Beauty and the Beast

Disney's 2017 live-action "Beauty and the Beast" transposes the beloved animated fairy tale into a sumptuous, if familiar, realm. Directed by Bill Condon, the film reprises the story of a doomed prince transformed into a monstrous Beast, whose curse can only be broken by true love. Here, Belle, a spirited and bookish heroine, trades her freedom for that of her incarcerated father, forging an unlikely bond with the Beast. Condon's rendition, lush with period detail and visual splendor, leans heavily on the original's charm but struggles to find new ground beyond its reassuring familiarity.