Movie Review: Beauty and the Beast (2017) Part 2

Movie Review: Beauty and the Beast (2017) Part 2                                                                    3-20-17

 

Originally released November 22nd, 1991, Beauty and the Beast was Disney's 30th animated feature, and the first ever animated feature to get an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. It's regarded as one of Walt Disney Animation Studios' best movies of all time. When I first heard they were making a live-action adaptation/remake of Beauty and the Beast, I was very skeptical. What makes this film different from the original? After finally seeing it, I have pointed out some differences.

In the original film, they never explained what happened to Prince Adam's parents. In this film, however, we learn that his mom passed away when he was young. We don't know what happened to his dad, though.

We also didn't know much about Belle's mother in the original. In this film, we learn Belle's mother died from a plague when she was a baby.

Now what else is there to appreciate about the new Beauty and the Beast? Well, the CG effects are good, the story stays true to the original film, the songs have been updated without interfering too much, and the casting for the most part is excellent. I especially like Josh Gad (the voice of Olaf the snowman in Frozen) as Lefou.

If I were to nitpick at one thing, I wish they kept some of the scenes with Lumiere and Cogsworth. Some of my favorite scenes were missing in this film.

Remember this scene? You won't be seeing it in the new Beauty and the Beast.

I also fell Emma Wattson's (who plays Belle this time around) singing voice is a bit auto-tuned, which I feel is out of style.

Nevertheless, you are sure to enjoy this version of Beauty and the Beast just as much as the original.

Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5

Movie Review: Beauty and the Beast (2017) Part 1

Movie Review: Beauty and the Beast (2017) Part 1                                                           3-20-17

This whole craze of live-action Disney remakes began in 2010, with Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland.

Despite receiving very mixed reviews, the film earned over a billion dollars worldwide! It kind of bothers me that it earned more money than DreamWorks' How To Train Your Dragon, which premiered around the same time. I have yet to see the sequel, and I don't plan to in the near future.

The next live-action Disney remake was Maleficent, released in 2014, starring Angelina Jolie as the famous wicked sorceress. It was meant to tell the story of Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty through the eyes of Maleficent, as well as how she became evil. Instead, we got a mess of a film in which Maleficent is the hero and King Stephan (Aurora's father) is the villain. To make matters worse, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, the Three Good Fairies in the original film, were demoted to female equivalents of The Three Stooges.

I also feel like the climax kind of copies Frozen.

The third live-action Disney remake was Cinderella, released in 2015. It stuck faithfully to both the Disney version and the Charles Perrault version of the fairytale, and added a deeper backstory to Cinderella (whose real name is Ella this time around). When I first saw this film in theaters, it was right after one of the most insane ideas ever for a crossover episode: Steven Universe's 'Say Uncle', a crossover episode of Steven Universe and Uncle Grandpa. What next? A crossover episode of Star vs. the Forces of Evil and Pickle & Peanut? Or a crossover episode of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (the CGI turtles) and Fanboy & Chum-Chum?

The fourth live-action Disney remake was The Jungle Book, released in 2016. It had a young boy, Neel Sethi, who plays Mowgli in this version, in a CGI jungle with hyper-realistic CG animals voiced by celebrities like Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Christopher Walken, Idris Elba, and Scarlett Johansen. Only two of the songs from the original film returned: 'The Bare Necessities' and 'I Wanna Be Like You'. It's a very enjoyable film, but I feel sad that the vultures, nor Shanti, the human girl Mowgli falls in love with at the end of the original film, don't return. I also don't like how this line in 'The Bare Necessities' was cut out.

Baloo: Now, when you pick a paw-paw

Or a prickly pear

And you prick the raw paw

Next time, beware!

Don't pick the prickly pear by the paw

When you pick a pear, try to use the claw!

But you don't need to use the claw

When you pick a pair of the big paw-paw

Have I given you a clue?

Mowgli: Golly, thanks Baloo!

Baloo: The bare necessities of life will come to you!

They'll come to you!

