6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 3.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
An unexpected romance blooms after the the youngest daughter of a merchant who has fallen on hard times offers herself to the mysterious beast to which her father has become indebted.
Starring: Léa Seydoux, Vincent Cassel, André Dussollier, Eduardo Noriega (II), Audrey LamyFantasy | 100% |
Romance | 56% |
Foreign | 22% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Author Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve’s Beauty and the Beast has enjoyed several cherished film adaptations -- those that maintain the source story's historical timeframe in both animated and live action forms and those that modernize it -- but each version seems to miss out on at least one or more important element from the original tale, leaving viewers without a definitive straight-retelling of the original work. Director Christophe Gans' Beauty and the Beast, a 2014 French film, sticks closer to the details found in the original telling than most, offering a slightly more traditional take on the classic tale made famous by Disney's Oscar-winning masterpiece. Unfortunately, this film falls well short of capturing the spirit of the original tale, which says that true beauty is more than physical attractiveness, leaving it without the necessary overarching theme that ties the story together and makes it a true fairy tale.
Beauty and the Beast is often a rather cold film, a bit visually unwelcoming and dreary. It's often contrasted against deeply saturated reds, whether rose petals or some of Belle's costumes. Color springs to life in a few more evenly and naturally lit exteriors where costumes and vegetation stretch the palette, but expect a predominantly cold color scheme that's more thematically accentuating than it is inherently vibrant. Details are good, particularly around the castle and various interiors where both woods and stone show fair surface texturing, but never the sort of intimate, tactile, authentic qualities exhibited by the finest transfers. Much the same may be said of faces and clothes. Even the most resplendent and texturally in-depth costumes lack that last little push of lifelike intimacy. Blacks are critical to the experience, and there's an occasional struggle to hold deep, particularly early on when Belle's father arrives at the Beast's castle. They do tighten up as the film moves forward. Flesh tones are slightly pasty. Light macroblocking is evident in a few places but no other major source or encode flaws are apparent.
Beauty and the Beast boasts a pair of DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtracks, one in the native French and the other in a dubbed English. Both are similar, with perhaps a sight edge to the French in terms of openness, depth, and overall clarity. The track features no shortage of quality sonic moments, particularly where the low end is concerned. The film opens with crashing waves and a coming storm that pound the stage nicely, though certainly without the raw aggressiveness demonstrated in the top tracks with similar qualities. Much the same can be said for every low end engagement in the track. Whether gunshots (which do echo nicely about the stage) or massive footfalls late in the movie, the low end never reaches that level of punishing that its scenes seem to demand. Atmospheric effects are quite good, though, whether blustery winds swirling about the stage or dialogue reverberation through the expansive castle. The track rarely wants for greater openness and raw sense of space and place. Complimentary effects are arguably its strength, including little scuffles about the castle or eerie environmental effects outside of it. Music is pleasing, clear to satisfaction and well spaced along the stage, more up front than in the back, though. Dialogue is well defined and prioritized in both tongues, though the French, obviously, syncs to lip movement.
Beauty and the Beast contains several interviews and the film's trailer. Both DVD and digital versions of the film are included with purchase.
Beauty and the Beast falls well short of satisfying its core needs: exploring the relationship between its title characters. Their love seems sudden, convenient for the plot, explored with little, if any, sense of sincerity in the heart, never mind in the physical. The film does a fair job on the surface, blending elements of the original tale and various filmed versions while making many parts its own, sometimes to good effect, sometimes to not-so-good effect. But its failures outweigh its pluses, yielding, at best, a so-so adaptation that, with some work, could have stood as one of the definitive tellings. Shout! Factory's Blu-ray offers good video and audio along with a few interview supplements. Fans of the original work will want to see it, but fans of the Disney version and romantics will likely find it lacking.
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