I liked the 1991 animated feature of Beauty and the Beast and I really liked the 1994 Broadway adaptation. The new, live-action/CGI version, not so much…though I suppose if the earlier ones had not existed, I might be more favorably inclined. Scanning the reviews, I seem to be the only person who felt that the core of the story — Emma Watson as Belle — just about disappeared amidst the dazzling special effects, mood lighting and, at times, frenetic pace. Dan Stevens fared better as The Beast…but then that performance seemed more the creation of those who did the digital and make-up effects, along with the filters and enhancement of his voice.
Luke Evans was fine as Gaston but the whole, much-discussed gay subtext of Josh Gad's character felt to me arbitrary and not worth the fuss. In the comic book field, we have been through a period where a lot of writers and editors seemed to decide they needed someone in each book to be gay and they picked one almost at random. This felt random. LeFou seemed more interesting to me when his subservience to Gaston reeked of hypocrisy; when he was kissing up to a faux idol because he thought it might be profitable, not because he wanted to kiss him.
It may seem unfair to compare this version to the first…but this version only exists because of the first. We're expected to buy tickets to this version because of our affection for the original and to transfer some of that affection to this remake. How then can I not say that the first and even the second were more of a piece for me? As has been proven many times, it is possible to combine animated characters with humans in a way that makes you forget the separation. Either you buy that these humans and digitally-created beings are all interacting in the same world or not and in this case, I didn't experience that. The scenes with the wolves especially felt computer-generated to me.
What I saw, I should mention, was the 2-D version. That's because 3-D puts me to sleep — literally. Maybe in 3-D, the people and the cartoons feel like they're in the same plane of existence, There were also scenes where so much was happening on the screen — like the "Be Our Guest" number and the climactic fight — that I had trouble focusing on any of it. I would think that would be more of a problem in 3-D but maybe not.
Then again, there were moments and components I liked. Even though inorganic in his creation, The Beast was effective and the evolution of his character was believable. Kevin Kline was terrific as Belle's father…perhaps the most human element in the picture. And the ending, no matter how gimmicky its presentation, is always a real eye-moistener. But I wanted to like more than just some scenes and it all felt too long and artificially-flavored for me. Maybe you'll have a better time of it.