SPOILER ALERT With Jimmy Nichols: Beauty and the Beast 2017

Disney studios has been lazy for the last few years. It is no secret that they only put out live-action remakes of childhood classics or sequels to already established properties. 

After slowly remaking classic movies since the 90s, Disney has started to remake any successful movie, specifically the princess movies. In the last 10 years, we have seen “Cinderella,” “Aladdin,” “Mulan,” “Snow White” and “The Little Mermaid,” with planned live action releases of newer movies like “Tangled” and “Moana.” 

These remakes have been hit or miss for the company. Some are great at capturing the nostalgia of the original, while others are clearly cash grabs failing with critics, fans and the box office. 

One of the movies that does well at capturing the magic of the original is the 2017 live-action remake of “Beauty and the Beast.” The key to a good remake is to keep the main plot line from the original the same while changing minor details or adding different stories to make it different enough for the audience to want to watch it.  

“Beauty and the Beast” does this fantastically. It keeps the important details the same way, while not being afraid to explore the new storylines or choices. 

One of the most important things the movie keeps the same is the characters’ qualities. Belle remains smart, independent and fearless; Gaston is still a narcissist; and the Beast starts as an angry individual before he becomes better. 

Something the movie changes in this version is the role of Maurice, Belle’s father, and his role in the movie. In the original, he is a smart inventor on the way to a fair to present his invention before becoming lost and stumbling onto the Beast’s castle. 

The Beast detains him for trespassing, and when he is freed, the town views him as insane. They lock him in his cellar before Belle arrives to save him, and then, they lock them both up while the mob goes to kill the beast. 

In the remake, Maurice is less of a bumbling inventor and more of a serious character. He is an inventor, but he makes a music box instead of his wood-chopping machine.  

Instead of the fair, he is planning to go to an annual market, where he always gets Belle a rose. Lightning strikes a tree and opens the path to the Beast rather than him getting lost.  

The Beast detains him for stealing a rose from the garden rather than for trespassing. When he is released, Gaston and LeFou entertain his absurd story before leaving him to die. 

Once he returns to the town, they have him arrested, and when Belle arrives, she breaks the two out of the padded cell they are trapped in, rather than Chip using the wood-chopping machine to free them. 

While these might seem like minor changes, it completely reinvents a character who proves to be key to the plot. Without Maurice, Belle and the Beast would never have fallen in love with each other. 

Another change is the backstory for the Beast, Belle and even Gaston. Beast’s backstory is briefly explained in the original, but in this one, they go into more detail and help clear up plot holes in the first one. 

Anyone who lived in the castle is cursed as well, with anyone outside the castle forgetting they exist. For example, Chip’s father and Mrs. Potts’s husband do not remember them at all. 

Also, they do not age while cursed. This is shown by the Beast already being in his 20s when he is cursed, and Chip remaining a kid when the curse is applied and lifted. 

Belle’s mom is more of a focus in this movie, with Belle longing to learn more about the woman she never had a chance to meet. The audience learns alongside Belle how her mom died of the plague and how her dad protected her from this fact. 

Gaston is portrayed as a war veteran who is struggling with PTSD in the remake. This is what causes his outbursts, but it is still mainly the need to be seen as the best. 

One controversy from this movie, which should not have been an issue, was the costume design. People complained when the movie came out that everything looked basic, but it really was true to the original. 

“Beauty and the Beast” never had the most elaborate outfits, but the one that was the biggest issue for fans was my personal favorite: Belle’s yellow dress for the title song. 

It is simple and elegant. This is something some fans wanted to see more of, but the dress was perfect for the movie.  

One thing that was changed was the songs. Three new songs were added to the movie: “How Does a Moment Last Forever,” “Days in the Sun” and “Evermore.” 

Maurice sings the first one at the beginning as he reminisces about his late wife, while “Days in the Sun” is sung by everyone in the castle while the Beast recovers from the fight with the wolves.  

“Evermore” is my personal favorite new song. It is the Beast's song while he watches Belle leave to go save her father. It is a ballad about how he knows she will always be with him now, despite her leaving. 

Other songs done well are the title song and “Be Our Guest,” done with the amount of grandiose and gusto the song deserves. 

This movie was my favorite thing to watch in 2017, and I could keep talking about it forever. While the movie's extreme success at the box office can be blamed for Disney’s focus on remakes, it is hard to argue against its success.  

It is easily one of the best live action remakes made, and this movie should be a must-watch for anyone who loves classic Disney movies.