Is the Bloom Off 'Beauty's Rose?

Beast concept design by Patrick Tatopoulos

This is just a heads-up here really: while Gans' Beauty and the Beast premiered to rave reviews in Paris, the ones following haven't been quite as flattering overall. In fact the star rating is trending toward the low side. (Oh no!)

While the visuals are continuously applauded in terms of grandeur and fairy tale quality the main two criticisms are:

Beast reference head (not final hair)
Design by Patrick Tatopoulos

1) the audience for the film isn't clear - you'd think 'family' but there are some decidedly-not family elements to it, yet it plays down the smarts when you think it would get gutsier for an adult audience and is clearly adding elements for children (like the giant-eyed dog-morph things). 

2) the relationship between Beauty and the Beast just doesn't have the necessary gravitas, or bite, needed to make us believe it happened; their relationship having no comparison to the Beast's previous one with his wife. While you might think the furry-CG meld of a beast might be the issue it's not Cassel who's being criticized but Seydoux. She is criticized as coming across somewhat cold and stand-offish, with her falling in love with the Beast failing to be believable, although critics hasten to add she doesn't have a lot of choice in the material given her. (Oh dear.)

And these two points are the criticisms that keep surfacing, no matter where or whom is writing the reviews now.

Hmm.

Beast concept design by Patrick Tatopoulos

I'll admit, I've been reading all I can to find out critic responses and to hunt down any news of a US/UK release date (sorry - nothing yet) so after reading this over and over, I'll admit my fervor to see the film has cooled slightly.

So very pretty but lacking substance, seems to be the upshot on this one. I'm still waiting for reviewers I'm more familiar with to chime in but it would seem to be prudent to, for instance, not spend your life savings on a ticket to Paris just to go see the film... (Just saying. ;) )

I still want to see it though, very much, and I'm still looking forward to it. I'm just going to be lowering my expectations for when I do.