Also released in 2016 was Pete's Dragon, based on the 1977 film of the same name. I actually talked about this film back in August, and I think it's a near-perfect live-action family film.

http://asateriale.blogspot.com/2016/08/movie-review-petes-dragon-2016.html

I will talk about the recent remake of Beauty and the Beast in Part 2, which I'll post later today.

A Loud Legend Chapter 16

Back in Royal Woods, the Loud family just heard the news about Lincoln. Rita was upset, while the sisters were proud. Lynnard was sitting in the backyard with Luna, and Lincoln finally returned home with something in his hands.

"Lincoln!" Said the father and daughter in unison.

"Dad, Luna," Lincoln began. "I brought you the mace of Oonski. It's a gift from Really Really Big Man. I was also given a medal for defeating the Coons once and for all." He showed them the shiny medal. Luna then sat up and gave Lincoln a hug.

"Oh, Lincoln." She said. "The greatest gift of all is having you as a brother. I missed you so much."

"I missed you too, sis." Said Lincoln.

"But the medal's nice, too!" Said Lynnard. "That's definitely going in the trophy case!" Suddenly, the other sisters heard a familiar voice, and they all, minus Luan and Leni, went into the backyard.

"Lincoln's back!" Said Lana.

"The spirits told me you would return." Said Lucy.

"I was so angry that you left without permission!" Said Rita. "But I'm so happy you're back."
"We all missed you, big brother." Said Lily. Lincoln then remembered something. He pulled out the bunny plush he found in the Water Tribe and gave it to Lily.
"This is something I got from my trip." Lincoln told his 5-year-old sister. "It reminded me of Bun-Bun. You were probably too young to remember him. He was a plush I would sleep with every night. However, when you turned 2, I decided to give up on him. However, I felt you need her more than me. Here you go, your new fluffy friend Korra." Lily starred at the plush.
"I love it!" She said. "You're the best brother ever, Lincoln!" She hugged Lincoln, and Lincoln hugged her back.

Luan and Leni were looking from inside the house, in case someone rang the doorbell.

"He brought home a backscratcher?" Said the blonde. "If you ask me, he should've brought home a girlfriend." Suddenly, both of them heard the doorbell. It was Ronnie Anne Santiago, sister of the late Bobby Santiago.

"Excuse me." She asked. "Does Lincoln Loud live here?"

"He's in the backyard." Said Luan, and Ronnie Anne walked over to the backyard.

"OMG!" Said Leni. "Sign me up for the next war!"

In the backyard, everyone gasped when they saw Ronnie Anne.

"Lincoln!" She said, blushing. "You forgot your helmet. Actually, it's your dad's helmet, isn't it?"

"I'll leave you two alone." Said Lynnard, grabbing the helmet, and he walked inside the house.

"Would you like to stay for dinner?" Asked Lincoln.

"Would you like to stay forever?" Asked the six sisters, since Lori recently died.

"Dinner would be great." Said Ronnie Anne.
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In the cemetery, Splinter saw the scene with Craig.

"Come on. Who did a good job?" Asked Craig.

"All right." Responded Splinter. "You can be a guardian again." Upon hearing that, Craig hollered with delight, and the ancestors all had a celebration, as well as a housewarming party for the recently deceased Lori Loud and Bobby Santiago.

"He may have been a pain," Said Lori, who was now a ghost along with Bobby. "But at least he defeated the Coons and brought our family honor. And the best part is, I don't have to worry about Clyde anymore!" She pointed to Clyde's house across the street, and he was happily playing with Haiku.
While swinging on a tree branch, the branch broke off, and Craig, who was swinging on the tree, landed near Lincoln.

"Thanks, Craig." He said, giving the serpent a fist pump on the forehead. Suddenly, Walt flew in with a can of assorted pet food strapped to his back, and it attracted Cliff, Charles, and Geo.

"Craigory!" Said Splinter.

THE END
Edited 6-22-2017
I had to think of a way to bring the bunny plush back, so I thought of giving the bunny plush Lincoln found in Chapter 11 to Lily would be the best option.
There you have it, ladies and gentlemen: My final story, A Loud Legend. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed making it. As for upcoming events, I plan on doing something honoring animated films that didn't get the Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature. It will happen some time in April or May. Tomorrow, I will finally post my anticipated review of the live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast!

