I am super pumped for the live action Beauty in the Beast, but to the point where I know I am blinded by the movie’s potential flaws. So I thought it was time to make a list to balance out the advantages and disadvantages that we may come across when watching this remake.

Pro: A Spectacle

There’s no doubt that this movie will be something worth watching. It will be a huge cinematic event for animation addicts, movie lovers, Disney fanatics, and anyone who’s ever seen the original movie. So, basically, everyone. Anyone who has seen the trailer (above) knows it barfs up fantasy and magic. There is no doubt this will be the biggest and grandest version of this ‘tale as old as time’ we will ever see.

Con: Ages the Original

This brings me on to my personal biggest downfall with a remake. It ages the animated version before its time. A newer version could mean the original movie will now be referred to as the ‘old version.’ I am not ready for that. Comparisons will be made between the two constantly (I’m making comparisons right now) and people will call us ‘nostalgic’ for loving the original too much. I wonder if the younger generation will prefer the remake to the classic? I will miss the days when the original was the one and only Disney version.

Pro: New Songs

I am very much looking forward to seeing what Alan Menken and Tim Rice will bring to the table (along with Howard Ashman’s original lyrics, of course). If the trailer is anything to go by then we are in for a whirlwind of musical sensations and a revamp of the score. Not to mention Celine Dion will return with a new original song “How Does a Moment Last Forever.” Will this new song become the new preference for weddings?

Con: New Singers

This is a small gripe of mine, but I find it hard to get used to the same songs with different singers. After hearing Emma Watson sing “Belle (Reprise)” on the trailer (above) I once found myself singing the same song but now subconsciously mimicking her voice and tone. Watson has a beautiful singing voice, but the original Belle (Paige O’Hara) had so much warmth and charm. I don’t want the new songs to push away the versions I grew up with.

Pro: Development of Characters and Story

There are more than enough hints that the live action version has fleshed out their characters. Belle’s identity, for example, goes beyond reading. She’s now an inventor (like her father Maurice was in the animated version) and actress Emma Watson refused to wear a corset for the role. She is clearly going to be even more of a strong female role model than ever before, if that’s even possible. We will most likely be given more time to develop the love between Belle and the Beast, too. I’m all for that. I wonder what they will bond over? Reading, perhaps?

Con: Changing Characters We Know and Love

Will they take developing the characters we already know and love too far? Will they give Gaston too much backstory and make him more unnecessarily sympathetic? We’ve all heard Lumière’s new questionable French accent. It takes away a lot of the charisma we have come to expect from the flirtatious candelabra. And how about the Beast himself? We can connect with a traditionally animated Beast in the original, but can we love an obvious CGI Beast? Will we be able to suspend our disbelief enough to understand why Belle falls in love with this hairy goat-man? Maybe if Beast actor Dan Stevens is good enough, it could be possible.

It’s too early to determine the flaws of the new Beauty and the Beast movie, but I’m not worried. Not while Disney are on a roll with all their projects (both animated and live action). It’s easy to compare these two movies when they appear both similar and different at a mere glance. What is not so easy is allowing the two versions to live harmoniously side by side. Could that ever be possible? I guess we’ll have to wait and see for ourselves.

What are your thoughts on the new Beauty and the Beast movie? What pros and cons would you add to the list?

Edited by: Hannah Wilkes