18th-century twilight of the French aristocracy — more of that would have been fun), but we’re hardly able to get a handle on him before he disappears into the fur. The same goes for his servants, whose features have been minimized supposedly in the name of realism, but in a way that they all end up resembling the plastered visages in Georges Méliès’s A Trip to the Moon .

Emma Watson is the real headliner here, and physically couldn’t have been more perfectly cast. But someone really should have screen-tested her before she signed on — with an actual green screen. There are actors who can conjure up a world around them on a blank soundstage and make us believe in it just with their eyes; Watson is not one of those actors. Watching her sing to the hills during the re-creation of the iconic “Belle (Reprise)” or wander through the ominous ruins of the castle’s west wing (not that one) I found myself distracted, wondering where she thought she was walking when she filmed it, what she thought she was looking at. Her singing voice could stand to add a little oomph , but it’s the least of the problems in a performance that mostly adds up as a collection of charming poses and furrowed eyebrows. But boy, does she look the part.

If only Beauty and the Beast were just a collection of stills, like a fancy Annie Leibowitz spread for some glossy quarterly edition of Disney Adventures. Unfortunately, it’s over two hours long, and is padded out by a hugely unnecessary number of non–Ashman-Menken musical numbers and a pointless detour where Belle finds out what happened to her missing mother. At every turn, the film seems to ask itself if what the original film did was enough, and answers with a definitive “no.” But hey, at least that clock looked real.

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‘Beauty and the Beast’ Review: Live-Action Disney Classic Still Tale as Old as Time

By Peter Travers

Peter Travers

The tale of a scary-looking dude who holds a girl hostage until she submits to him is usually the stuff of police reports. Or, of course, a Disney musical . Such is the case with Beauty and the Beast, director Bill Condon’s live–action version of the 1991 classic and the first animated feature to win an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. Condon ( Dreamgirls ) knows how to lift heavy machinery without showing the sweat. And Emma Watson is just the Disney princess-in-distress to warm the heart of a hairy ape, or bison, or whatever kind of beast the stellar Dan Stevens is playing. Working from a busy script by Stephen Chbosky and Evan Spiliotopoulos, the director fills every frame of this way-too-long 129-minute bauble with rapid motion and ravishing romance. It looks the same, moves the same and sounds the same (those Alan Menken songs!) as the original. But some of the magic has gone M.I.A.

It’s still a tale as old as time. A spoiled prince (Stevens, allowed for a minute to show his Downton Abbey handsomeness) gets zapped into a beast for being an arrogant prick; his curse can only be lifted if the egomaniac learns to love and be loved in return. Enter Belle (Watson, the perfect embodiment of the little engine that could), a scrappy bookworn/inventor who voluntarily enters the prince’s lair in return for his freeing her artist daddy (the ever-splendid Kevin Kline) who wandered in there by mistake. Belle is almost relieved to be locked up with a monster, since she previously spent her days escaping the randy attentions of Gaston (Luke Evans, a preening delight), a Bachelor wannabe whose sidekick LeFou ( Josh Gad ), is, yes, gay. This fact has earned the film cinema non grata status in some countries and rural American counties; it’s so coded that it’s barely detectable.

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The bigger twist is that the Beast is – no, not also gay – but as hot a book lover as Belle. Literacy gets a booming shoutout in this new Beauty. For our heroine, her captor’s thing for Shakespeare is a frisky turn-on. It takes her a little longer to get used to life in the palace, what with the singing and dancing furniture – inanimate objects have a habit of doing that in Disney movies. Thanks to computer wizardry, Ewan McGregor sings and swans around as candlestick, Ian McKellan as a clock, Audra McDonald as a wardrobe, Gugu Mbatha-Raw as a feather-duster, Stanley Tucci as a piano, and Emma Thompson as a teapot (she sings the title song Angela Lansbury warbled for the ages in the original). Despite all the energy they expend in their frenzied Busby Berkeley-inspired rendition of “Be Our Guest,” the animated version far exceeds it in a quality even a $160 million budget can’t buy: charm.

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What Beauty and the Beast rises or falls on is the love story, and here, allowed to slow down to let in intimate moments, the movie catches fire. Hobbled by a motion capture process that forced him to walk on stilts and wear a huge muscle suit covered in Lycra, Stevens goes beyond the call of family-musical duty to give us a flawed human being instead of a special effect; his is a Beast worth saving. Those are his eyes gazing down with passion at Watson’s Beauty, his voice choked with genuine ardor. And suddenly, in a movie built on the bones of what preceded it, there is something there that wasn’t there before. I’d call that an exhilarating gift.

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Melissa barrera's new horror movie is the beauty & the beast remake i never knew i needed.