A Loud Legend Chapter 15

On another building, Craig, who donned bat wings, encountered two fireworks men: One in his early 60s with white hear on a square-shaped head, and one in his mid 40s with an oval-shaped head, black hair, and a brown beard and mustache.

"Citizens," Said Craig. "I need firepower."

"Who are you?" Asked the bearded one.

"Your worst nightmare." The two humans then escaped through very long ladders.
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Meanwhile, Oonski finally had Lincoln cornered on top of a roof. Lincoln tried to search for something in his backpack, but all he found was a thick piece of flypaper.

"Looks like you're out of ideas." Said the beaver, swinging his mace at the boy. However, it got stuck, and Lincoln dropped in on the ground.

"Not quite." While Oonski was trying to get his mace out, Lincoln slipped two more sheets of flypaper under the beaver's feet. "Are you ready, Craig?" Craig then appeared on the other side of the building with a large rocket tied to his back.

"I am ready, Linky!" Said the serpent. "Flecko, light me." The fly lit the rocket, and it started heading towards Oonski. The rocket carried Oonski and it hit the fireworks building, killing Oonski and destroying the top of the building. Thankfully, Lincoln grabbed Craig and Flecko and slid down a telephone pole right before the explosion hit them. He was now in front of Hillwood's city hall. Everyone cheered for the white-haired teen, but not everyone was happy.

"That was a deliberate attempt on my life!" Said an angry Squidward. "Where is he? I want to teach that white-haired brat a lesson!"

"That is enough." Said Big Man.

"Kenneth, I can explain." Said Ronnie Anne. Big Man pointed his index finger upwards, and Ronnie Anne silenced. The Royal Woods mayor then walked over to Lincoln.

"I have heard a lot about you, Lincoln Loud." He said. "You stole your father's armor, ran away from home, impersonated a soldier, tricked your commanding officer, dishonored the Royal Woods army, destroyed public property, and... You have saved us all." Big Man bowed down in respect. Surprised by this, Squidward bowed down, too. Ronnie Anne, Heffer, Harold, and Sid soon followed. Soon enough, everyone in Hillwood bowed down in honor of Lincoln. This all made Craig start to cry.

"My little hatchling is all grown up and saving the Tri-Sate area." He sobbed. "Do you have a tissue, fly boy?"

"As a reward of your excellency, take this." Said Big Man, handing Lincoln a golden medal with 'L L' written on it. "So your family will know what you have done for me. And this," He handed Lincoln Oonski's mace. "So America will know what you did for Hillwood and Royal Woods."

"Wow, thanks Mr. Big Man." Said Lincoln. "I'm definitely putting this in the trophy case!" Sid, Heffer, and Harold went over to Lincoln and gave him a bear hug. Lincoln then walked towards Ronnie Anne.

"You fight good." Said the Latino girl.

"Thank you." Said Lincoln. Clyde then walked up to Lincoln to ask him something.
"Now that Lori's gone, who will be my soul mate?" He asked.
"My sister Lucy has a friend named Haiku," Replied Lincoln. "And she also has a crush on someone who passed away. Something tells me you two would make a cute couple."
"You really think so, Lincoln?" Asked Clyde.
"I know so." Said Lincoln. "Lori would want it. Now let's get home, Lynn!" He soon got on Lynn and started heading home, and everyone cheered for him as he left. Once Lincoln left, Kenneth walked over to Ronnie Anne.

"A flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all." He said.

"Sir?" Ronnie Anne asked.

"You don't meet a boy like that every generation." Said Big Man, and he headed for the airport, since he was the mayor of Royal Woods. Ronnie Anne, who also originated in Royal Woods, decided to pay Lincoln a visit.
“If anyone needs me,” Said Squidward. “I have some animals to arrest and ship to a Californian zoo.” He went inside to arrest the remaining Coons and featherless anhinga.

Author's Notes: The trophy case is from The Loud House episode 'Making the Case'.

