Throwback Thursday Review: 'Ghost in the Shell' (1995)

This week I'm reviewing the original 1995 anime Ghost in the Shell to coincide with the release of the 2017 live action Ghost in the Shell reboot. Like last week, I'm once again expanding my horizons by venturing into the anime genre, the closest I ever got to watching anime growing up was Pokémon and I'm not sure that qualifies. Reviews you can expect in the next two weeks include Throwback Thursday Reviews over Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and Spider-Man 2 with reviews for new releases The Boss Baby, The Zookeeper's Wife, Ghost in the Shell (2017), Going in Style, and The Fate of the Furious. 

'Ghost In The Shell' (1995) Review

Ghost in the Shell depicts 2029 Section Nine cyber cops Major Motoko Kusanagi and Batou in their mission to apprehend "The Puppet Master", who hacks into the minds of various "shells" (hollow human cyborgs). In the midst of Section Nine's pursuit, Major begins to contemplate her own state of being in hopes of discovering her identity. Ghost in the Shell was adapted from Masamune Shirow's manga series and is considered by many to be a turning point for anime (Japanese animation) and an outright masterpiece. 

While I may not quite agree with that sentiment, I do think there's a lot to take away from Ghost in the Shell. For one, Mamoru Oshii's direction maintains a clear focus. Oshii deliberately sets Ghost in the Shell at a slow pace with longer, methodical shots to help the audience enter the headspace of this world. Kazunori Itô penned the screenplay and doses plenty of social commentary on how humans are dependent on technology and how technology's connected the world that are surprisingly even more relevant today. I just couldn't help but feel I'd seen some of these ideas better executed in films like Ex Machina. Itô sometimes gets lost in the philosophical meaning of it all that so it requires multiple viewings to completely unravel everything Itô has to say.

On the other hand, Ghost in the Shell's animation is absolutely remarkable and holds up incredibly well today with picturesque portrait backgrounds and intricately refined details sprinkled throughout. Ghost in the Shell constantly has a splendid visual plane to offer the viewer so even if you're somewhat lost in the narrative, there's no denying the animation's a triumph and the visual imagery may help you get back on track. Kenji Kawai's musical score serves as a brilliant accompaniment to the proceedings. Kawai contrasts harmonious ethereal tones with a vacant space that not only lends a beautiful sound but perfectly parallels the idealogical themes behind Ghost in the Shell. 

I also feel it's worth noting that Ghost in the Shell's sound effects meant to emulate the digital space feel true to the nineties representation of technology but not necessarily what we see today. One of my issues with Ghost in the Shell originated from my decision to watch the English dub. I found the voice actors for the most part to sound unenthused, leading me to think they may have only gotten onboard as a paycheck gig and just read the script in front of them without adding much emotion (voice over is acting too!). 

One of the few exceptions was Mimi Woods voicing Major, who did an excellent job. Woods is essentially playing a robot so it makes sense for her to sound apathetic and well removed from the events as an introspective fighter. Richard George convincingly captures Batou's grit and resiliency through his gruff voice while the background and supporting players sounded indifferent. Another problem is that even at an hour and twenty three minutes, Ghost in the Shell's a chore to get through due to the meticulous pacing I mentioned earlier. 

There are only three action set-pieces and the remainder of the film's mainly dialogue but it's delivered in such a  wooden manner that it seems to pull from the momentum. I rarely watch a film multiple times but I felt Ghost in the Shell warranted a rewatch for a few reasons. First off, I actually dozed off a few times when I watched it Tuesday as I was quite tired and wanted to be sure I didn't inaccurately cast off Ghost in the Shell as boring. Secondly, it takes at least one viewing to wrap your head around the story and then another to begin to really take in its  weighty philosophical themes. Well, it turns out Ghost in the Shell just wasn't for me because I once again found it difficult to get engaged in the narrative due to slow pacing. 

Maybe I need to watch Ghost in the Shell a few more times to fully appreciate it, but for me if I can't get all the way onboard after two tries then I'm not very liable to try a third time. I would like to make it clear though that I have a great appreciation for the art form, direction, and scoring. I just couldn't get as engaged as I'd have liked to. Fans of anime that either haven't seen or absolutely love Ghost in the Shell should definitely check it out but I can't quite recommend it for others as an entertaining use of an hour and twenty three minutes due to sluggish nature of the storytelling. Anyone looking to prepare for the latest live action incarnation opening this weekend should at least give it a shot and maybe they'll take away something that made their viewing experience worthwhile.

