‘Blu-ray or Bust’ - BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

‘Blu-ray or Bust’

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (2017, PG, 129 minutes, MANDEVILLE FILMS/WALT DISNEY PICTURES)

A few years ago, the thought of a studio remaking one of their own classics elicited eye rolls and comments about how there is nothing original being produced in Hollywood anymore. 

Enter Jon Favreau; by turning THE JUNGLE BOOK into a live-action film, he created a classic on top of a classic.  Even though the film was heavy on CGI, Disney put all of their creativity, money, and faith into the project, and, along with perfect casting, created another version of the same film that worked so well that it stopped my eye rolling as effectively as a slap upside my fat head.

But then came the news that they were remaking BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, and my eyes reverted to my teenage years again (you know, rolling all over the place) (and looking for hot babes).  The casting of Emma Watson sounded like an interesting choice—okay, if I’m being honest, she was the only reason I felt any interest at all in seeing the film. Her beauty and grace onscreen has set my heart to swooning on several occasions (if you haven’t seen her perfect performance in PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER, get off your toilet and go watch it RIGHT NOW).

What makes this movie an entity unto itself is the fact that, even after watching the original again, the vision here is so fresh and visceral that you can’t even compare it to the source material.  You probably already know the story, so I won’t bore you with the particulars of the plot.  What sold me, however, were my two favorite musical numbers from the first being outdone with this outing.

“Gaston” is even more rousing and funny this time around, mostly due to the performances of Luke Evans (THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS) as “Gaston”, and the hilarious Josh Gad (“Olaf” of FROZEN fame) as “LeFou”.  Their chemistry and timing are perfect; Evans captures the suave cockiness of the character, while Gad swoons and cheerleads like no other supporting character has before.  And “Be Our Guest” becomes an even grander and more glorious stage production than it was the first time around.  Once again: perfect casting.  With Ewan McGregor leading the charge as “Lumiere”, the number is more humorous, and soars to new heights—yes, with plenty of CGI, but the quality of the animation is just as convincing here as it was in JUNGLE BOOK.

There are a few new musical numbers, but the most striking (and not in a good way) is a song for The Beast.  While I like Dan Steven’s performance of the cursed prince, his singing voice just doesn’t match up to everyone else in the film, and that particular scene falls a bit flat.

Director Bill Condon (DREAMGIRLS, MR. HOLMES) does one hell of a job with his cast, and with a story that, while it has been done before, hasn’t been done quite like this.  This is a must on Blu-ray; your speakers will thank you for it, as will your flat-screen TV.  And, Disney does a nice job with the special features, including a doc concerning the women of the film, behind-the-scenes production work (including those wonderful sets), and The World’s Most Entertaining Table Read. 

Disney’s next re-imagining—because these have become more than your typical remakes—will be PETER PAN.  Considering that this is a property that has failed other production companies in the last few decades, I’m surprised that they are going in this direction.  But with the successes of JUNGLE and BEAUTY, who the hell am I to judge?  I just hope they stick to the current formula they are using, because it is we the audience who win in the end.  (Okay, Disney ultimately wins, because we are handing over our money, but you get the point.)

Grade: A- (and only because of that one particular BEASTLY number)

Special Features: A

Blu-ray Necessary: Most Definitely

-- T.S. Kummelman