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Melissa Barrera has another horror movie coming up in 2024, and it’s the Beauty and the Beast remake I never knew I needed. Melissa Barrera has become one of the modern Scream Queens thanks to her role as Sam Carpenter in the Scream reboot timeline. Despite the controversy around her exit from Scream 7 , Barrera is still a beloved name in the horror genre, and she has moved on from Woodsboro and Ghostface with other horror projects. 2024 is a big year for Barrera, first with the horror comedy Abigail and now with the horror rom-com Your Monster .

Abigail follows a group of kidnappers tasked with capturing the daughter of a powerful underworld figure and demanding a large sum of money for her release. However, they were each chosen for a reason, and the kid isn’t as innocent as she appears as she’s actually a bloodthirsty vampire. Abigail was a critical success and found its audience on streaming, and luckily, we’re getting more from Barrera in horror in Your Monster . However, Your Monster is not what I expected it to be, as it’s clearly a dark version of a fairy tale made popular by Disney.

Melissa Barrera's Your Monster Movie Has Similarities To Beauty & The Beast

Your monster has clear fairy tale inspirations.

The Monster and Laura stare longingly into each other's eyes in Your Monster

Your Monster is directed by Caroline Lindy and based on her 2019 short film of the same name. Your Monster follows actress Laura Franco (Barrera), who is going through a very hard time after struggling with her health and her boyfriend breaking up with her when she was at her most vulnerable. One day, she finds a Monster (Tommy Dewey) living in her closet and who gives her two weeks to pack her stuff and leave. During that time, Laura and the Monster (who is weirdly charming) create a special bond.

Although Your Monster is an original story, it has some very clear similarities to Beauty and the Beast , which makes it the darker remake I didn’t know I needed. The story of Beauty and the Beast is best known for Disney’s animated adaptation of it, but it comes from the 1756 fairy tale of the same name by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, itself an abridged version of the 1749 story by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve. Beauty and the Beast is the story of Beauty, the youngest daughter of a widowed merchant .

One day, on his way home, the merchant gets lost and ends up at a castle , where he accepts the food and drink offered by an invisible owner. However, when the merchant takes a rose from the garden for Beauty, he’s confronted by the angry Beast, who allows him to go back home to give Beauty the rose but must return with one of his daughters so she can take his place, but she has to arrive willingly. Although Beauty turns down the Beast’s marriage proposal every night , she eventually falls in love with him, breaking his curse.

Cutouts of Belle and Beast against a blue cracked mirror background.

10 Harsh Realities Of Rewatching Disney's Beauty and the Beast

Beauty And The Beast is one of Disney's most classic animated movies. However, upon rewatching the film, several harsh realities become noticeable.

Your Monster is similar to Beauty and the Beast in the sense of a Monster and a woman falling in love with each other, and there surely is something else about Monster that the audience will have to discover. Laura also seems to be an intruder in the Monster’s home, and they will help each other enjoy life and change their perspectives.

Your Monster Already Has Promising Reviews

Your monster has charmed critics so far.

Laura and the Monster smile at each other in living room in Your Monster

If Your Monster ’s premise and Barrera’s presence aren’t enough to attract your attention, the movie already has promising reviews ahead of its release on October 25, 2024. Critics are praising the bizarre genre blends of Your Monster , calling it “charming”, “engaging”, “funny”, and “emotional”, even if, for most, the movie doesn’t stick the landing. Surely, Your Monster has its flaws, but to most critics so far, these don’t take away the emotional charge of the story, its sense of humor, the darkness of it, and the incredible chemistry between Barrera and Dewey .

Your Monster Review: Melissa Barrera & Tommy Dewey Are A Perfect Pair In Dazzling Horror Rom-Com

This genre-defying rom-com is a fantastical experience that reminds us of the magic of movies.

Your Monster ’s combination of horror, comedy, romance, and musical elements left many critics wanting more movies of this type, which sounds refreshing as the horror genre is currently packed with remakes, sequels, and adaptations of other works. While some critics didn’t quite find the horror elements in Your Monste r nor were they impressed by them, the warmth and sweetness of the story, Lindy’s direction, and the main cast’s performances are enough to grant it a positive review.

Your Monster Is Melissa Barrera's Second Notable Horror Movie In 2024

Melissa barrera has had a great horror run in 2024.

Your Monster is continuing Melissa Barrera’s great 2024 horror run after Abigail , which went through some ups and downs at first. As mentioned above, Abigail was well-received by critics , who praised the performances of the cast, its comedy, twists in the story, action scenes, and horror elements, which gave a much-needed fresh twist to the vampire genre. While Abigail didn’t perform well at the box office, grossing $42.4 million against a $28 million budget, it became a success once it was made available for streaming.

It’s still early to say how well or badly Your Monster can do at the box office, more so as there have been some big surprises in the horror genre recently (both good and bad), but, at least, it’s already getting positive reviews, thus carrying on with Melissa Barrera ’s impressive streak in the horror genre.

