Beauty and the Beast: reviews

What the critics say average 7.4 from 10

• 9.0 TimeStephanie Zacharek There?s no need to worry that this version might crush the gentle charms of the 1991 picture: Even though Condon more or less faithfully follows that movie?s plot, this Beauty is its own resplendent creature. Read
• 8.0 The TelegraphTim Robey Easily the best move of Bill Condon?s generous update is to grasp the nettle and make an out-an-out, bells-and-whistles musical: something none of Disney?s other refurbishments of its back catalogue lately, from Maleficent through Cinderella and The Jungle Book, have quite had the gumption to attempt. Read
• 8.0 New York TimesA.O. Scott Its classicism feels unforced and fresh. Its romance neither winks nor panders. It looks good, moves gracefully and leaves a clean and invigorating aftertaste. I almost didn?t recognize the flavor: I think the name for it is joy. Read
• 8.0 Screen CrushBritt Hayes Although the CGI-rendered Beast never quite settles into the film?s otherwise gorgeous production design, Beauty more than makes up for it with wonderful performances, captivating chemistry, and song and dance numbers that are (mostly) irresistible. Read
• 8.0 EmpireNick De Semlyen Happily, gone wrong it has not. Under the stewardship of Bill Condon, a director well-used to intense fans after his experiences making two Twilight films, the team behind this mega-money extravaganza rarely put a foot wrong. Read
• 7.5 New York PostSara Stewart If you want your old favorite dressed in sumptuous new clothes, that?s what you?ll get. Those who always desired a little more depth from ?Beauty and the Beast? will be happy, too: There?s something there that wasn?t there before. Read
• 7.0 VarietyOwen Gleiberman When you watch the new ?Beauty and the Beast,? you?re in a prosaic universe of dark and stormy sets, one that looks a lot like other (stagy) films you?ve seen. The visual design, especially in the Beast?s majestic curlicued castle, is gentrified gothic ? Tim Burton de-quirked. Read
• 6.0 The Hollywood ReporterLeslie Felperin In terms of how it approaches storytelling, this exercise is less about revisionism and "villain" rehabilitation, a la Maleficent, than it is about refining the core BATB story (originally written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve in 1740) for a modern audience. Read
• 6.0 The GuardianPeter Bradshaw This movie is allegedly updating its assumptions to include a gay character ? while leaving the heterosexual politics untouched. Beastly ugliness is symbolic of tragic male loneliness even as the imprisoned pretty woman submissively redeems her captor?s suffering. The Shrek twist on this scenario has more of a sense of humour: the woman becomes ugly as well. Read
• 6.0 Los Angeles TimesJustin Chang The performances are unexceptionally fine. Emma Watson, making an intuitive leap from the bookish, lovely Hermione Granger to the bookish, lovely Belle, gives us a luminous if not exactly full-throated heroine. Dan Stevens, his good looks peeking out from behind the Beast?s horned countenance and gruff manner, pulls off an excellent hybrid of Bigfoot and Mr. Darcy. Read