Beauty and the Beast ★★★

IF I was a 10-year-old girl, I’m pretty sure I would love the latest adaptation of Beauty and the Beast.

If you had grown up watching the 1991 animated classic every day, as most children do with their favourite films, you would probably be awestruck by the characters brought to life.

And it’s not just that specific demographic who are enjoying the film, judging by the fact it has only been out a few days and has already returned more than treble its original budget.

Provided they are done at least well enough, some films are absolutely critic-proof…and this is one.

For the record, I’m a 54-year-old male who enjoyed the film, particularly the performances of Emma Watson as Belle and Luke Evans as Gaston, the faithful musical numbers and the overall look of the beast’s castle.

Of course there have been a couple of other live-action versions since 1991, but the latest feels like the closest to 1991’s sensibilities. For example the last version, in 2014, was French language and featured Lea Sedoux and Vincent Cassell in the lead roles. Judging from the trailer, it was pretty dark in its approach. I guess with Cassell playing the beast, it was never going to be anything else.

The story has been around since the 18th century and there is no point regurgitating it here. Suffice to say, Belle’s character is a nice role model for its target audience is from a long-line of strong Disney

Part of the fun in this version is seeking the beast’s staff return to life from the spell that has rendered them inanimate objects for almost the entire running time. It looks like Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Ian McKellen and Emma Thompson all had a lot of fun.