By Jordan Liu, Web Editor
The long-awaited “Beauty and the Beast“ came out last Friday, which also happened to be the day that I watched it.
And it was pretty dang good.
Not knowing anything about the original plot (I’ve never seen the animated movie), I thought it’d be some cheesy and cliché Disney movie about princesses.
But it definitely wasn’t. The incredible movie exceeded my expectations, with cinematography I’d never seen before. That being said, the film had its flaws, including the dreadful use of green screen throughout. But let’s just jump into it, shall we?
1. Pro: Really, really, really good camerawork and scenery
The cinematography was amazing in this film, panning over incredible landscapes and colorful small villages in a way that brought the viewers into the movie itself. It’s almost as if you were in the movie, dancing and singing with all the characters. This feeling of immersion into the movie emotionally attaches viewers to the plot, and only enhances the experience. The set design was also incredible, from depicting a quaint French village to the Beast’s monstrous castle.
2. Con: Lackluster special effects and backgrounds
There were many moments throughout the movie, especially when the characters were looking out over broad landscapes, where it was obvious that a green screen had been used. Knowing this, it takes away from the fairy tale nature of the movie. Although this kind of error is almost unavoidable with actual actors, it definitely could have been better.
3. Pro: Captivating actors and characters
Beauty and the Beast had a few unexpected actors, including Sir Ian McKellan as Cogsworth and Ewan McGregor as Lumiere. That being said, they were brilliant. The cast was incredible in singing and acting (especially Emma Watson, albeit a bit autotuned), and was excellent in immersing the viewers in the experience and depicting the characters’ struggles throughout.
4. Con: Drawn-out and sometimes confusing plot
Oftentimes, during the movie, I’d be confused as to what was happening and why. Perhaps it’s because I didn’t know the plotline beforehand, but many scenes seemed unnecessary. Some of the singing was randomly placed, and the movie took too long to reach the climax and develop the plot (somehow, they managed to add an extra 40 minutes to the plot as compared to the animation).
In conclusion, the movie had its brilliant and not-so-brilliant parts, but overall, “Beauty and the Beast” was worth all the built-up hype. A great translation from the typical Disney animation, it’s definitely worth the watch.
IMDB: 7.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 67%
Google: 87%
My rating: 90%
Jordan Liu can be reached at [email protected].
