It’s the end of the month, and it’s time for Tea Time. This time I got Thero from A Reluctant Hero, and we talked about her fave movie: Beauty and the Beast. Surprising for me, so let’s read on. 

This one is long, so I added some page jumps. Check out the stuff you find interesting.

Belle is Bae / Little Mermaid is Scary

The Beast / Disney and Mothers

Lefou is Bae

Emma Watson’s Belle / The Iconic Dance

Gaston

Tomboy / Final Pro and Con / Movie Collab?

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 Belle is Bae

Thero: What did you think of it?

TPAB: I obviously came to enjoy previous Disney movies, like Frozen, Mulan, Lion King and all that stuff. I think Beauty and the Beast is a bit clunky, but it is really ambitious. Animation wise, I think I know why this almost got a Best Picture.

What about you? Surprised, actually, that Beauty and the Beast is one of your fave xD

Thero: It was the first of the Disney Renaissance films I watched growing up. I guess I found Belle a more relatable character than some of the other characters around at the time. What do you think of it compared to the remake?

TPAB: oh, what made Belle relatable to you? I like her rotoscope animation, but I dunno, she, herself, didn’t stand out for me.

And I saw the remake last year, when it came out, but I kinda felt from the very start that it was “unncessary”. At this point, you can tell that I love both films. Hahaha Did you liked the remake?

Thero: I guess it was the whole bookworm that felt like an outsider that made her relatable. Plus when you compare her to the Disney princesses before her, you have two princesses, a girl treated like a slave and a mermaid.

I thought the remake was good but I have to say, like you, I did think it was unnecessary as it didn’t really do much different from the animated version. Still, I’m glad you enjoyed it!

TPAB: I guess Belle is unique, even her opening song kinda stood out. I do think Disney Princesses don’t have much personality, which is kinda poked fun of by current Princesses. I do love Ariel. Animation wise, I am in love with her underwater hair.

And yeah, the remake was so close to the animated version that it exposed the limitations of a live action Beauty and the Beast. The added stuff also didn’t improve the story, and all I was thinking was “I bet it was better in the cartoon”. I did enjoy it. Thank you.

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Little Mermaid is Scary

TPAB: And oh, so you’re a bookworm, huh?

Thero: Oh yes, I am bookworm. I tend to find most of the Disney princesses have very similar character progression, which makes their personalities very similar to each other. There is no doubt that Ariel is probably one of the best animated Disney characters and I think she would have been my favourite character if it weren’t for the fact The Little Mermaid scared me as a child.

TPAB: how did…..the Little Mermaid scare you as a child? You mean, Ursula? xD

Thero: Stop laughing! OK, I only got frightened when she became really big at the end and went a little crazy. I was about four when I first watched it…

TPAB: I understand. Ursala was intended to be really creepy. I recently watched it and her cave freaked me out. Is Belle your fave character in the entire movie? Who’s your next fave?

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The Beast

Thero: I have a serious problem of way to many books and too little shelf space! After Belle, I would have to say Cogsworth is my next favourite, I just love his facial expressions and the scene at the end of the film where he seems to be doing an impression of Napoleon. Who was your favourite character?

TPAB: I was expecting you to say The Beast is your next fave. You don’t like the beast? I actually hate him in the live action, but I really love the animated Beast. And lol, you like Cogsworth, I like Lumiere. He was voiced by that cop from the TV show Law and Order, lol. “Be Our Guest” is also my fave song from the movie

Thero: Beast is my third favourite, I just don’t think he gets the amount of screen time he deserves. I have to say Lumiere and Cogsworth do make a good double act. How do you think the two versions of ‘Be Our Guest’ compare to one another?

TPAB: If you think he didn’t get screen time in the animated, then I bet you enjoyed him in the live action. He didn’t even do anything there.

I heard the live action also adapted the broadway musical or something, but either way I thought the live action version is too long. I also don’t like the live action Lumiere. The original is really only amazing because of the animation, imo. What do you think?

