Alien at the Movies

Disney's live action remake of it's animated classic fairy tale is a much darker adult version that may be a little too scary for the wee little ones. Parents beware if your child has fear of peril, attacking wolves, large scary beasts, angry mobs, and/or falling from high places. The cartoony version will be gentler on their innocent eyes & even some of these CGI-ed talking object creatures seem a bit on the creepy side. Nevertheless, this remake is highly entertaining, especially for those who grew up loving Disney's original & aren't looking for just another kiddie show. Audiences will get more backgrounds on the Beast & Belle, some new songs along with those wonderful unforgettable favorites, & some stunning sets. Emma Watson is the perfect Belle & a passable singer (although this tin ear shouldn't be the judge). She projects a strong intelligent modern independent woman image. Other big names like Ewan McGregor, Ian McKellen, Emma Thompson, Kevin Kline, Stanley Tucci, & Josh Gad are among the supporting cast but most are hardly recognizable due mostly voice work & extreme period piece makeup & costuming of their live action portions. Gad steals all of his scenes. A surprising dose of humor helps to lighten up this darker script. This film deals with themes about not judging a book by its cover, making relationships work through compromises, & true love is willingness to make sacrifices.

Alien gives it 3 "your childhood favorite fairy tale has grown up with you" stars out of 4.