Dancing gracefully, these are the two main characters in the ballroom scene. Illustration by Kaylee Johnson.by John Le and Calvin Tran, Staff Photographers
Disney recently released a remake of the classic 1991 movie Beauty and the Beast with real-life people and settings. The movie was remastered in 2002 again, but this realistic version proved to be a success. Led by director Bill Condon, the movie was a big hit for us.
Emma Watson was the most ideal choice for Bella. Her high vocals and elegant grace proved her suited for the role. One of the most key songs she performed in the movie is “Belle”. The main theme of the song emphasized how small she felt in her village and wanted to see more in another world. Emma Watson presented an emotional appeal throughout the movie that no other actor could do.
The movie reached our expectations of being bliss, but intense at points. The scene of the ballroom dance with Belle and the Beast was exceptionally beautiful. While the beast swung Bella around, lights glittered in the background. Jaw-dropping to many of the viewers, the remake of this scene truly stuck out to us.
However, the fight scenes were not exactly geared towards children. Although the movie is a hit classic for children, Disney made these scenes intense. With many of the fights involving blood, injuries and death, the scenes really brought attention to many of the viewers. The attempted death towards Bella’s dad could be seen as inappropriate and the gruesome scene where Gaston left him to be fed by wolves proved not suitable for underaged children.
Disney did a superior job with remaking this movie, but something really stood out about the characters. The “inanimate” objects, like the clock and candle, were actually creepy. The clock appeared to have no eyes or mouth and the candle had a tiny face.
The music was excellent. We believe that the remake not only lived up to the first version but surpassed it. One of the songs that stood out the most was “Be Our Guest”. The animators of the remake really brought out the unrealistic extravaganza of the original to the remake. The voice of Lumiere, Jerry Orbach, delivered an outstanding performance.
In conclusion, we think Disney was able to accomplish an excellent remake and a well deserving watch.