Your Monster

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Your Monster is a romantic-comedy-horror film by writer-director Caroline Lindy, released in 2024. The film follows a shy actress named Laura, recently diagnosed with cancer, who regains her voice after meeting a kindly monster that lives inside her closet.

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Beauty and the Beast movie review: even creepier in live action

emma watson beauty and the beast trailer disney november 2016

As if having to put up with the never-ending onslaught of superhero movies isn’t enough, Disney has just begun its 22-movie-long series of live action remakes. And in an age where big budget cinema is at a loss for original content, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is just another new release you can add to your list of already seen. The film is as entertaining as it is charming, but the story is one we all know — and it struggles to hold up in live action.

In case you’ve been hit by a sudden case of amnesia, here’s a recap: Belle is a smart girl in a village of small-minded people who finds herself trapped by a mysterious Beast in a castle. After attempting an escape, the Beast saves her from wolves, and their relationship begins to blossom. On the side is a stubborn macho man from the village eager to earn Belle’s hand in marriage, and a curse on the Beast and his friends by a creepy witch who shows up only when there’s drama.

Emma Watson plays Belle like she plays all her roles: safely. Her singing voice is beautiful, but it’s the only above average part of her performance. She is never noticeably bad, but she also never pushes past her comfort zone of a few eyebrow raises and a wry smile. Even with the incredible display that is the musical number Be Our Guest (expertly animated), the only emotion she manages to tap is amused.

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is just another new release you can add to your list of already seen

The stand-out performances, though, come from Luke Evans and Josh Gad as the narcissist Gaston and his pining sidekick Lefou. Evans nails Gaston’s narcissistic charm and persistence, but his shining moment is when he realises he’s lost the girl and his greed turns to anger. Riling up the anger of the masses is something we’ve all seen plenty of over the last year, but Evans brings the frightening humanity of it to the forefront — and his performance is all the more threatening for it.

Gad’s Lefou, on the other hand, has caused a stir as Disney’s supposed first canon gay character (Sebastian? Ken from Toy Story? Timon and Pumbaa?). But it’s not just the homosexuality that makes the character remarkable — Gad is simply delightful in the role. Gaston is undoubtedly the best number in the film, and it’s largely thanks to Gad and his musical theatre background. He’s funny, he’s charming, and he’s a little gay (though if you’re looking for more than subtext, you’re going to have to wait for all two seconds of it at the end).

Stellar performances are the only positive of a live action remake, though, and unfortunately the cons outweigh the pros. All of the creepy plot points of the original Beauty and the Beast remain, except this time they’re more real. If you thought watching an animated girl fall in love with her animalistic kidnapper was uncomfortable, try watch it happen in live action and not want to gag when she makes quips about being attracted to his beast mode. It’s disturbing to say the least.

In spite of this, the film provides for a visually spectacular night out that will have you smiling more often than you cringe (and you will cringe). But if you stay home to watch the original Beauty and the Beast instead, you’ll get the same — albeit Josh Gad-less — experience for a far lower cost. And who needs moral ambiguity at the cinema when you can have it at home instead?

Verdict: The film is entertaining and fun, but the grave misgivings of the plot are even more obvious in live action. If you’ve been counting down the days, the film won’t disappoint –but if you’re indifferent, you’re no worse off staying home to watch the original. Score: 7/10

Julia Breakey

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Beauty And The Beast 2017 Review: An Ironically Realistic Love Story
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Movie Lovers Reviews: Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Movie Review: Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Beauty and the Beast

