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Beauty and the Beast (2017) reviews are here

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I thought the IMAX 3D, while "fake" looking, was really stunning at the same time. Strangely, that shot where it pans at the ceiling of Belle's bedroom did not seem to have the right focus.
 

massoluk

Banned
I thought the IMAX 3D, while "fake" looking, was really stunning at the same time. Strangely, that shot where it pans at the ceiling of Belle's bedroom did not seem to have the right focus.
Oh yeah, the movie goes blurry in a lot of shots that shouldn't be, so weird
 
I hated the Enchantress additions to the movie. The transformation sequence was terrible. The Ball room dance scene doesn't have the same scope or scale or dynamic camera angles and Emma Thompson just isn't as good Angela Lansbury. Most of the new songs are meh. Aside from all of that, I enjoyed the movie. Liked some of the new subplots, most of the cast is on point, Be Our Guest was well executed.
 
I.

AM.

IN.


SHOCK!!!

I just got back, and HOLY MOLY! I had high hopes for this, and the movie managed to surpass my very huge expectations! I thought literally everything worked and that they couldn't have done a better job adapting this. I honestly can't find one negative thing about it. I couldn't wipe the grin off my face the whole way through! I THOUGHT IT WAS PERFECT! Just....wow! Movie magic!

10/10

CtoQ5vC.jpg


And yes, I actually think it's even better than the animated movie - which I also love. (who doesn't?!)
 

Pagusas

Elden Member
I.

AM.

IN.


SHOCK!!!

I just got back, and HOLY MOLY! I had high hopes for this, and the movie managed to surpass my very huge expectations! I thought literally everything worked and that they couldn't have done a better job adapting this. I honestly can't find one negative thing about it. I couldn't wipe the grin off my face the whole way through! I THOUGHT IT WAS PERFECT! Just....wow! Movie magic!

10/10

CtoQ5vC.jpg


And yes, I actually think it's even better than the animated movie - which I also love. (who doesn't?!)

This makes me happy to see :) Glad its not a minority.
 

Jill Sandwich

the turds of Optimus Prime
Is it a characteristic of film that most of the swooping camera shots (and there are a lot) made everything blurry?

Like when Belle is introduced to her room, we're supposed to see how beautiful it is, but it's a blur of blue and gold. I noticed a lot of bumpy camera tracking too.
 

Pagusas

Elden Member
Is it a characteristic of film that most of the swooping camera shots (and there are a lot) made everything blurry?

Like when Belle is introduced to her room, we're supposed to see how beautiful it is, but it's a blur of blue and gold. I noticed a lot of bumpy camera tracking too.

I feel the film used a LOT of artificial motion blur. Like most films do in some form, but they just went crazy with it in this. A very select few scenes it looked good in (the dance with the quick drop angle that was used in the trailer alot is exactly what that type of motion blue was made for, but other times it was just a bad idea).
 

Fliesen

Member
i really liked the movie.

The beast was a bit too 'hot' though. Not really all that beastly.

I loved Gaston's performance.
I didn't appreciate them playing the gay reveal for laughs, especially the "gay person enjoys wearing drag" - i thought we were beyond that...

Overall, i wouldn't mind anyone preferring this over the animated original. Both are great movies.
 

Sanjuro

Member
Inoffensive and pointless film where the entire cast seemed to be thinking of their paychecks.

Beast looked kind of awful.

Emma Watson didn't have an ounce of liberty with her personality in this film.

Can't imagine someone without attachment to the original finding much here.

Bleh.
 

Leeness

Member
I.

AM.

IN.


SHOCK!!!

I just got back, and HOLY MOLY! I had high hopes for this, and the movie managed to surpass my very huge expectations! I thought literally everything worked and that they couldn't have done a better job adapting this. I honestly can't find one negative thing about it. I couldn't wipe the grin off my face the whole way through! I THOUGHT IT WAS PERFECT! Just....wow! Movie magic!

10/10

CtoQ5vC.jpg


And yes, I actually think it's even better than the animated movie - which I also love. (who doesn't?!)

