Beauty and the Beast (2017 film)

Looking forward to seeing this this afternoon. Had a nice Disney musical related experience yesterday. A local community event (here in East London, at the Museum of London Docklands branch) had different groups/choirs singing in it. My daughter and her teenage friends represented a local music trust and their performance was sandwiched between a Lithuanian choir and the gloriously named 'Sputnik Association of Russian Women and the Globus Supplementary School'. The latter consisted of two women and assorted children all dressed in national costume (including a very serious young boy in a wonderful pioneer's style outfit). Alongside a funked up version of Kalinka (including a rap middle section) and Borodin's Stranger In Paradise they also sang, in Russian, Once Upon A December from Anastasia. Absolutely charmed the lot of us.

I think until BATB, the songs in Mulan aren't necessary and the film would still work without them, it's a film I envisioned working better without the songs and in live action

Ah, cheers zsazsa!

Spotted Jimmy Johnston alright during the mob scene, and was delighted to see him having loved his performance in Oklahoma! all those years ago.

Also, I'm sick to my teeth of people saying they were crying at this film.

Oh Audra McDonald. Wow. So pleased she got to sing at least some of the title song: but the snippet she had oozed class. Boy did I have goosebumps at that point. I can only imagine her singing the whole song. Sigh!

Liked because you mentioned The Amazing Mr Blunden! One of my favourite films as a child

Just listening to some of the songs.
'Prologue' - I just love the music, and have done since the original film. So haunting and beautiful, it really sets the scene. Not sure about the female narration - I prefer the male voice from the original film. I can't help thinking Ian McKellen would have been a better choice to narrate the prologue.
'Be My Guest' sounds good.
'Belle' - the autotune is really apparent on Emma W's vocals, not least because everyone else's vocals either aren't autotuned or are autotuned to a much lesser degree, so they sound much more natural. Emma also seemed to have missed the memo about singing with English accents, so there are times when an American twang creeps in. Luke Evans sounds fab, great vocals!
'Gaston' - Liking this, great vocals from Luke again.
'Beauty & The Beast' - OK, but Emma Thompson's vocals lack the warmth of Angela Lansbury's. I also agree about Emma's accent, though it's not quite Dick Van Dyke bad!
'Beauty & The Beast' (Finale) - Is that Audra singing the first bit? Love her voice!
'Evermore' - Blimey, is that Dan Stevens? Great job from him, and a tricky song to sing, so well done!
'Something There' - Again, fab from Dan Stevens! Emma is autotuned to within an inch of her life (she does sound rather like 'Siri') and the American twang is there again.
'Days In The Sun' - Lovely song. Audra sounding great again, but Siri..er...Emma is really starting to bug me!

Overall, I think it's a strong soundtrack. It's just a shame they didn't get an actress who could actually sing to play Belle.

When I saw it, and Gaston fell to his death, a little kid screamed "yessss!". Good kid :-)

I think I must be odd. Beauty and the Beast has passed me by on all levels and I can't summon up any interest in the film whatsoever. In fact, the first I knew of it was when Emma Watson kept turning up on everything on TV and in the papers the other week, and I wondered why.

I've found that cinema audiences are very fond of clapping for musicals.

When I saw Les Mis in the cinema there wasn't just applause, at the end of the film there was a standing ovation! And this wasn't any special showing, just a casual Friday night. Though totally deserved haha.