Watch ‘Beauty and the Beast’ before the last petal falls

A+E – UNLV Free Press

Disney invites audiences to be their guest for the much-anticipated live action remake of “Beauty and the Beast,” which began showing in theaters March 17.

After seeing the live action adaptations of “Alice in Wonderland,” “Cinderella,” “Maleficent” and “The Jungle Book,” Disney fans were excited to see Emma Watson (“Harry Potter,” “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”) and Dan Stevens (“Downton Abbey,” “Legion”) bring Belle and the Beast to life.

Director Bill Condon doesn’t disappoint with his adaptation of the classic 1991 animated film. While there are noteworthy differences between the live action version and the animation, he stays true to the fairytale that many people have come to love.

Belle, a beautiful, independent and intelligent young woman, takes her father’s place in prison after he unknowingly stole a rose from the Beast’s castle. The Beast, a hairy, bison-like creature with large horns, is actually a prince under a curse.

The prince refused to help an old woman because of her less-than appealing looks, but it turned out that the old woman was actually a beautiful enchantress. She cursed him into becoming a beast and turned all of his castle workers into household items. The Beast has until the last rose petal falls to get someone to love him despite his looks in order to break the curse.

The screenplay, written by Stephen Chbosky and Evan Spiliotopoulos, adds a richer layer to Belle and the Beast’s characterizations by including more backstory. Audiences will learn more about Belle’s mother and the reason why the Beast was as spoiled and unpleasant as he was.

It’s hard to picture any other actress play Belle besides Watson. This movie is her singing debut, and it didn’t disappoint. Watson, who is known for being a fierce feminist, portrays Belle perfectly in the movie.

Stevens depicts the Beast with ferocity, but the tenderness he brings to the character compels the audience to feel compassion for him. Their chemistry breathes life into the love story.

The movie also owes a lot of its success to the realistic CGI effects and the voices that bring the servants-turned-household objects to life: Lumière, the candelabra (Ewan McGregor), Cogsworth, the clock (Ian McKellen), Mrs. Potts, the teapot (Emma Thompson), Chip, the teacup (Nathan Mack), Madam Garderobe, the wardrobe (Audra McDonald), Plumette, the feather duster (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and Maestro Cadenza, the harpsichord, a piano-like musical instrument (Stanley Tucci).

McGregor does an outstanding job portraying Lumière with his convincing French accent, and really brings spirit to the character. The same can be said of Luke Evans (“The Hobbit”) and Josh Gad’s (“Frozen”) portrayal of Gaston and LeFou.

Weeks before the premiere of the movie, controversy was stirred about Condon’s choice to make LeFou the first openly gay Disney character. Many people were pleased at the LGBTQ+ community’s inclusion in the movie, but some also took to social media to boycott the movie because they believed the portrayal went against their fundamental Christian views. An Alabama drive-in movie theater even refuses to show the movie.

LeFou’s sexuality, however, isn’t given that much weight. It touches upon it in a modest, unforceful way, and some viewers may see that as either a good thing or a bad thing.

This movie has it all: romance, action, comedy, drama and music. This live action remake is the best one Disney has done yet, and audiences won’t want the enchantment to end.

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