Thero: I’ll be honest I wasn’t that keen on the live action Beast. He didn’t look beastly enough, if that makes sense? It could easily be the human features which sort of defeat the point of him being cursed. I agree that the live action film was a little too long, but I also felt that the additional scenes they added, like Gaston leaving Maurice in the woods and what happened to Belle’s mother, weren’t necessary for the story about Beast’s and Belle’s relationship. As for the animated film, nostalgia makes me biased overall but I think the singing was better and plot was more focused, so I would choose the animated version over the live action one.

TPAB: that is a common criticism on the live action: the beast isn’t beastly enough. I understand. The guy walks on all fours in the animated movie, and they use shadow to announce his presence before entering a scene. It’s amazing.The animated movie is really just awesome, and I could’ve honestly lived without the live action one.

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Disney and Mothers

TPAB: And yeah, her mom died of the black plague. That’s something, huh? The singing also felt like just sung dialogue to me, but I do think it has a charm of its own.

Thero: The whole Belle’s mother having died from the plague was a bit weird, especially when there is a fan theory that’s been going round for a while that suggests Belle’s mother is connected to the sorceress. Still, I though it was an unnecessary detail and was just being used to pad out the film’s run time.

TPAB: it is kinda odd that she didn’t have a mum in the animated version. We just kinda accepted that she had a dad, and that’s that. I appreciate the attempt to add something new to the story, but, yeah, it didn’t work.

Thero: To be honest, Disney has a thing about absent mothers, so I guess we were all conditioned not to even miss her. Considering some of the fates of some Disney parents, I think we should be glad the wolves didn’t eat Belle’s father!

TPAB: I actually wanted to see the wolves atleast take a bite of the horse, or something. But that’s just from watching too much Walking Dead.

Thero: Beauty and the Beast crossed with The Walking Dead could be an interesting crossover.

TPAB: you mean cogsworth gets surrounded by zombies and eaten alive? hahaha.

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Lefou is Bae

TPAB: But you know what, I am actually baffled Lefou exists. The only part of the animated movie I hate.

Thero: I think Lefou was part of those early 90 every villain needs an annoying sidekick thing but like you say there isn’t really any point to him.

TPAB: And omg, Lefou is shocking. yknow how some shows are banned for blackface because its just wrong, Lefou feels like that to me. Dumb, short, a literal foot stool, omg, I honestly thought Lefou was added by the live action version. I do not expect him to be part of the animated one.

And with that being said, I actually like Josh Gad’s Lefou. They made him gay, I think, and yah, that makes sense.

Thero: I think Lefou just didn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the film but I did like Josh Gad’s version because it felt a little more real, compared to the over-the-top cartoony animated version. I’ll be honest I always thought that Lefou was gay, even in the animated version; it just was more clearly started in the live action film.

TPAB: I remember people freaked out when Disney pointed out Lefou was gay in the live action version. I actually watched the live action just to see what gay thing made people freak out. But nothing, lol. people just wanted to be offended, i guess.

Thero: I agree, after all the noise being made about Lefou, I was slightly disappointed that there wasn’t anything to get worked up about.

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Emma Watson’s Belle

TPAB: Oh, what do you think of Emma Watson as belle?

Thero: When Disney announced they were doing a live action version, a friend of mine and me actually called it and said they would cast Emma Watson as Belle. She just seemed the obvious choice. I don’t hate her as Belle but I wouldn’t say she added anything to the character either. I know some people didn’t like her singing but I would say it was on par with quite a few of the other actors. What did you think of Emma Watson?

TPAB: I hated her singing. Hahaha

imo, she was trying too hard, and you can also tell she’s having a tough time interacting with the Beast, since he isn’t really in any scene with him. It isn’t all her fault though, because the songs aren’t really that great themselves. Still, when I saw her in the iconic yellow dress dancing with the Beast, it just didn’t feel right.