:))) Glad you liked it too! Great GIF too lol
 
Inoffensive and pointless film where the entire cast seemed to be thinking of their paychecks.

Beast looked kind of awful.

Emma Watson didn't have an ounce of liberty with her personality in this film.

Can't imagine someone without attachment to the original finding much here.

Bleh.

This makes no sense to me. I thought the entire cast was - here's that word again - perfect. I thought the passion and love was bursting from quite literally everyone involved.


You were fine with Emma Watson's singing? I would have preferred an actor who can sing great right off the bat.

I was more than fine with it.

I listened to the soundtrack before watching the movie, and I thought she sounded slightly off (maybe because I was so used to the animated version), but while watching the movie along with the stunning visuals I honestly thought she was wonderful. I was fully swept up with it all.

Speaking of Emma Watson, I had some doubts, but I thought she was the perfect Belle. She blew me away with her acting and line delivery. She came across as a real person with genuine flaws. Hell I felt like I was falling in love with her towards the end of the movie. She came across as strong, but also vulnerable. She was instantly likeable and relatable and the romance felt incredibly natural.

I saw the movie with my family, and when I mentioned I thought Belle was fantastic, my Aunty agreed with me but also said that she couldn't get her Harry Potter character out of her head everytime Belle was on screen. I haven't seen any of the Harry Potter movies, so I'm thinking that might of helped me in regards to liking Emma Watson.

Could they have gotten someone with a better voice? Sure, but I'd place acting over singing ability here. They can touch up the singing, but you're kinda screwed if your acting sucks. Overall I found her voice to be very solid and pleasant, regardless of how much they touched it up.


:))) Glad you liked it too! Great GIF too lol

I haven't felt this good about a movie probably since Guardians of the Galaxy. I so wanted to clap when the credits started LOL. I felt like I had just finished watching a live play.

By the way, the credits were awesome too! I loved how all the characters were shown. Total class act.
 

Rentahamster

Rodent Whores
I saw the movie with my family, and when I mentioned I thought Belle was fantastic, my Aunty agreed with me but also said that she couldn't get her Harry Potter character out of her head everytime Belle was on screen. I haven't seen any of the Harry Potter movies, so I'm thinking that might of helped me in regards to liking Emma Watson.
I also agree that her acting was very good, as usual. She's very talented in that regard. I've seen all the Harry Potter movies, and didn't have the problem your aunty did.

Could they have gotten someone with a better voice? Sure, but I'd place acting over singing ability here. They can touch up the singing, but you're kinda screwed if your acting sucks. Overall I found her voice to be very solid and pleasant, regardless of how much they touched it up.
Valid point. I'm just saying that I don't think it's that hard to get someone who does both. But maybe it is.
 

Sanjuro

Member
This makes no sense to me. I thought the entire cast was - here's that word again - perfect. I thought the passion and love was bursting from quite literally everyone involved.

It felt like everyone had a gun against their head to mimic the source material. Her singing didn't bother me at all, but when there wasn't a number taking place felt like Belle wasn't even a part of this film. I felt Kevin Kline had a few moments in a performance he largely mailed home.

If the movie shaved off 30-40 minutes of the run time I think it wouldn't have left me idling so long after the initial charm/nostalgia wore off.
 
I.

AM.

IN.


SHOCK!!!

I just got back, and HOLY MOLY! I had high hopes for this, and the movie managed to surpass my very huge expectations! I thought literally everything worked and that they couldn't have done a better job adapting this. I honestly can't find one negative thing about it. I couldn't wipe the grin off my face the whole way through! I THOUGHT IT WAS PERFECT! Just....wow! Movie magic!

10/10

CtoQ5vC.jpg


And yes, I actually think it's even better than the animated movie - which I also love. (who doesn't?!)

Awesome, going @ 6:30!
 

Rentahamster

Rodent Whores
It didn't seem like the town was that far away from the castle. How do the townsfolk not notice that huge castle in the distance that is experiencing eternal winter? Is it under a magic spell like Hogwarts so that no one can see it from a distance?
 