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COMMENTS

Beauty and the Beast movie review (2017)
The bottom line: This gloriously old-fashioned musical with gee-whiz trappings is a dazzling beauty to behold (with enough Rococo gold decor to gild all of Trump's properties) and is anything but a beastly re-interpretation of a fairy tale as old as time. Also welcome is the more inclusive display of love in its various forms, which go beyond ...
Beauty And The Beast movie review (1991)
Animation. 84 minutes ‧ G ‧ 1991. Roger Ebert. November 22, 1991. 4 min read. "Beauty and the Beast" slipped around all my roadblocks and penetrated directly into my strongest childhood memories, in which animation looked more real than live-action features. Watching the movie, I found myself caught up in a direct and joyous way.
Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast. Belle (Emma Watson), a bright, beautiful and independent young woman, is taken prisoner by a beast (Dan Stevens) in its castle. Despite her fears, she befriends the castle's ...
Review: 'Beauty and the Beast' Revels in Joy and Enchantment
A compassionate Belle and a splendid monster are the hallmarks of this live-action remake of the 1991 animated film.
Beauty and the Beast movie review (2016)
There have been so many screen adaptations, official and otherwise, of Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont's classic fairy tale "La Belle et la Bete"—"Beauty and the Beast" to you non-French-speaking types—over the years, ranging from the hypnotic 1946 live-action take from Jean Cocteau to the high-spirited 1991 Disney animated musical (which is getting a live-action remake next ...
Film Review: 'Beauty and the Beast'
Film Review: 'Beauty and the Beast' Disney's live-action remake of its 1991 animated classic, starring Emma Watson as a pitch-perfect Belle, is a sometimes entrancing, sometimes awkward ...
'Beauty and the Beast' Reviews: What the Critics Are Saying
Early reviews of "Beauty and the Beast" conclude the film has a few thorns. Here's what the critics are saying.
Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Beauty and the Beast: Directed by Bill Condon. With Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Josh Gad. A selfish Prince is cursed to become a monster for the rest of his life, unless he learns to fall in love with a beautiful young woman he keeps prisoner.
Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast is a fancy affair, but delivers too little for me to fall in love with. Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Feb 7, 2021. Jordy Sirkin Jordy Reviews It. A tale as old as time ...
Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast, an instant classic of Disney animation, offers more excitement, magic and hilarity than any of its live-action competitors released so far.
Beauty and the Beast Movie Review
Fantastic but scarier remake of the "tale as old as time." Read Common Sense Media's Beauty and the Beast review, age rating, and parents guide.
Beauty and the Beast reviews: Here's what critics think
The first reviews for Beauty and the Beast, starring Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as the cursed prince, have arrived with mixed reactions. Whether "a lifeless recreation of the original ...
'Beauty and the Beast' Review: Movie (1991)
On November 22, 1991, Disney unveiled Beauty and the Beast in theaters. The film, a critical and commercial smash, was nominated for six Oscars at the 64th Academy Awards, including best picture ...
Beauty and the Beast Movie Review
Disney fave has great music, strong messages, some scares. Read Common Sense Media's Beauty and the Beast review, age rating, and parents guide.
Beauty and the Beast (2017 film)
Beauty and the Beast is a 2017 American musical romantic fantasy film directed by Bill Condon from a screenplay by Stephen Chbosky and Evan Spiliotopoulos. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures with Mandeville Films, [1][6] it is a live-action/animated remake of Disney's 1991 animated film Beauty and the Beast, itself an adaptation of Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont 's version of the fairy tale ...
This 33-Year Old Movie is Disney's Romantic Masterpiece
RETRO REVIEW: Even After 33 Years, Beauty & the Beast Is Still Disney's Romantic Masterpiece. In discussions about Disney films, especially those made during the Disney Renaissance, Beauty and the Beast will almost always be mentioned — and with good reason. Hot off the success of The Little Mermaid two years prior, Walt Disney Animation ...
'Beauty and the Beast' Review
Emma Watson and Dan Stevens star in a tale as old as 26 years, maybe more, in Disney's live-action remake of 1991 animated hit 'Beauty and the Beast.'
Beauty and the Beast
Jun 28, 2024. "Beauty and the Beast", one of the hallmarks of Disney's renaissance era, is an animated masterpiece that excels in utilizing complex characters and aesthetics while remaining simple at its core. Combined with an unforgettable lineup of songs (such as "Be Our Guest", "Gaston", and the movie's namesake) and wrapped ...
Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast - Metacritic. Summary Belle (Emma Watson), a bright, beautiful and independent young woman 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 realize the kind heart and soul of the true Prince within.
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Beauty and the Beast: Directed by Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise. With Robby Benson, Jesse Corti, Rex Everhart, Angela Lansbury. A prince cursed to spend his days as a hideous monster sets out to regain his humanity by earning a young woman's love.
Beauty and the Beast Movie Review: A Lifeless Re-creation
But in the new Beauty and the Beast the word "tangible" is egregiously stretched. After a couple musical numbers, it occurs to you that the film you're watching is every bit as animated as ...
Peter Travers: 'Beauty and the Beast' Movie Review
March 17, 2017. 'Beauty and the Beast' does justice to Disney's animated classic, even if some of the magic is M.I.A. Peter Travers reviews a new tale as old as time. Disney. The tale of a scary ...
Melissa Barrera's New Horror Movie Is The Beauty & The Beast Remake I
Melissa Barrera has another horror movie coming up in 2024, and it's the Beauty and the Beast remake I never knew I needed. Melissa Barrera has become one of the modern Scream Queens thanks to her role as Sam Carpenter in the Scream reboot timeline. Despite the controversy around her exit from Scream 7, Barrera is still a beloved name in the horror genre, and she has moved on from Woodsboro ...
Beauty and the Beast movie review: even creepier in live action
The latest live action remake of Beauty And The Beast is entertaining and fun to watch, but you're better off staying at home if you're not a Disney fan.

Review: ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Revels in Joy and Enchantment

Movie Review: ‘Beauty and the Beast’

Beauty and the Beast

Peter Sobczynski

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Speak No Evil (2024)

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Girls Will Be Girls

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¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!

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