Film Assessment: B

'Life' Review

Life accompanies the crew of astronauts onboard the International Space Station as they recover a rocket carrying samples from Mars and discover signs of extraterrestrial life among the Martian soil. Suddenly, Life becomes an amalgamation of Alien and Gravity as the life form dubbed "Calvin" turns out to be hostile and the crew must fight for not only their survival but the fate of humanity. Those hoping Life would be a groundbreaking science fiction thriller will be disappointed to see it falls in line with the standard suspenseful sci-fi tropes already established. 

However, director Daniel Espinosa lends his hand to craft a truly terrifying claustrophobic atmosphere. The tight, confined environment of a space station makes an excellent background for a thriller, so it's no wonder Alien was such a hit in 1979, but Espinosa and his screenwriters found some inventive ways to build suspense that weren't too terribly predictable. The Deadpool writing duo Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick are responsible for Life's screenplay and while it occasionally felt derivative of similar works, I was consistently on the edge of my seat thanks to the frightening situations the duo concocted. 

If I had any grievances with the writing, it would be the fact these astronauts are all exceptionally intelligent individuals who made the dumbest decisions possible in their situation. I always find it incredibly aggravating when a character does something that the audience knows won't end well, especially when the character has been established as an intellectually sound human being. Life actually reminded me a little of Jurassic World at times, wherein the scientists are dunces and the threat is suddenly able to do extraordinary things for the sake of moving the plot along with little-to-no explanation. 

From a technical standpoint, Life is remarkable. The visual effects and production design were quite convincing to the point I never questioned the crew were in space and I liked the creature design of the creature in particular as a space squid of sorts. I doubt Life will earn any accolades from the Academy but it's great work nonetheless. My only complaint about the effects was that there was some blood I'm certain was computer generated because it looked very fake floating about the space station. I also found the musical score to be lacking and the cinematography to be so-so, occasionally capturing the reality of intimate enclosures and other times focusing way too much on an actor's reaction to something. An egregious example would be that the beginning of the film was largely composed of shots where the audience watches a character react to another character doing something instead of directly seeing the events firsthand, and this grew very tiresome as just an uninteresting framing choice by the director or cinematographer the way it all played out. 

The talent gathered for Life are top-notch actors who lend commendable performances but their actual characters feel hollow as a result of lacking development during the first act. Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds, Hiroyuki Sanada, Olga Dihovichnaya, Ariyon Bakare are all doing the best they can but none of them were really able to bring much out of their characters beyond the bare-bone characterizations provided by the script. The character motivations and general background was well established but I found it a stretch to actually care about these people once the alien started picking them off one by one. 

Life does little to liven up the sci-fi horror scene but it bolsters strong direction, a talented cast, and excellent execution of a well-worn premise. Life is worth catching on home media or cable but not quite worth a trip to the theaters for anything beyond matinee ticket price. If you want to see off-brand Alien, then this is just the thing for you.

Film Assessment: C+

'Power Rangers' Review

Power Rangers follows five teenagers in the small town of Angle Grove as they stumble across mystic power coins and are granted exceptional abilities. The teens then must band together and learn to work as a team of heroes if they're to stand any chance defending Angel Grove from the ruinous Rita Repulsa. As I mentioned in my Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie review, I didn't grow up watching Power Rangers and this week was actually my first time to watch anything Power Rangers-related in its entirety so it goes without saying I've never been a part of the Power Rangers fanbase and therefore this review won't be biased with nineties-nostalgia. I did find it immensely interesting to watch a blockbuster for a fervent fandom I didn't have much prior knowledge on as contrasted to a new Lucasfilm, Marvel Studios, or DC production where I'm able pick up on the major easter eggs and references with ease. I mention all of this to highlight how successful Power Rangers is in being somewhat accessible to new viewers and to incorporate my own personal background (or lack thereof) with the franchise considering this is a blog and not an editorial review. 

