I have to be honest, I’m not the biggest fan of Disney remaking their animated classics into live action movies. So I was ready to go into watching 2017’s Beauty and the Beast with the notion it was going to be terrible. After watching it though, I have to say it’s not as bad as I thought it would be, as it does have it’s moments of funny and touching moments. Though in the end, it’s still a pale comparison to the original 1991 animated masterpiece that can never be outdone with live action or anything else for that matter.
Fellow editor and movie reviewer Chris Pandolfi has all of the plot details and more in his review of the theatrical version of the film that he absolutely loved. I do agree with him on some parts of the movie, as it does have its moments that are truly funny and touching. I really enjoyed the always great Ewan McGregor and Ian McKellen as Lumiere and Cogsworth, as they’re among the best actors and characters this film has to offer. Some people aren’t going to like what I’m about to say, but despite making the character gay in this version, Josh Gad’s LeFou is also funny and entertaining. I even have to admit the scene near the end where the three swordsmen get dressed up like women and the guy in the middle skips away enjoying his new look made me smile and chuckle. It’s as though Disney wanted to have fun with its newly added elements that are reminiscent of the way themes like these were portrayed in 80’s and 90’s films.
Since this is presented in high definition, everything looks and sounds great as all of Disney’s Blu-ray releases do. It took some getting used to the freaky but detailed CG effects of the characters and the Beast, but once I did, it was amazing how much detail showed up in HD. The audio is also on point, as every line and of course every song comes through beautifully. When you’re done being a guest at the castle, you can check out the special features such as “Enchanted Table Read” that has the cast doing a read-through of the script along with some of the songs from the movie. “A Beauty of a Tale” features some of the cast and crew discussing the production of the film, rehearsing the song and dance numbers, how some of the special effect shots came to be, and more. There’s also tons more of extras that go into the women who helped bring the film to life, a music video for the hit song and a making of the video extra, and a few more that will keep viewers enchanted for quite a while.
I’ll admit, I did enjoy watching 2017’s Beauty and the Beast on Blu-ray, as it does have its moments of greatness and a good cast and crew bringing the magic and feels to families who watch. Even still, despite all its fun, special features, and such, it will always be in the shadow of the original 1991 classic that will remain one of the greatest films of all time.
