As someone who grew up during the 80s and 90s, I got exposed to a lot of Disney movies. Among the first that I’ve ever watched were Sleeping Beauty, 101 Dalmations, Fox and the Hound, The Lion King, and Aladdin. But there was one movie that really grabbed my attention and that I absolutely loved above all others: Beauty and the Beast. I reviewed this movie yesterday and gave it a perfect 10/10. I called it a perfect movie, because for my money, it truly is perfect. The animation was stunning, the writing was snappy and sharp, the characters were all memorable, and the music was simply beautiful. It got everything right. I didn’t see a flaw in that movie whatsoever. Maybe it’s because I grew up with the film, but the original Beauty and the Beast is one of the greatest movies of all time. It’s certainly the best movie that Disney’s ever made. When I found out that they were doing a live-action version of the film, I was hesitant. Why? Because in my opinion, the only live-action adaptation to work thus far was Maleficent. None of the others really stuck out for me. Imagine my surprise when Emma Watson was cast as Belle. Okay, I guess? Then we got our first glimpse of the Beast, and I was less than impressed. Then the first trailer for the new movie came out, and I slowly started to get on board. Emma Watson singing? Not bad. But then I heard that Ariana Grande was going to sing Beauty and the Beast itself, and I was not enthusiastic.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, having seen the latest trailer for Beauty and the Beast, I can tell you that this is now my most anticipated movie of the season. While the previous trailer played things a little safe, in my opinion, this new one just lets it all out and says, “Let’s have some fun!” I am absolutely sold on this one, now. We get our first glimpse of Luke Evans as Gaston, and I have to say, he looks and sounds the part, PERFECTLY. We also get to see a lot more of the Beast, and I have to say, I’m rather impressed at how they accomplished it. It’s not just that, but the antiques that are animated are wonderful. Ewan McGregor is the new voice of Lumiere and Ian McKellen is Cogsworth. Yup, I can definitely see that happening. That’s perfect casting right there. It looks like the new Beauty and the Beast is going to hit all the right notes. They even brought back Alan Menken to do the music for the film. Alan Menken did the score for the original 1991 film and was simply astounding. It looks like they’re going to be doing all the songs from Belle to Gaston. The song I was very surprised to hear during the new trailer was Beauty and the Beast. It was being sung by Ariana Grande and John Legend. I have to say, I’m surprised at how much I liked it. If they can keep the tones and inflections right, Ariana’s version could be just as iconic as the original version of the song. In all honesty, I was not expecting to be THIS excited for the new Beauty and the Beast. Yet, here I am wanting March 17 to be here already. I have to see this one. I’ve seen the trailer multiple times already, and I’m still feeling the emotions of what could possibly be the best live-action adaptation of a Disney animated film thus far.