Disney is an unstoppable force at the box office, but hype hardly proves quality. In the case of “Beauty and the Beast” we have something rather unusual, a shameless remake complete with all the nostalgic nods to make any longtime fan cash in and a film that tries to introduce new ideas along the way. It’s both a failure and a success, remaining difficult to recommend or condemn.

The first act is a near shot-for-shot adaptation of the 1991 animated feature. There’s Belle (Emma Watson) singing about that “provincial town” she wishes to escape and her father’s (Kevin Kline) unfortunate run-in with a hidden castle populated by animated household objects.

But before we completely write off that first act as entirely recycled, Pops isn’t captured by Beast (Dan Stevens) for trespassing but instead for stealing a rose for his daughter, making something different just to be different. Eventually, the story diverges in some ways, but it takes time for this live-action film to feel like anything more than copy-and-paste filmmaking.

Emma Watson stars as Belle and Dan Stevens appears as Beast in the latest version of the Disney classic “Beauty and the Beast.”
(photo courtesy of Disney)

The most notable difference between the two films is the sheer number of songs throughout. Disney animated flicks tend to feature around six numbers total, all completed before the third act. Not so this time around. Breaking into song is a constant all the way to the end, like a true musical film should.

This is an adequate adaptation that stays true to the spirit of the original while adding something new to the story. And the film’s more than $350 million opening weekend worldwide is clear enough proof people love this story. But hype is not proof of concept.

Not all actors can sing. Welcome to the ongoing dilemma of too many musical films. In place of proven performers, we continually experience A-listers cast for their star power, assuming that will cover up mediocre melodies. Certainly Watson is not as underwhelming as Emma Stone or Ryan Gosling in “La La Land,” but this is “Beauty and the Beast.” These songs are iconic, deserving of something more memorable.

For all the film’s visual ecstasy, the $160 million production budget can’t save Beast’s uneven face. “The Lord of the Rings” spoiled us all with incredible graphics, but more than a decade later, humanoid faces, even beast-like ones, are still a challenge. Curse that uncanny valley for reminding us just how funky animation can get when it tries to tap into human emotion.

For years, so many defenders have proclaimed “Beauty and the Beast” is a feminist story because Belle reads and resists the advances of a towny hunk. But two problems persist: she rewards her captor and decides that all those adventures she loves to read about come to fruition in marriage. So it’s business as usual for another princess.

At first, Belle resists Beast, but the same old Stockholm syndrome kicks in. The transition from fear to affection almost makes sense this time around. The pair actually share a few more moments, something more consequential than a snow fight and discarding silverware at dinner. But it’s not enough. These films do fantasy quite well, but they don’t do a good job of displaying love.

To its credit, the film provides more rounded depictions of a great many characters. Gaston (Luke Evans) and the mob of villagers remain unchanged, but our romantic leads are more fully realized, presenting a level of on-screen chemistry made implicit in the original animated film. And Belle’s dad Maurice isn’t merely an eccentric oaf but someone with a past, aware of his daughter’s plight in life and a desire to protect her.

And LeFou (Josh Gad), Gaston’s once dopey little sidekick, is consciously depicted as a gay character. This shouldn’t be shocking since he was always depicted this way, albeit never overtly. That said, most viewers won’t even catch these moments, only highlighted by press junket interviews as they fly by rather quickly, a discouraging revelation for any viewer hoping all those headlines about this actually meant Disney was ready to make real headway.

“Beauty and the Beast” goes down easy. Familiar story, mostly impressive visual effects, enchanting music. And all the performances work well, including the voice acting of entirely CG characters, including veterans Ewan McGregor as Lumière, Emma Thompson as Mrs. Potts, Ian McKellen as Cogsworth and Stanley Tucci as Maestro Cadenza. It all works, but nothing feels quite magical.