The World According to LaTaeya

Beauty and the Beast directed by Bill Condon and starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens was a fairytale masterpiece that brought the classic romantic Disney, animated tale to life in the form of a live action film. Most people know the story of Belle and her adventures to share her uniqueness in a world where being different wasn’t always accepted, but for those who don’t, Belle and her father live in a quaint little French village, as they work together and manage a life without her mother, Belle goes on a quest in search of something more. Not realizing when and how that will come, she finds herself on the edge of a new world as she makes an attempt to save her father after he gets in trouble from a local trip. She soon encounters her father’s capturer and quickly sacrifices herself for the health and safety of her father. Shocked that her father’s capturer is a Beast, she remains strong and not afraid of him. At first Belle and Beast are at odds with each other, but as time passes Belle realizes that the Beast has a loving, caring, and gentle spirit. She comes to the realization that a terrible spell has been cast upon the Beast and all the inhabitants of the castle. She is determined to do all she can to help, but does not realize that love is only thing that can break the spell.

This version of Beauty and the Beast was done is a remarkable way. The cast was superb and visually the movie was just magical. For two hours I was swept away as if I were a character in the story. The special effects were brilliant, and even though I could clearly tell that the Beast was CGI character, he still looked really believable. The emotions and story behind the characters made me feel connected to the adventure. I must applaud the casting director for a job well done especially when it came to infusing cultural diversity into the characters. Several characters were African American and it was nice to see African Americans be included and represented as equals in a fairytale of this magnitude.

Overall, Beauty and the Beast is a must see film. I look forward to adding this movie to my personal collection and no matter what anyone says, adults can enjoy this movie just as much as any child! I gave this movie 5 stars!!

L.L.