Pagusas

Elden Member
It didn't seem like the town was that far away from the castle. How do the townsfolk not notice that huge castle in the distance that is experiencing eternal winter? Is it under a magic spell like Hogwarts so that no one can see it from a distance?

Magic fog/forest. that was pretty much shown by how the destroyed tree was suddenly whole again when they came back.

Plus if the witch was shown as living right near by that tree path, so she probably was keeping an eye on things.
 

Blizzard

Banned
Mini-review: 8/10 if you like Disney.

Positive: Gorgeous movie, good casting, nice music, overall well done.

Negative: I knew about both of these before the movie. Autotune is pretty heavy, especially on Emma Watson (Beauty) and Dan Stevens (Beast), but it didn't ruin the movie in my opinion. Also, you'd expect the Beast to look a little more realistic with Disney money behind him, but he was still decent.
 

Leeness

Member
I haven't felt this good about a movie probably since Guardians of the Galaxy. I so wanted to clap when the credits started LOL. I felt like I had just finished watching a live play.

By the way, the credits were awesome too! I loved how all the characters were shown. Total class act.

My mom clapped when I went with her lol. I clapped too, I don't curr.

And yes! The credits with the Celine song were very beautiful!
 

Gibbo

Member
I thought 'Evermore' was a perfect substitute for 'if I can't love her'. 'A change in me' would have been a good fit as well.

As someone who owns the laser disc, blue ray, and dvd, and watched the musical 3 times, I enjoyed the hell out of the movie. I think it surpasses the original.
 

polg

Member
I watched this today and loved it.

I'm a huge fan of the animated film and the musical. I re-watched the original recently and the animation doesn't hold up.

It's great to have a definitive version :)
 
I thought it was solid. The animated feature is one of my favorite Disney films and this version did nothing wrong. The versions of the songs are excellent, even Be Our Guest wasn't nearly as bad as people said it was.

That said, I hoped they would have been a bit bolder with the singing like they were in Jungle Book. Jungle Book focused on the plot and took out most of its songs save for two put there in very story appropriate moments. I figured they would do that here too so I was surprised when singing started pretty much right away.

That's probably my only gripe, it felt a bit too safe and too close to the original. Can't say I didn't enjoy it a lot though.
 
That's probably my only gripe, it felt a bit too safe and too close to the original. Can't say I didn't enjoy it a lot though.

I liked all of the new stuff they added, but I'm glad they stuck close to the original overall. I thought they struck the perfect balance. If they strayed too far from the original I can almost guarantee Disney would have twice as many complaints about the movie.

They're basically damned if they do, damned if they don't. I mean did we learn nothing from Maleficent? :p
 

massoluk

Banned
I appreciate that Gaston
kinda deserved his death now. The original was a bit narcissistic but he didn't deserve to die. The girl got severe case of Stockholm syndrome, the Beast was a threat. :p
 
I enjoyed it, thought the songs were good, Gaston was great. Emma as Belle was good and I liked the bit of expanded story.

Annoying nitpick: the first time in the bedroom of the castle and the library and like 2 other areas, the camera goes unfocused for like 10 seconds? Why?
 
I enjoyed it, thought the songs were good, Gaston was great. Emma as Belle was good and I liked the bit of expanded story.

Annoying nitpick: the first time in the bedroom of the castle and the library and like 2 other areas, the camera goes unfocused for like 10 seconds? Why?
In the bedroom I thought it was focusing on the guided ornaments in the room. I didn't notice it in other areas.
 

Raziel

Member
This reminded me of when Square tries to revisit/remake Final Fantasy 7 with more realistic visuals and how almost none of the warmth and humor of the source material is able to make the transition. Belle and Beast were utterly flat. Production was also, inexplicably, low-rent.
 

Kevtones

Member
I liked what they did here. Worth it if you like the story or have any nostalgia for it.

