Here is the premise: A young prince (Dan Stevens,) imprisoned in the form of a beast, can be freed only by true love. What may be his only opportunity arrives when he meets Belle (Emma Watson,) the only human girl to ever visit the castle since it was enchanted.
From beginning to end, the live action musical of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is everything you would want it to be. It has singing, romance, comedy, and it keeps the audience captive throughout the whole film.
Dan Stevens and Emma Watson have great chemistry, and both knock it out of the ballpark; I think that Luke Evans and Josh Gad stole a lot of scenes as Gaston and LeFou; they provide the comic relief throughout and do an amazing job.
Director Bill Condon treated this classic cartoon with kid gloves, knowing he was treading on a classic and one wrong step could be tragic; I am happy to say his adaptation will also be a classic.
I highly recommend seeing BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, it is well worth it.
Russell Lockhart