Power Rangers is directed by Dean Israelite with a screenplay penned by John Gatkins and story elements pooled from Matt Sazama, Burk Sharpless, and Michele and Kieran Mulroney. Israelite does a fine job juggling the responsibilities of director, maintaining momentum in the character-driven storytelling while helming some serviceable action sequences. I wasn't too big a fan of the shaky-cam cinematography Israelite and Matthew Lloyd chose to utilize or the slo/fast-mo editing incorporated in the third act finale but the action is fine for the most part. The visual effects looked great and really sold the more outlandish elements that accompany Power Rangers. The suit's have garnered a lot of comparison to Iron Man's armor but I thought they looked cool in the action scenes and are miles better than the '90s outfits.

One of my concerns going into Power Rangers was that the filmmakers were going to strive to be a gritty, dark reboot of a silly, campy concept and while the film was serious, I was pleasantly surprised with the middle ground discovered by the creative team, even though Power Rangers can be tonally inconsistent on occasion. Gatkins did a wonderful job as screenwriter positioning the lead characters to be both authentic and relatable teenagers without leaning too heavily on teen angst or any other perpetual overblown teenage stereotypes.

All the characters are outcasts but they're outcast in a believable manner; Jason and Kimberly are both twists on the typical popular kids, Billy is on the spectrum, Zack is a rebel with a cause, and Trini is lesbian. I don't think there's nearly as much controversy on that as what surrounded Beauty and the Beast (2017) but Trini is portrayed as the first openly LGBT superhero so that's worth noting I guess. The film doesn't draw much attention to it though so it never felt like a distraction and honestly it didn't do much to affect the story whatsoever. In fact, the element of the screenplay I was mostly interested with was the character dynamics and background opposed to the generic third act battle against a CG-army. If you're going to Power Rangers for the action alone, you may be bored for a good hour and a half due to the nature of being an origin story but I personally liked the decision to flesh out the characters. 

Yes, the script has plot holes, clichés, and the writing isn't particularly strong but the cast assembled really elevate the material. Dacre Montgomery seems to have what it takes to be a star and certainly exemplifies all the attributes of a leading man with his take on Jason (The Red Ranger). Montgomery managed to capture charisma and a vulnerability you wouldn't expect from his character that made him a likable leader. Naomi Scott made for a nice leading female character as Kimberly (The Pink Ranger), who thankfully wasn't there for either sex appeal or to be the damsel in distress but rather turned out to be a compelling character in her own right.

RJ Cyler however, was without a doubt the standout with his portrayal of Billy (The Blue Ranger), channeling autism in a manner that seemed authentic and respectful to those on the spectrum while just being a good-spirited likable presence. Ludi Lin's Zack (The Black Ranger) and Becky G's Trini (The Yellow Ranger) probably have the least to do of the five and feel underdeveloped in comparison but their characters didn't draw my interest so I was ok with that. Across the board, the five Rangers felt well-cast and suited to their respective roles and managed to sell the team dynamic thanks to their friendly chemistry. Elsewhere, Bryan Cranston does as much as you'd expect an actor of that caliber to possibly put forth as a floating head and Bill Hader was a nice source of comedic relief as Alpha 5.

If there's one thing I absolutely hated in this movie, it would have to be Elizabeth Banks' over-the-top portrayal of Rita Repulsa. I got some Suicide Squad Enchantress vibes from Banks' performance and that's not a good thing... Banks goes full-in on the hammy villainy you'd expect to see in the campy children's television series but in the context of this more grounded iteration of the Rangers Banks comes across to be absolutely ridiculous. She's almost singlehandedly the source of Power Rangers' tonal issues and I'd put her up for worst performance of the year with no questions asked.

One thing I'd be remised to leave out of this review is that this film has the plenty of blatant product placement, like most other blockbusters in this day-and-age. However, Power Rangers highlights one specific company to the extent that this company actually became an integral plot point and I thought it was hilarious that Power Rangers ended up being a feature length commercial for this company (I won't mention it for those who'd consider it a spoiler).