+/-

+ Well-cast, despite the non-notoriety.
- Direction didn't compensate for this quite enough.
- The film felt 'chopped up' and wasn't well-paced.
+ Musical Numbers hit the mark at a B+ Rate
+ Effects were topnotch.
+ I still like this story as it is.
+ Nice topical messages about mixed couples
- Not sold on added elements to the story; felt shoehorned
- Storytelling took a backseat
+ Costumes
+ Acting and vocal performances were great


Solid B.
 
This reminded me of when Square tries to revisit/remake Final Fantasy 7 with more realistic visuals and how almost none of the warmth and humor of the source material is able to make the transition. Belle and Beast were utterly flat. Production was also, inexplicably, low-rent.

Eh? I thought the humour was totally on point. Everyone in the cinema erupted into laughter when Belle got hit with a snowball. Same when Mrs. Potts yelled out "GRANDMA?!?" to LeFou. The movie felt very 'warm'. I could feel the love and passion the entire way through.

Belle and Beast were flat? They had much better chemistry this time. I always thought in the original that the romance wasn't believable as it was far too rushed (which is somewhat understandable since it's an animation aimed at kids).

Belle and Beast in the live action movie I thought had amazing chemistry. It felt both realistic and natural. The few added scenes gave just enough depth to make it feel believable.

And the production was low-rent? LOL. I don't even need to defend that comment. That's just crazy talk.
 
Eh? I thought the humour was totally on point. Everyone in the cinema erupted into laughter when Belle got hit with a snowball. Same when Mrs. Potts yelled out "GRANDMA?!?" to LeFou. The movie felt very 'warm'. I could feel the love and passion the entire way through.

Belle and Beast were flat? They had much better chemistry this time. I always thought in the original that the romance wasn't believable as it was far too rushed (which is somewhat understandable since it's an animation aimed at kids).

Belle and Beast in the live action movie I thought had amazing chemistry. It felt both realistic and natural. The few added scenes gave just enough depth to make it feel believable.

And the production was low-rent? LOL. I don't even need to defend that comment. That's just crazy talk.
Totally agreed with you on most points. What I didn't like about Watson's belle was the poor singing ability, and with the beast it was the sketchy cgi. I thought her acting performance was great and their relationship was better-developed.
 
Totally agreed with you on most points. What I didn't like about Watson's belle was the poor singing ability, and with the beast it was the sketchy cgi. I thought her acting performance was great and their relationship was better-developed.

Fair enough, on both points.

I must say though, the more I listen to the soundtrack on YouTube, the more I'm liking Emma Watson's voice.
 

Monocle

Member
Eh? I thought the humour was totally on point. Everyone in the cinema erupted into laughter when Belle got hit with a snowball. Same when Mrs. Potts yelled out "GRANDMA?!?" to LeFou. The movie felt very 'warm'. I could feel the love and passion the entire way through.

Belle and Beast were flat? They had much better chemistry this time. I always thought in the original that the romance wasn't believable as it was far too rushed (which is somewhat understandable since it's an animation aimed at kids).

Belle and Beast in the live action movie I thought had amazing chemistry. It felt both realistic and natural. The few added scenes gave just enough depth to make it feel believable.

And the production was low-rent? LOL. I don't even need to defend that comment. That's just crazy talk.
Yeah those critiques don't square with the movie at all.
 
Something about their chemistry didn't do it for me. I like Belle and the Beast, but their chemistry felt more brother/sister or that of really close friends.
 
Something about their chemistry didn't do it for me. I like Belle and the Beast, but their chemistry felt more brother/sister or that of really close friends.
Yeah I can see that. It felt like they bonded in that way over both being outcasts / social rejects, but not in a romantic way. Maybe that's a problem of the basic story...
 

Raziel

Member
Eh? I thought the humour was totally on point. Everyone in the cinema erupted into laughter when Belle got hit with a snowball. Same when Mrs. Potts yelled out "GRANDMA?!?" to LeFou. The movie felt very 'warm'. I could feel the love and passion the entire way through.