The fireworks men in this chapter are Craig Bartlett, creator of Hey Arnold, and Chris Savino, creator of The Loud House, as well as a layout artist on Ren & Stimpy and Rocko's Modern Life. This is Craig Bartlett...

And this is Chris Savino.
 
I chose these two because in the original film, Mulan directors Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook made cameos as the Fireworks men.

Haiku is the girl Lucy wanted Lincoln to dance with in the Loud House episode 'Dance Dance Resolution'.

A Loud Legend Chapter 14

Meanwhile, in Hillwood, the townsfolk were celebrating the victory of the Coon's defeat. There was a parade with musicians, acrobats, and a Chinese dragon suggested by one of the locals, Mr. Hyunh. The dragon was green with orange eyes and blue plates on its back. Squidward, Ronnie Anne, Heffer, Harold, and Sid were also in the parade, labeled as the 'Heroes of Michigan', with Squidward and Ronnie Anne riding horses. However, the girl and the gang of three had sad looks on their faces. Lincoln spotted Ronnie Anne, and Lynn, with Lincoln still on her back, galloped towards her.

"Ronnie Anne!" Said Lincoln.

"Lame-O?" Questioned Ronnie Anne.

"Some of the Coons survived." He said. "They're in the city!"

"You don't belong here, Lame-O" Replied Ronnie Anne. "Go home."

"I saw them in the mountains." Said Lincoln. "You have to believe me."

"Why should I?" Asked Ronnie Anne. Lynn stood in front of the girl horizontally.

"Why else would I come back?" Responded Lincoln. "You said you trusted Collin. How is Lincoln, or as you called me, Lame-O, any different?" Ronnie Anne simply continued her way. Lincoln then saw Heffer, Harold, and Sid.

"Keep your eyes open." Lincoln told them. "I know they're here." Lincoln got off of Lynn and started heading for city hall.

"Where are you going?" Asked Craig.

"To find someone who will believe me." Answered Lincoln, and he swam (but not literally) through an ocean of people.
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Meanwhile, at city hall, Ronnie Anne, Squidward, the gang of three, and the green dragon were walking up to Really Really Big Man. Squidward was holding Oonski's mace. When they made it to the top, a gong was hit, and Kenneth Thompson showed up.

"Citizens of Hillwood!" He announced. "Heaven smiles down upon Hillwood and Royal Woods. Michigan will sleep safely tonight thanks to our brave warriors." Everyone cheered upon the Royal Woods mayor's words. Meanwhile, Lincoln is trying to find someone who would listen, but to no success.

"I present to you the mace of Oonski the Great." Said Ronnie Anne, bowing on her knees.

"I know what this means to you, Ms. Santiago." Said Kenneth. "Bobby would've been very proud." Suddenly, an anhinga swooped down and took Oonski's mace. This wasn't any anhinga: it was Oonski's anhinga, and Oonski appeared on the roof! Coons popped out of the dragon, ran off with Kenneth, and went inside a tall building. Ronnie Anne ran towards the entrance, but it was locked. Oonski appeared on another building. The soldiers tried to break down the door of the building with a trash can, but to no prevail.

"They'll never reach Big Man in time." Lincoln said to himself. He got the attention of Ronnie Anne, Heffer, Harold, and Sid and told him about his plan: They were going to go up the building by using ropes, a similar technique used for fetching the arrow. But first, Sid, Heffer, Harold, and Lincoln needed disguises, so they went to a Macy's and bought some clothes.

After the shopping spree, the gang of three and Lincoln dressed up as women. Sid, Heffer, and Harold climbed up using ribbons, Lincoln climbed up using a yo-yo with a strong string, and Ronnie Anne climbed up using her purple jacket. They snuck in through different windows.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, on top of the building, the beaver brothers of different colors, Norbert and Daggett, were holding Big Man. Oonski appeared from below and said "Boo."

"Guard the door." He told the beaver flunkies. Oonski then spoke to Big Man. "Your walls and armies have fallen, and now it's your turn. Bow to me."

