BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Pictures courtesy of Disney Pictures

The tale as old as time has returned to the big screen, this time in 3D with the re-release of Disney’s animated romance, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.

The story is the same as it was 21 years ago. Belle, a beautiful villager from a small town, sacrifices her freedom for her father’s, and remains a prisoner of a beast that inhabits a mysterious and magical castle. The beast was formerly a prince, but after denying a poor beggar woman a warm place to stay based on her appearance, had a spell cast upon him by a princess who was masquerading as the beggar.

The prince will remain a beast forever unless he can fall in love, and have that person return the favor, before the last petal of a magical rose falls.

I don’t know if BEAUTY AND THE BEAST demanded a big-screen re-release, but with the recent 3D technology, Disney found an excuse to capitalize on one of its most popular princess tales, and I for one, am glad they did.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST retains all of the magic it did over two decades ago, thanks to its timeless story, beautifully hand-drawn animation and vibrant color scheme.

Fans of the romance will remember the songs well, three of which were nominated for Oscars, including the Oscar winning song, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, and these catchy riffs retain their memorability.

All of this would make for a fine feature, but what sets BEAUTY AND THE BEAST apart from other outstanding animated features is the craftsmanship in the telling of its story. Typically a multitude of screenwriters and multiple directors could make for a creative mess, but the 13 credited writers, and directors Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, mesh their imaginative ideas into a cartoon classic. The film begins perfectly, with a hauntingly memorable score set behind an old-fashioned re-telling of the prince's predicament. Flash-forward to present time where Belle belts out a wonderfully catchy tune across the village, instantly establishing her character and the film's top-notched animation. The story flows well, develops warm and engaging characters, and builds a romance worthy of its melodramatic finish.

The hook to get you in the theater is seeing BEAUTY AND THE BEAST in 3D. I don't feel the technology is best utilized, but as previously stated, feel seeing the film on the big screen is well worth the trip. This classic hasn't lost that loving feeling.

Grade: A

CONTRABAND

Photos courtesy of Universal

Mark Wahlberg is thrust back into the world of smuggling in order to save a family member in the thriller CONTRABAND.

Wahlberg is Chris Farraday, a former smuggler who is now on the straight and narrow, a small business owner, a husband and a father of two. It isn’t until his wife’s younger brother Andy botches a cocaine deal that Chris is called back into service.

In order to recoup the losses for smuggling kingpin Tim Briggs, played by Giovanni Ribisi, and more importantly, spare Andy’s life, Chris feels forced to set up one last job involving counterfeit currency. The operation is fairly elaborate, a cross seas one, so Chris gathers up many of his old cohorts for the job.

If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to throw together a major smuggling operation in a matter of minutes, CONTRABAND is the film for you. This highly energized, highly ludicrous and thoroughly passable, not plausible thriller is a fairly entertaining distraction as long as you check your suspension of disbelief at the door.

CONTRABAND moves at steady pace, introducing characters, motives, obstacles and issues in an orderly fashion, while strategically withholding some information for a few late surprises. This works well in spots, and must, considering that much of what is being presented seems ridiculous. Chris’s crew, and the opposition for that matter, are young, dumb and by watching their actions, very inexperienced. Although I enjoy watching intelligent, seasoned criminals work in the movies, there’s something refreshing about viewing more authentic, if less creative corruption operate.

This group clicks thanks to Wahlberg’s leadership. He shows an ability to carry a film with CONTRABAND, despite all of the silly plot developments he and his crew must jump through. Through Wahlberg's screen presence and his straightforward approach, director Baltasar Komakur and a collection of screenwriters were almost able to smuggle a half-baked film under my nose.

CONTRABAND isn’t damaged goods, but could’ve used a little re-packaging.

Grade: C