Belle and Beast were flat? They had much better chemistry this time. I always thought in the original that the romance wasn't believable as it was far too rushed (which is somewhat understandable since it's an animation aimed at kids).

Belle and Beast in the live action movie I thought had amazing chemistry. It felt both realistic and natural. The few added scenes gave just enough depth to make it feel believable.

And the production was low-rent? LOL. I don't even need to defend that comment. That's just crazy talk.

I have the same kind of not-worth-entertaining attitude toward your chemistry comments as you do toward my low-rent comments lol. Just look at how they bicker in the original compared to how they do here. They need some personality before they can graduate and move on to something as advanced as chemistry.

Watson has a sort of listless, lifeless quality as Belle, that makes it seem like she's sleepwalking through every scene she's in (though that may just be how Watson acts). Beast just lacked any passion in anything. Humor, affection, rage - it all just felt limp compared to the original (though that may be how bad CG acts?).

You can LOL about my comments about the production values, but I'm hardly the first to comment on how the scenery resembles a stage play, Beast's poor CG, or the lack of grandeur in the signature Belle/Beast dance scene. I thought Belle's iconic dress looked less glamourous and more home made, as well (though I'm guessing you'll say this made it more real).

Also the Belle getting hit in head with snowball reminded me of Dumb and Dumber or some subversive Shrek style gag.
 
I have the same kind of not-worth-entertaining attitude toward your chemistry comments as you do toward my low-rent comments lol. Just look at how they bicker in the original compared to how they do here. They need some personality before they can graduate and move on to something as advanced as chemistry.

Watson has a sort of listless, lifeless quality as Belle, that makes it seem like she's sleepwalking through every scene she's in (though that may just be how Watson acts). Beast just lacked any passion in anything. Humor, affection, rage - it all just felt limp compared to the original (though that may be how bad CG acts?).

You can LOL about my comments about the production values, but I'm hardly the first to comment on how the scenery resembles a stage play, Beast's poor CG, or the lack of grandeur in the signature Belle/Beast dance scene. I thought Belle's iconic dress looked less glamourous and more home made, as well (though I'm guessing you'll say this made it more real).

Also the Belle getting hit in head with snowball reminded me of Dumb and Dumber or some subversive Shrek style gag.
I thought the dance lacked grandeur compared to the original, but then I went back and watched the original again and realized it was more a product of seeing something that hadn't been done before in animation at the time. Watching it now it's a good scene but it doesn't evoke nearly as much of a sense of grandeur for me and sometimes feels a bit flat / dated.

What *does* still impress me even today, and especially In comparison to this remake, was the animation for the beast throughout the film. Amazing work.

Re: production values, the town was lacking, especially in earlier scenes. I was impressed by the castle.
 
One thing I particularly liked the addition of was
LeFou growing more wary of Gaston, really liked his line towards the end of the mob song it worked really well
 

MrToughPants

Brian Burke punched my mom
The Imax 3D image quality was pretty bad it looked like some off screen cam footage at times.

I did enjoy the movie and it gives me high hopes a live action Aladdin can be done justice.
 
The Imax 3D image quality was pretty bad it looked like some off screen cam footage at times.

I did enjoy the movie and it gives me high hopes a live action Aladdin can be done justice.
Yup - and it'll benefit from almost assuredly not going with a lead primarily because of the box office draw (which I think played an undue influence in casting emma Watson, given the relative lack of singing ability), and that the genie doesn't need to be reallistically convincing the way the beast needed (and often failed) to be.
 

Replicant

Member
It was okay for me. Watson is actually not that bad and does better in the sad scenes. I like the Beast the most in the film just like in the animated version. Unfortunately I feel the staff of the palace feels a bit muted/not as charming as the original animation.

The songs feel mixed-bag to me. I don't actually mind "Belle" even if it sounds a bit auto-tuned. I actually didn't like "Gaston" that much but "Be Our Guest" and "Kill the Beast" were fantastically produced. I do feel that "Be Our Guest" wasn't as colorful as the animation and the set feels too dark.
 
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