In conclusion, Power Rangers doesn't do much to stand out from the packed superhero genre but it offers an entertaining escapade for those seeking a fun time. Power Rangers ultimately suffers from being a tried-and true team superhero origin story but the core cast impressed me and helped make the film an enjoyable experience. I can highly recommend this to hardcore Power Rangers fans, who probably don't need my endorsement to begin with, and would say it's worth at least checking out once for those on the fence. While I may not have left the theater jumping up and down screaming "GO GO POWER RANGERS," I did enjoy it as the superficial popcorn blockbuster it was meant to be and would be up to go go see any sequels.

Film Assessment: C

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie'

This week I'm reviewing Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie to coincide with the release of Power Rangers as I've altered my Throwback Thursday schedule to accommodate for both Power Rangers and Ghost in the Shell (2017). As a result, I'm pushing back both my Throwback Thursday Reviews over Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and Spider-Man 2 and will hold off from reviewing the remaining Fast and Furious films till the already announced ninth and tenth installments. Reviews you can expect throughout the remainder of March include a Throwback Thursday Review over Ghost in the Shell (1995) and reviews for new releases Power Rangers, Life, The Boss Baby, The Zookeeper's Wife, and Ghost in the Shell (2017). 

'Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie' Review

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie was the first feature length translation of the hit '90s American superhero series following six teenage heroes as they must discover a means to fend off the evil Ivan Ooze when they lose their powers. The Power Rangers were huge in the '90s, I can recall everyone running around screaming "Go Go Power Rangers" while I was more in the mindset of "No No Power Rangers." It genuinely never interested me as a child because I thought it looked incredibly cheesy but with the 2017 Power Rangers around the corner I figured I should at least give it a chance. 

Well, turned out my presumption was correct as Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie has more cheddar than seven bags of Cheez-Its. I don't even know where to begin with the astronomically high levels of camp in this "film." Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie was directed by Bryan Spicer and includes screenplay penned by Arne Olsen with a story treatment from Olsen and John Kamps. 

It will probably come as no surprise to you that the writers have done nothing substantial since 2012 and Spicer was afterwards relegated to the realm of television obscurity. The cartoonish nature of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is amusing at times but simply because of how laughably terrible everything turns out to be. In fact, I'd daresay it's verges on being enjoyable... but for all the wrong reasons. The dialogue is absurd and nonsensical while the story nearly bored me to sleep after the first thirty minutes of the film's runtime. If you asked me to distinguish the Rangers, I'd be unable to because none of them stuck out with any remotely unique characteristics. The only differences I saw were the colors, character names, and their roles I guess? 

As for the technical aspects, there's not much to redeem the film there either. The Zord CG is among the worst '90s CGI I have ever seen... The wirework is an absolute travesty and the fight choreography is incredibly stupid. On top of all that, the costume work and production design are definitely dated and don't hold up at all under the scrutiny of today's standards.

Oh, and there's of course some performances if you'd call them that... Jason David Frank, Amy Jo Johnson, David Yost, Steve Cardenas, Johnny Yong Bosch, and Karan Ashley portrayed the respective Rangers but as I've already attested, bring nothing of consequence to the table to differentiate themselves from one another. Yes, they have different roles on the team but what those are exactly is beyond me aside from Frank's Tommy (The White Ranger) being the team leader and Johnson's Kimberly (The Pink Ranger) serving as the sex appeal along with Gabrielle Fitzpatrick (Dulcea). It was really weird to see so much of that stereotype in a film meant for children...

Nicholas Bell and Peta-Marie Rixon are serviceable as floating head Zordon and the obnoxious android Alpha 5 and I can't go without mentioning the film's antagonist Ivan Ooze, preposterously played by Paul Freeman. I recall seeing many comparisons drawn to the titular big bad's appearance in last years' X-Men: Apocalypse and now whole-heartingly agree. If that cheeseball representation wasn't enough farcical fiendishness for you then Jean Paul Bell, Kerry Casey, Mark Ginther, and Julia Cortez should satisfy your search for more camp as Moldant, Goldar, Lord Zedd, and Rita Repulsa.