Norbert and Daggett, along with other Coons, were now below on the fourth floor. Lincoln and the gang got out of a closet and pretended to be women with their new disguises, while Ronnie Anne was waiting behind a chair. Lincoln wore a white wig, an orange blouse, a blue skirt, and pearl earrings. Sid wore a black wig, a red dress, and black leggings. Harold wore a blonde wig, a red shirt, a purple dress, and green leggings. Heffer, being a cow, only had to wear an Extra Large red skirt and dress combo with a green hair-bow.

"Concubines." Said Norbert.

"Ugly concubines." Said Daggett. An apple dropped from Sid's dress, and it had a bite out of it. Ronnie Anne just face-palmed herself, but this didn't go unnoticed by Oonski's anhinga. Thankfully, before he could screech, Craig breathed fire on the bird, burning all the feathers off.

"Now that's what I call a Cajun barbecue." Said Craig.

Meanwhile, Daggett picked up Sid's apple, but then, he, Harold, and Heffer all pulled out different fruit from their dresses. Heffer pulled out two watermelons, plopped them on the beavers' heads, and clocked them together.

Sid pulled out another apple, put it in Rancid Rabbit's (the green bunny) mouth, kicked him in the stomach, and then smashed him with his head.

Harold dodged the rat's bites, grabbed him by the snout, and slammed him to the ground.

Lincoln kicked the dog and tied him up with his yo-yo.

"Ronnie Anne, go!" He said. While the gang of three were fighting, Lincoln changed back into his normal clothes.
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Meanwhile, on the roof, Oonski was starting to get tired of Kenneth's stubbornness.

"I'm getting tired of your arrogance, Fat Man." Said Oonski, pointing his mace at Big Man. "Bow to me!"

"No matter how hard the wind blows, the mountain cannot bow to it." Said Big Man.

"Then you shall kneel in pieces!" Before he could attack Kenneth, Ronnie Anne came through a door and started fighting the beaver. During the fight, Lincoln, who was now wearing his normal clothing, got to the roof with the trio, and he told Heffer to bring Big Man down.

"Sorry, your hugeness." Said the bovine, and he went down a telephone wire with Big Man in his arms. Sid and Heffer soon followed. This made Oonski mad, and he kept fighting Ronnie Anne until she fainted. Lincoln cut the wire so Oonski wouldn't make it down. Oonski then looked at Ronnie Anne, who just woke up.

"You." Said the beaver, grabbing Ronnie Anne by her shirt. "You took away my victory!"

"No she didn't!" Said Lincoln. "I did." He put his mouth guard back on to show him the similarities between Lincoln and 'Collin'.

"The soldier from the mountains." Oonski let go of Ronnie Anne and charged after Lincoln instead. Lincoln locked the door and started running through the halls. Craig met up with Lincoln riding on the featherless anhinga.

"So, what's the plan?" He asked, but Lincoln didn't answer. "You don't have a plan?!"

"Hey, I'm making this up as I..." Lincoln then saw fireworks men in the distance. "Go. Craig, could you get me a firework, please?"

"Way ahead of you, brother." Said the serpent, and he jumped on a kite to the next building. Oonski eventually broke through the door and continued chasing after Lincoln. He walked out of a window and climbed up a roof.

Author's Notes: The dragon disguise is none other than Reptar, the babies' fictional dinosaur idol and hero in The Rugrats.

The idea for Lincoln using a yo-yo as a weapon came from The Loud House episode 'The Butterfly Effect'.

Lincoln's disguise is based on Linka Loud, Lincoln's female counterpart at the end of the episode 'One of the Boys'.

Sid's disguise is based on Rhonda W Lloyd, the rich kid in Hey Arnold who claimed she had a sense of fashion.

Harold's disguise is based on Angelica Pickles, Tommy's devious older cousin in The Rugrats.

A Loud Legend Chapter 13

Later, Lincoln was in a tent having a visit from a doctor, and everyone is waiting outside a tent. When the doctor got out of the tent, he whispered something to Ronnie Anne. She went inside and saw Lincoln with braces, acne, and fake facial hair, as well as bandages around his waist.

"I can explain." Said Lincoln. Squidward then burst into the tent.

