Late eighteenth century, in a small French village. A dreamer who’s passionate about literature, Belle lives with her father, an off-beat inventor. When he loses himself in the depths of a creepy forest in the middle of the night, he takes refuge in the castle of the mysterious Beast, who imprisons him. Determined to save her father, Belle agrees to take her father’s place. She soon discovers that behind the frightening creature hides a beautiful prince, who is the victim of a terrible curse...

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"Why?" This question hangs over and weighs down this slick adaptation of the classic Disney movie, which arrives a little more than two years after the French blockbuster (which was just as bland) starring Vincent Cassel and Léa Seydoux. Twilight director Bill Condon has spent $160 million on this Emma Watson vehicle, which, despite its plethora of special effects, is simplistic, vacuous and useless Hollywood drivel with a digital Beast that is moderately satisfying and far from having the expected charm – especially when compared with the 1991 classic. The lack of real magic on the screen only reminds us how cynical the industry is, even as it prepares to recycle the great classics (Dumbo, The Lion King and Mulan).