In summary, I'm grateful to my five year old brain for resisting the Power Rangers fad growing up because it would have been one hell of a wakeup call to realize how awful this movie was. For all the Power Rangers fans that read this, I'd advise you watch Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie one more time to realize just how dumb it is (Don't worry that your fandom is under attack though because I have much kinder things to say about the 2017 Power Rangers). Thankfully, I was able to watch it for free with an HBO Now subscription and will never have to see it again. It was very difficult for me to salvage much from my viewing of this cinematic triumph (sarcasm), but I can at least say it brought a smile to my face with its ridiculousness so that spared it from the dismal grade of an F.

Film Assessment: D-

'The Belko Experiment' Review

In The Belko Experiment, Belko Industries has established an international foothold and encourages many of their American employees to transfer to their foreign offices. One day, the office in Bogotá, Colombia becomes heavily fortified as the employees are locked inside and informed over the intercom that two workers must die in the next thirty minutes or grave consequences will follow.

The Belko Experiment is comparable to a sick mash-up of Battle Royale and Office Space or The Hunger Games within The Office's Dunder Mifflin establishment but unfortunately lacks the satirical wit and intrigue the aforementioned inspiration brought to the table. The Belko Experiment is directed by Greg McLean and written by Guardians of the Galaxy writer-director James Gunn but neither truly deliver in execution. McLean's direction is dull and uninspired while Gunn's screenplay doesn't offer enough character expansion or take them in remotely interesting directions. Ultimately, what drew me to check out The Belko Experiment was Gunn's involvement and the idea behind it all. 

The underlying concept has lots of potential but never measured up to be as twisted as I was expecting. Gunn's screenplay reasons through the situation as any normal person would by ensuring the employees consider all their alternatives before taking any course of action but the bloodbath doesn't ensue quite as I hoped. It should go without saying that The Belko Experiment is bloody bonkers but the "twists" are predictable and even the most grotesque of character demises felt conventional so the clichés undercut the film's cruel nature. 

For one, the script doesn't offer enough detail on the corresponding characters for the viewer to form any attachment before the staff are butchered. When someone dies, you won't care in the slightest. Secondly, the characters don't really change over the course of the story. Everyone stands firmly in place whether they be conflicted, set for slaughter, intent on hiding out, or prone on peace. The characters don't question the immorality of their actions if they decide to kill and persuasions for peace hardly scrape the surface of some interesting idealogical conflict. 

Gunn had an opportunity to lend some insightful social commentary had he gone the more satirically morbid route but instead everything's fairly straightforward. The ensemble amassed largely portray their characters as the thinly-sketched workspace stereotypes they're written out to be. John Gallagher Jr. portrays the everyman Mike, Adria Arjona's the other side of Mike's workplace romance as Leandra, Tony Goldwyn's the controlling boss, John C. McGinley's a creep, Melonie Diaz is the new girl, Sean Gunn is the conspiracy theorist, and Michael Rooker and David Dastmalchian are the mechanically inclined workmen. I could keep going but none of these characters serve a greater purpose than being pawns in a perverse turn of events and the actors portraying them don't lend anything beyond that. 

When it comes down to it, I can't quite recommend The Belko Experiment unless a sickening social experiment where violence occurs for the sake of violence sounds fun to you. The Belko Experiment is unabashedly brutal, so much so that it mutilated a fascinatingly disturbing premise.

Film Assessment: C-

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Beauty and the Beast' (1991)

This week I'm reviewing Disney's 1991 animated Beauty and the Beast to tie in with the release of  live action incarnation Beauty and the Beast (2017), if you click on that blue hyperlink you can read my thoughts. I've altered my Throwback Thursday schedule a little to accommodate for Power Rangers and Ghost in the Shell movies. I'll be pushing back my Throwback Thursday Reviews over Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and Spider-Man 2 and hold off from reviewing the remaining Fast and Furious films till the already announced ninth and tenth installments. Reviews you can expect throughout the remainder of March include Throwback Thursday Reviews over Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie and Ghost in the Shell (1995) and new releases Beauty and the Beast (2017), The Belko Experiment, Power Rangers, Life, The Boss Baby, The Zookeeper's Wife, and Ghost in the Shell (2017). 

'Beauty and the Beast' (1991) Review

Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Sound, Best Original Song "Beauty and the Beast" (written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman), Best Original Song "Belle" (written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman), Best Original Song "Be Our Guest" (written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman), and Best Original Score.
Won: Best Original Song "Beauty and the Beast" (written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman) and Best Original Score.