Thero: I felt sorry for Emma Watson, she easily had the hardest role in the entire film. I completely agree with you about the ballroom scene! It was supposed to be the romantic moment in the film and it just fell flat.

TPAB: Who would you pick as Belle? Just a random thought

Thero: That’s a tough question, my friend and I were discussing this when the live action was first announced and we thought Emma Watson would definitely be chosen. But two other actresses that could have been interesting, and less obvious choices, would be either Emilia Clarke from Game of Thrones or Sierra Boggess, an actress who has done quite a bit of work in musicals.

TPAB: I cannot watch Emilia Clarke without imagining her topless, damn Game of Thrones. She had a movie where she dated a dying man, um, Me Before You, and ugh, it felt weird since I already saw her naked. Totes won’t work as family friendly Belle, imo.

Thero: Personally, I wasn’t thinking about Emilia Clarke topless. I think that’s only a problem you have xD

TPAB: In my mind, I have Emilia Clarke typecasted now so I cannot unsee her topless. The same goes for Jon Snow. In my mind, I always go ‘you know nothing!” we’ve gone off topic now. I apologize

Thero: I don’t mind going off topic, Wait, you imagine Jon Snow topless? 🙂

TPAB: No no, I imagine Yggrit going “you know nothing” whenever I see Jon Snow out of character. It’s Yggrit I imagine topless, because you just can’t unsee those.

Thero: Well, I’m throwing the question back to you. Who would you cast as Belle?

TPAB: LILY COLLINS. I already worked it out in my head. The live action would look like a YA movie though, but I wanna see her rock the yellow dress. xD

Thero: Lilly Collins looks like she would be a great choice! A shame that Disney didn’t explore different options when it came to the casting…

TPA: and I do understand casting Emma Watson, since she’s a recognizable name. Plus, it’s easy to sell Hermoine as Belle than the anorexic chick in “To the Bone” as Belle. haha. I’m glad you liked the possibility of Collins as Belle *thumbs up*

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The Iconic Dance

TPAB: the live action dance is flat! Horrible. Does that mean you were enchanted by the animated movie’s dance scene? I was.

Thero: Was I enchanted by the dancing in the animated film? Yes! It was easily the best scene in the film. Its actually hard to explain why I love it, I just thought thought it was pretty magical and romantic. This is coming from someone who isn’t in to the whole romance thing.

TPAB: I love the dance scene. Animation wise it was old school animation merging with computer graphics. It was stunning. I also love the scene when the magical brooms and mops were cleaning it, because it felt like the animators really wanted to include a recognizable Walt Disney icon in the movie.

Thero: Interesting fun fact originally, the wolf chase was going to have cgi mixed with traditionally animation, but they couldn’t complete it in time and so focused on the ballroom scene instead.

TPAB: Oh, that’s interesting. Actually, the quality of the animation dipped in some parts, like when Gaston rallied the mob, you can tell the animation is off. But lol, the credits featured different animators for each character. I really love that about this movie.

Thero: According to the directors the animated film was running way behind schedule, in fact when they were showing it at a film festival, some of the scenes weren’t fully animated. Like you say, the animation did decline towards the end of the film. The final dance scene was actually borrowed from Sleeping Beauty to save the animators time.

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Gaston

TPAB: What did you think of Luke Evans’ Gaston?

Thero: I liked Luke Evans’ Gaston, he seemed a little more grounded and less comedic. I thought it was interesting that they tried to explain why he was villainous by giving the whole war backstory but I think I prefer the animated version. I don’t know, I think having someone who is so egotistical that he does evil things makes for a more interesting villain. Which of the two versions did you like?

TPAB: I like both versions. Gaston is like a caricature, so its easy to portray him. I think the only thing I din’t like about him in the animated version is the way he died. So anticlimactic. Luke Evan’s performance is awesome. He eve made the musical portions of the animated movie better, imo. But again, retarded ending. The fairy returned, like wtf?

