I'm a huge fan of Disney's Beauty
and the Beast. That being said, I had some hope for Beastly, an updated version of the tale. What I got instead was a strange, superficial and obnoxious story
of two kids falling in love in high school.
Kyle
is the most popular boy in school. His obsession with looks lands him in
trouble when he plays a joke on local teen witch, Kendra. Cursed with a
completely different and self-described hideous new face, he must find someone
to love him for his inner qualities within a year or remain "a beast" forever.
Enter the overlooked-yet-interesting girl, Lindy.
Let's
start off with the fact that Beastly
tells this story completely wrong. In the beginning there's a hint that Kyle
actually already likes Lindy and vice versa. So tell me why it would be
difficult to think that Lindy would love Kyle or the altered version of him?
Basically, it was a complete joke.
Furthermore,
the message wasn't right. Kyle really doesn't learn his lesson and Lindy gets
to be with the popular guy. Neither one of them have to make sacrifices or are
tested in any way. Kyle's transformation isn't even that horrifying. He gets
some tattoos on his face and a couple scars; a lot of girls like the bad boy
look.
Beastly ultimately misuses its
resources. Neil Patrick Harris isn't able to act to his full potential, and
Alex Pettyfer and Vannessa Hudgens are cast for their appearances, not their
talent. The story lacks any substance or emotion and it's a shame they deviated
so much from the source material.
Please
don't waste your time with this very poor rendition of a classic fairy tale. Instead
watch the Disney version if you're itching to see true love find a happy
ending. Beastly gives you neither.
