Still Some Beauty in the Beast

Somewhere in the back of director Bill Condons mind, he had to believe there was no way he could top or equal the wit, elegance or emotional power of the 1991 Disney animated Beauty and the Beast.

Instead of trying to improve on something so good, Condon (whose previous movies include Gods and Monsters and Dreamgirls) and his cohorts frequently crib from the previous movie and in the process, come remarkably close to replicating its glory.

If all failures are like this one, we need more of them.

Composer Alan Menken is back supervising the score, and several of the songs he wrote with lyricist and playwright Howard Ashman are still thankfully in the film.

The storyline, while slightly more detailed and 40 minutes longer, is nearly identical. Belle (Emma Watson) is a young woman living in a small, rural village who wants to see more of the world.

Because she keeps to herself and reads a lot (shes the only regular patron at the library), the townsfolk think her as odd as her father Maurice (Kevin Kline), who spends most of his time fixing clocks.

The villagers cant understand why shed rather read Shakespeare when the towns top hunter Gaston (Luke Evans) is determined to wed her. She, however, correctly determines that hes a self-important oaf.

When Maurice doesnt return from an errand, Belle discovers hes been captured in an enchanted castle presided over by a large, fearsome Beast (Dan Stevens). Knowing her old father cant take much of life in dungeon, Belle offers to take his place.

Actually, shes planning on making an escape, but she learns the whole place is populated by household objects who used to be servants. Theres a fussy clock named Cogswroth (Ian McKellen) and a flamboyant candelabra named Lumire (Ewan McGregor) who serenades Belle during her meals. If Belle needs a cup of tea, Mrs. Potts (Emma Thompson) pours some directly from her spout, while the teacup Chip (Nathan Mack) keeps it hot.

The reason all of these objects can talk and move is that the Beast used to be a prince, but because he was rude to an enchantress (Hattie Morahan) who needed shelter from a storm, he and all the people under him have been transformed into their current state.

If Gaston is fated to be a handsome jerk, the Beast can improve his lot if he can develop some compassion and make others feel the same for him. Unfortunately, hes got a tight deadline. If he and Belle dont become an item by the time the last petal falls off an enchanted rose, the spell becomes permanent.

If youve seen the previous movie, you know where things go from here. To their credit screenwriters Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower) and Evan Spiliotopoulos actually answer some nagging questions from the earlier movie that dont pop up until repeated viewings:

What happened to Belles mother? Even cartoon characters need moms and dads.

Why is it wintry on the Beasts estate but sunny in the village?

Why does the obsequious LeFou (Josh Gad) tolerate the narcissistic Gaston when the latter cant be dragged away from a mirror?

These additions give the flesh-and-blood performers more to work with and prevent them from giving performances that would be better suited for their animated peers. Watson is a terrific choice for Belle because she has the resolve and the intelligence to be convincing as the one person capable of making the beast more civil.

While buried under prosthetics, Stevens projects a sense of wounded pride and just enough decency to make viewers hope he achieve some inner beauty to go with his creepy countenance.

The rest of the leads spend most of their time providing voices for CGI objects, and for the most part the computer generated characters are convincing and have some charm to go with the talented cast making them talk.

Mrs. Potts painted on features and Cogsworths mechanical face are suitably expressive. Its easier to believe talking teapots and candelabras in a cartoon, but the art department comes close to making a person show more respect for objects that may not really be inanimate.

The production is suitably gorgeous and worth catching in 3D, but the soundtrack falls just short of older film. There are newer songs that Menken has written with Tim Rice (The Lion King, Jesus Christ Superstar). These tunes have the misfortune of being merely good when the earlier songs Menken wrote with Ashman are transcendent. Theres simply no comparison between the song the Beast howls near the end of the film and Gaston or Be Our Guest. From the grave, Ashman seems to be pushing his living collaborators to do more.

For the most part he thankfully succeeds. Unlike the straight-to-video sequels Disney turned out in the 90s, the new Beauty and the Beast is consistently heartfelt and served with care. You might have heard the singing dishes before, but their tune is still welcome.

Beauty and the Beast (2017) 8 out of 10

Directed by Bill Condon. Written by Stephen Chbosky and Evan Spiliotopoulos

Cast: Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Josh Gad, Kevin Kline, Hattie Morahan, Ewan McGregor, Ian McKellen, Emma Thompson, Nathan Mack, Audra McDonald, Stanley Tucci, Gugu Mbatha-Raw