Beauty and the Beast tells of a young prince who dismisses an elderly women for her haggard appearance. The woman then reveals she's an enchantress and to teach the prince a lesson she puts the prince and his castle under a spell, turning the prince into a beast until he can learn to love and be loved in return. In the nearby village a beautiful young maiden Belle doesn't quite fit in, she's ostracized as a peculiarity for reading whilst the handsome narcissistic hunter Gaston pines for her affections. When Belle's father Maurice heads to the fair to present his latest invention, he comes across the beast's castle only to be imprisoned once he discover it's inhabitants are enchanted. Belle ventures to the castle when Maurice doesn't return and offers to take his place as the Beast's prisoner. She then unknowingly starts to bring out the goodnatured characteristics of the Beast and the classic love story begins.

Beauty and the Beast is regarded by many to stand among Disney's greatest animated efforts to this day and considered a classic by just about everyone, it was the first animated film to earn a Best Picture nomination for crying out loud. Beauty and the Beast is co-directed Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise with a screenplay from Linda Woolverton, I won't list out the story credits because there were ten cooks in that kitchen but what a commendable cuisine they made. The story may have a few slight plot holes but the "tale as old as time" remains timeless. The message about true beauty lying within is incredibly valuable to this day.

The animation in Beauty and the Beast remains remarkable and it's amazing how well the hand drawn animation holds up to today's CG-animation. The character design alone is intricately detailed with picturesque portraits filling in the backdrop allowing for a fascinating visual plane. The musical offerings from Alan Menken and Howard Ashman are intrinsic to the film's success and stand the test of time. "Be Our Guest" and "Gaston" are outrageously entertaining while quieter, character-driven tunes like "Belle," "Something There," and "Beauty and the Beast"are still awe-inspiring.

But one crucial element to any animated film's success is it's voice talent and the ensemble behind Beauty and the Beast are extraordinary. Paige O'Hara offers a tender, compassionate voice of reason as Belle that matches the character perfectly and brings out all Belle's admirable qualities. Robby Benson does an excellent job captruing the frustration, broken spirit of the Beast while channeling an inner gentleness. Richard White finds the both the gravitas and egocentric mannerisms required for the role of Gaston while Jesse Corti plays the silly stooge LeFou. Jerry Orbach, David Ogden Steers, Angela Lansbury, and Bradley Pierce find the precise personas for the houshold objects as the flamboyant Lumière, rigid Cogsworth, motherly Mrs. Potts, and naive Chip respectively.

In conclusion, Beauty and the Beast hasn't lost it luster; the songs are still spellbinding, the animation's exceptional, the vocal ensemble's splendid, and the central themes remain fundamental to this day.

Film Assessment: A+

'Beauty and the Beast' (2017) Review

Nominated For: Best Costume Design and Best Production Design.

Beauty and the Beast is the latest live-action retelling of one of Disney's classic animated films, joining the ranks of remakes abound from the studio. Before seeing this I had no idea what to expect considering Disney's live-action remakes have been hit or miss for me. I loved The Jungle Book (2016), was satisfied with Cinderella (2015) and Pete's Dragon (2016), found myself disappointed by Maleficent, and absolutely hated Alice in Wonderland (2010). The very idea of remaking what is regarded to arguably be one of Disney's greatest films is daunting and hats off to director Bill Condon for putting forth an admirable effort. 

Screenwriters Stephen Chbosky and Evan Spiliotopoulos make a number of tweaks to the 1991 animation that I wasn't quite expecting. A majority of these changes are incorporated to fill plot holes or simply modernize the tale as old as time, serving as a dual edged sword in return. On one hand, the characters are rewarded richer backstories and slight modifications made the romance between Belle and Beast feel more organic as opposed to good ol' fashioned Stockholm Syndrome. On the flip side, the extra exposition stretches out the story leading to uneven pacing that permitted some scenes to drag their feet across the floor. 

