Why Everyone’s Obsessed With “Beauty and the Beast” All Over Again

It was a movie that came with high expectations: those of the fans, the critics and everyone who’d compare it with the recent success of massive musical hit La La Land.

Live action remakes of beloved animated movies already have hard targets to hit, and yet, Disney’s latest retelling of Beauty and the Beast is already the year’s biggest box office success story.

Twenty-six years after the original came out, we have to wonder: Why?

1. The critics liked it enough, but audiences loved it.

So, when relevant research was completed in the only way a uni student knows how (good ol’ Google) results came through very positive for Beauty and the Beast. Granted, a 71 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes is not perfect, but the ‘Audience Score’ of 86 per cent is a pretty big achievement.

Some critics have used lines such as “all the passion of a straitjacket” and “just sort of silly and twee” to describe Disney’s latest blockbuster. However, with a few positive reviews such as “a musical experience that both dazzles the eyes and plucks the heartstrings”, clearly long-time fans were able to trust that director Bill Condon had done a good enough job to make this a film well worth seeing.

2. The movie’s efforts at inclusivity paid off.

For the first time in Disney history, a gay character was featured. Not only did the company strike gold with the inclusion itself, the early insight into this part of the film enticed audiences even further.

Gaston’s sidekick LeFou had subtly changed to someone who, in the words of Bill Condon, “on one day wants to be Gaston and on another day wants to kiss [him].”

While this character development was not evident in the original animation, Disney managed to make it work in the live action. The inclusiveness of this movie reaches out to the gay community, indicating positive first steps for further inclusivity. And obviously from the movie’s success at the box office, this tribute was taken positively.

3. Advanced special effects put the beauty back in beast.

Remember the old 1987 TV show Beauty and the Beast? Yeah, me neither. But from a quick Google image search, one can’t help but laugh a little at the difference. From an ‘80s mullet-esque hairstyle to the loveable animal mashup we’ve come to associate with the fairy tale, Beast was certainly a lot more princely in live action compared to in the TV show (and that’s before he even turned into a human).

Remember that 80s "Beauty and the Beast" TV show starring Hellboy and Sarah Connor and written by George RR Martin? Yep: real. pic.twitter.com/Pn2lUOpe5V

— EW (@ericdweaver) March 24, 2017

While he did have to walk around in a “forty-pound grey suit” on stilts, Dan Stevens commented, “for a romantic lead, to have a technology that can communicate the subtleties of the human face while falling in love is a big step.” And he’s right.

Beauty and the Beast is all about the romance; the beautiful girl falling in love with the hideous monster. So, for both Emma Watson and Dan Stevens’ sake, we are very glad the CGI was able to accurately convey human emotions. Can you imagine how weird it would be professing love to an ‘x’ on the ground? Well if it wasn’t for the impressive special effects that’s what Watson would have to do… every time they filmed.

So, yes, Beauty and the Beast did have to compete with “a candy-sweet love letter to cinema,” yet audiences still turned out in force.

With a combination of incredible special effects and an effort at inclusivity, it’s no wonder this adaptation was such a success. We can only hope the next Disney live-action will be just as, if not more, spectacular.

Georgia Clements is one of Student Edge’s student contributors. See more student contributions here.

Photo: Disney