"So it's true!" He pulled Lincoln out of the tent and revealed his true identity. "I knew there was something wrong with you; he's underaged!" Heffer, Harold, and Sid gasped, as Lincoln reminded them of a certain football-headed boy from Sid and Harold's childhoods. Squidward threw Lincoln to the snowy ground.

"You deceiving brat!" Said Squidward.

"My name is Lincoln." Said Lincoln. "I did it to save my father and sister."

"You're a disgrace!" Said Squidward.

"I didn't mean for it to go this far."

"Ultimate dishonor!"

"It was the only way. Please, believe me." Squidward just scoffed at that.

"Captain," He said to Ronnie Anne. "Are you ready for the execution?" Ronnie Anne took Grandpa Albert's sword and was about to slay Lincoln, but then she dropped the weapon.

"A life for a life." She said. "My debt is repaid. Now men, let's move out."

"But we can't just leave him here!" Said Squidward. Ronnie Anne then grabbed him by the shirt.

"I said move out." She said, and the troops all left Lincoln behind.

A little while later, Flecko set up a fire, and Lynn put her '1' blanket on Lincoln.

"I was this close." Said Craig, trying to find an arrow to roast marshmallows with. "This close to impressing the ancestors, getting the top shelf, and my own movie. All my fine work gone to waste." He found an arrow and stabbed a marshmallow with it, and roasted it by the fire.

"Hi." He said to Lincoln.

"I should never have left home." Said Lincoln.

"Hey, come on." Said Craig. "You went to save your father's and sister's lives. Who knew you'd end up shaming them, disgracing your ancestors, and losing all your friends?" The fire then went out. "You know, you just gotta learn to let these things go." The snake then started to cry.

"Maybe I didn't go to save dad and Luna." Lincoln thought out loud. "Maybe what I really wanted was to prove I could do things right for once. So when I looked in the mirror," He held his helmet on his lap and saw his reflection. "I'd see someone worthwhile. But I was wrong." A tear came down Lincoln's face. "I see nothing." He threw his helmet to the ground.

"That's because this needs a little spit, that's all." Said Craig, spitting on the helmet and rubbing his coils with it. "Let me shine this up for you. Now do you see something worthwhile?" Lincoln didn't respond. Craig then saw his reflection in the helmet.

"The truth is we're both frauds." Craig confessed. "Your ancestors never sent me. They don't even like me. You risked your life to help the people you love. I risked your life to help myself. At least you had good intentions." Flecko then looked at himself through the helmet and he began to cry.

"What? You're not lucky? You lied to me?" Craig then looked at Lynn. "And what are you supposed to be? A sheep?" Lynn growled at Craig again.

"I'll have to face my parents and sisters sooner or later." Said Lincoln. "Let's go home."

"Yeah." Said Craig. "This ain't gonna be pretty. But don't you worry, okay? Things will work out. We started this thing together, and that's how we'll finish it." He then hugged Lincoln's hand.

Suddenly, a familiar bird flew to where the Coons were buried. Oonski dug himself out of the snow and shouted in anger at what happened: Many of his best soldiers got killed. However, there were five survivors besides Oonski: A beaver with yellow fur and a purple nose, another beaver with brown fur and a red nose, a green rabbit, a large rat, and the white rabid dog. Once they reunited, the remaining Coons headed for Hillwood. Lincoln noticed this, and quickly picked up his sword, got on Lynn's back, and started heading right to Hillwood.

"Home is that day." He said, pointing to the left.

"I have to do something." Said Lincoln.

"Did you not see those Coons?" Said Craig. "They popped out of the snow, like daisies!"

"Are we in this together or not?" Asked Lincoln.

"Then let's go kick some honey buns!" The four of them then headed off to Hillwood, New York.
Author's Notes: I am aware that Clyde and Timmy would also be considered underaged, but I feel like Clyde's dads, Harold and Howard, are more like nurses. Timmy joined the army because he, like Lincoln, wanted to save his aging father. However, I imagine Mr. Turner's (they never revealed Timmy's parents' first names) condition to be a bit worse.