Let's start with an update. Honestly, not much to update. I am re-evaluation a bit on Grimmack. I want to do a couple more edits after much better eyes than my own caught some issues I missed. On three passes. But editing is one of my weaker suits, and I know I need to flex my muscles there and get some better discipline. This will be a great practice for me. I know I want to better my world building if I can in that story as well. Thus I need to draw out a map, and have someone with a better hand finesse it for me. This my be one of my daughters I call upon for this.
My other stories are still floating and waiting. I have a couple weeks of school and then I am going to probably take a break until fall. This means I will have time to write and edit some more, and probably play a little bit of WOW that I have been neglecting. (Hey I get some other me time too) I am hoping by this summer to have something at least published on Amazon that is full Length. That might be Grimmack. That might be the Dragon's apprentice. Who knows? It might be something else I have been tapping at here and there......
On to the Movie Review now.
I am going to start by saying, if you have seen the original Disney animated you have essentially seen this movie. They don't really deviate from that film very much, and when they do, it is for moments that actually round out and build the characters better. This is a great example of deciding not to reinvent the wheel to make a movie. Disney knows the original works and works well and they banked on that. So, with that being said, should you pony up and see it in the theater?
I say yes. The movie is gorgeous and it deserves a big screen to be viewed on at least once. I won't say there weren't parts that annoyed me because it was obvious they had been thrown in for 3-D audiences, but overall I think this will lose some of its grandeur if seen for the first time on a television.
The characters are great as well. Emma Watson was a great pick for Belle. The Beast manages to start as looming and threatening then manages to turn it around in a believable fashion. Maurice gets more depth, and Gaston is actually a bigger Jerk in here. LeFou is fantastic and I could go on and on. Needless to say, I would happily go view this again.
I will admit it, I teared up a few times, even though I knew what was coming.
Oh, and they fixed the common sense problem of a twelve-year old boy getting cursed for not allowing a stranger into his castle. I'm not counting that as spoiler because it's the first five minutes of the movie.
Overall I really have no criticism of this movie. It is well shot, well acted, and I enjoyed it from open to close.
Now here is where I might include spoilers after this point. However, I'm not sure there will be many. I try to do an exercise where I tell you what I would have done differently in the movie, and that may including spoiling etc... so I can fully explain myself. So if you don't like Spoilers, don't read on.
I'm going to start by saying, I really am having a hard time picking anything to truly criticize in this movie. Very little annoyed me, the things that did were still semi-necessary to the movie.
One thing I would have adjusted is the wolves. They made them look CGI'd up, extra big and extra fierce. Why? Either make them normal wolves, maybe slight CGI to make them look like they are starving and willing to go after people, or confirm the curse is the reason they are bigger or more feral. Part of this, is I just hate misrepresentation of animals to the point where they don't act like an animal. And without CGI/Extra big looking stuff, a pack of wolves chasing after someone is more than scary enough. I felt that this made them even less scary.
Gaston remains a one sided villain. He works for the story, and he is supposed to be the supremely arrogant jerk that he is. If you are going to take time to flesh out characters however, take a few moments to make him more rounded. Give him a moment where after LeFou leaves him he walks into a cottage where he shows genuine care for his mother, dropping the macho for a second. only then his mother reacts in a way that is blistering and show why he feels he needs to be such a tool. Yes, I want a touch of sympathy for the villain. I want a little part of you to care when he meets his end. At least LeFou has a decent story arc in this film, where you actually like the little weasel.
That is about all I can think of that I might have done, and to be honest, my choices could be wrong, as always opinion is subjective.
-Ben
If you would like to support Ben Marble and his support of wolves off of steroids, consider purchasing one of his short stories at Amazon.com.
Now here is where I might include spoilers after this point. However, I'm not sure there will be many. I try to do an exercise where I tell you what I would have done differently in the movie, and that may including spoiling etc... so I can fully explain myself. So if you don't like Spoilers, don't read on.
I'm going to start by saying, I really am having a hard time picking anything to truly criticize in this movie. Very little annoyed me, the things that did were still semi-necessary to the movie.
One thing I would have adjusted is the wolves. They made them look CGI'd up, extra big and extra fierce. Why? Either make them normal wolves, maybe slight CGI to make them look like they are starving and willing to go after people, or confirm the curse is the reason they are bigger or more feral. Part of this, is I just hate misrepresentation of animals to the point where they don't act like an animal. And without CGI/Extra big looking stuff, a pack of wolves chasing after someone is more than scary enough. I felt that this made them even less scary.
Gaston remains a one sided villain. He works for the story, and he is supposed to be the supremely arrogant jerk that he is. If you are going to take time to flesh out characters however, take a few moments to make him more rounded. Give him a moment where after LeFou leaves him he walks into a cottage where he shows genuine care for his mother, dropping the macho for a second. only then his mother reacts in a way that is blistering and show why he feels he needs to be such a tool. Yes, I want a touch of sympathy for the villain. I want a little part of you to care when he meets his end. At least LeFou has a decent story arc in this film, where you actually like the little weasel.
That is about all I can think of that I might have done, and to be honest, my choices could be wrong, as always opinion is subjective.
-Ben
If you would like to support Ben Marble and his support of wolves off of steroids, consider purchasing one of his short stories at Amazon.com.
