Beauty and the Beast is a musical romantic film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Mandeville Films. The film is a live-action version of the Disney’s 1991 animated film. The movie was directed by Bill Condon and it features a talented cast consisting of Emma Watson (very well-known from the Harry Potter series), Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Kevin Kline, Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, and Audra McDonald.
How to Stream or Download Beauty and the Beast
You can stream it or you can download the movie from iTunes. To start, simply click on the Download button provided at the end of the review. And if you like fantasy live-action Disney movies, check out also The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, Into the Woods, and A Wrinkle in Time.
The Film Review
Beauty and the Beast was an expensive film, with a budget of over $255 million. In return, the film was also a hit throughout the globe as became the second highest-grossing sequence in 2017. Additionally, the film also received nominations for Best Production Design and Best Costume Design at the 90th Academy Awards. It was officially released on 17th March 2017.
The Plot
The film begins with a disguised enchantress cursing a handsome prince and his servants after acting cruelly and selfishly. The enchantress tells the prince that he will remain in this state unless and until he learns to love someone and gain their love back at the same time.
A few years later, a man named Maurice travels to hunt for adventure but becomes captured by the prince after trying to steal a rose from his garden. After learning of her father’s kidnapping, Belle travels to the castle where she encounters the beast.
The beast allows Maurice to leave with the condition that Belle gets to stay. She is welcomed by the house servants as they host a big dinner for her. Over time, the prince also becomes fond of her and the two eventually fall in love.
Maurice tells the villagers about the beast’s existence and is deemed psychotic as a result. Seeing this as an opportunity to marry Belle, a man named Gaston offers to help. Aware of Gaston’s intentions, Maurice declines his offer. As a result, Gaston betrays and leaves Maurice to die in the forest, only to be saved by the hermit Agathe.
Meanwhile, Belle learns of the villagers’ attitude toward his father and decides to go back. The beast reluctantly lets her leave only to see her happy. Belle manages to prove the existence of the beast but is accused by Gaston of being a witch. The villagers capture both Maurice and Belle after which, they head for the beast’s castle in order to slay him.
Both the father and daughter escape in order to help the beast. The beast, initially on the brink of losing, regains his spirit and manages to Gaston who shoots a bullet before falling to his own death.
The beast dies in the arms of Belle as she begins to cry. Suddenly, Agathe reveals herself to be the Enchantress and, after noticing the changes in the prince’s heart, brings him back to life as well as returns him to his human form.
The film ends with the prince and Belle hosting a ball for all the villagers, dancing away as the sequence fades.
The Movie Production
Being one of the most expensively made films of all time, Beauty and the Beast holds up as a sequence enriched with the magic of CGI. According to the VFX artists working in the film, a substantial amount of time and effort was taken to create the beast, mainly due to the fact that he had to be covered in a furry body.
The Soundtrack
The official soundtrack for the film was composed by Alan Menken. The score album mostly consisted of songs that were taken from the previous 1991 animated version. It was officially released on 10th March 2017 by Walt Disney Records.