One change in particular that has been met with ample controversy was the decision to portray this version of LeFou as the first openly gay Disney character and the description of an "exclusively gay moment" appearing in the film's finale. While those two statements are accurate, the controversy surrounding them is simply unjustified. The characterization is subtle and the moment referred to is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it occurrence that's not quite worth boycotting the film over in my opinion (I'd compare it to how Sulu was treated in Star Trek Beyond). If anything, this change actually improves the character; granting LeFou a more fulfilling character arc than his stint as the dopey sidekick in the animated incarnation. Even though I thought the change was unnecessary when I walked in, I can see why the alteration was made and can agree it enhanced that aspect of the story in a way I didn't expect. 

I was pleasantly surprised not to watch a beat-for-beat retread but fear not Disney purists because all the iconic imagery, sensational songs, and classic moments maintain their luster. Alan Menken returns to his scoring duties, composing a few additional songs in addition to updating his pre-existing tunes. On that note, if you try to sing along you may find it a little difficult because the lyric annunciation and syncopated rhythms differ from what you're used to (You'll probably adjust once you hear the updated soundtrack a few times). Grand musical numbers "Gaston" and "Be Our Guest" are still showstoppers while the new renditions of "Belle", "Something There", and "Beauty and the Beast" are equally enchanting as the original versions. Though the new songs were mostly mediocre, I found  "Evermore" to be a brilliant baritone ballad for Dan Stevens (the Beast). 

Across the board I was quite impressed by the cast's universal musical abilities. Luke Evans and Ewan McGregor stood out in particular as they were the two I was most concerned about but were the two who nearly stole the show. I was also worried about the visual effects depicting the inhabitants of Beast's castle and Ewan McGregor's french accent as Lumière judging from the trailers but turns out my anxieties were ill-conceived. 

The production design team behind Beauty and the Beast piece together a practical lavish set, breathtakingly gorgeous costumery evocative of the clothing worn by the animated characters, and exceptional visual effects that blend seamlessly with the surrounding world. The design of the household servants projects the guise of antique medieval home decor, allowing for more believable anthropomorphized objects in contrast to the cartoonish look evidenced by the animation. 

The Beast is probably the best live-action translation possible in terms of appearance but the entire time you can tell he's a byproduct of CG-animation so he's not quite perfect (but it's really close). Elsewhere, the casting is about perfect across the board and I was shocked to see they each offered something new rather than emulating what's come before. 

Emma Watson puts her own spin on Belle, striking a nice balance of gentleness, beauty, and intellect that allows this version of Belle to come across as a capable heroine who's definitely an ideal role model for young girls everywhere. Dan Stevens impressed me quite a bit as he captured the anguish, torture, and inner humanity of the Beast through his motion-capture portrayal (assisted by the vfx department of course). 

Luke Evans offers an ambitious take on Gaston and I have to say he succeeds in spades while Josh Gad injects a new dimension to LeFou (that I spoke of earlier) in addition to serving as a nice dose of comedic relief. Evans and Gad's pairing as Gaston and LeFou stood high and mighty as one of the film's highlights. Evans expertly apprehends the pompous, narcissistic over-the-top demeanor whilst avoiding the appearance of a stale one-dimensional antagonist. 

As for the antique appliances, Ewan McGregor, Ian McKellen, Emma Thompson, and Nathan Mack each portray the bravado, restraint, motherly instinct and childlike wonder of Lumière, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, and Chip's respective personalities. I felt McGregor nailed the french accent but Thompson came off as yearning too much for Angela Lansbury's voice on occasion leading to some inconsistent dialogue delivery. Fun fact: McGregor went back and rerecorded his dialogue because he wasn't satisfied with his first go-around. The remaining ensemble is composed of Kevin Kline, Stanley Tucci, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Audra McDonald filling the roles of Maurice, Maestro Cadenza, Plumette, and Madame Garderobe who each muster serviceable roles in the story. 

All in all, Beauty and the Beast is a glamorous reiteration of the 1991 animated classic that boasts an impressive ensemble, illustrious effects, and secure direction. My screening was in IMAX 3D so I'd recommend seeing this on the biggest screen possible considering the massive screen and refined sound amplified the experience of the grand musical numbers. In conclusion, Beauty and the Beast (2017) may not stand toe-to-toe with Beauty and the Beast (1991), because the original's nearly perfect, but it offers enough pleasantries to more than justify the price of admission. 

Film Assessment: A-