Thero: I felt that both versions of Gaston’s deaths were anti climatic but I felt that the animated version felt less so, as at least he fell because he was killing the Beast and not because the castle was crumbling. I don’t understand why they felt the need to have the fairy play a larger role in the live action version. In the animated version, she was needed to revert the Beast as it was all part of the curse.

TPAB: I think they were going for a “broadway” climax with the live action, and Gaston did more stuff like tying Belle’s dad to a tree, lol. But I agree, the animated version is kinda better. And yes, the fairy coming back as an old hag is just stupid. dragged the movie, imo.

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Tomboy

TPAB: Another weird topic but I take it, you don’t like romance movies? xD Come to think of it, please don’t get mad, but you have a “tomboy gamer” vibe in your blog.

Thero: You are completely correct. Growing up, I was definitely a tomboy which probably surprises people when they find out that Beauty and the Beast was my favourite animated film growing up. Let’s just say, romantic films are not my favourite genre of film, but if its well written/acted/directed then I’m willing to watch it

TPAB: Since you’re into the tomboy gamer stuff, what do you think of the live action Mulan? yay or nay? don’t your games have romance or something, do you skip them? lol

Thero: Generally romances in video games aren’t major point of the game and sometimes I feel more invested in those relationships compared to those in films. I don’t mind romance, as look as it is well done.

I’m reserving judgement for Mulan, for now, as there hasn’t been a whole lot of information out about it. I’m more concerned for The Lion King, as I hope they don’t go down the same path as Beauty and the Beast with yet another unnecessary remake.

TPAB: they’re doing a live action of Lion King? Like all CG characters? like in jungle book? seems..unnecessary. i doubt they can recreate the iconic scene of Rafiki hosting Simba up. No way.

Thero: Yep, The Lion King remake is going to be done in the same style as the recent Jungle Book remake. Like you, I feel it is a little unnecessary, which is why I wonder if it will turn out the same way as Beauty and the Beast.

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Final Pro and Con

TPAB: I think we’ve talked in lengths about the movie, lol. final one, unless you have more questions, how about some pro/cons of the animated and the live action

Thero: OK, pros for the animation: I think it is easier for it to portray the more magical/fantastical scenes compared to the live action, as it animation and the only real restriction is the animators imaginations. At the same time, as you pointed out, there does seem to be a slip in quality in some scenes, possibly where they were running out of time; which is something that the live action doesn’t have a problem with.

On the other hand, the live action suffers from real people interacting with CG, which isn’t the actors fault, it just what happens when you’re asking someone to interact with something that isn’t there. But I think the biggest con for the live action is the question, is it a necessary remake? Yes, the animated version has its flaws but even 25 years on, it still holds up as a classic. The reason why Disney remade the film, because the animated version was popular and would receive a lot of attention, in a way makes the remake obsolete.

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Movie Collab?

TPAB: Btw, you should blog about movies. I think it suits you.

Thero: I find it easier talking about films with another person than just writing my thoughts down on them, but I may have to take your recommendation into consideration. Maybe I will include some posts on films in the future…

TPAB: well, talking to you about films is pretty fun. we should collab on more films maybe, when we’re not busy or something.

I think we are done. Just One last thing. Can you share your favorite post from your blog?

Thero: I think my top 5 dogs in video games has been my favourite post to write about so far. Here’s the link

Its been fun discussing films with you, so if you want to collab on again on a film post, I’m up for that.

TPAB: Yeah, let’s collab on more films, maybe romance since you like those a lot. yknow, dumb ones like Bride Wars or How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days or something xD

Thero: If we watch dumb romance films, be prepared for more ranty comments from me! 🙂

TPAB: omg, you really wanna do it? hahaha i know rants are fun to watch/read, lol

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Gawd, this was long and basically a review. We just had fun talking, and it was a pretty cool collab. I want to thank Thero for this fun tea time. What do you guys think of the movie – both the animated and the live action? Comment below!