Movie Review - Beastly

Beastly

 

Rating: PG-13

Run Time: 83 mins

What it is about:

Kyle (Alex Pettyfer) is a rich, handsome, popular, but very rude, arrogant and mean person. He makes the mistake of pissing off Kendra (Mary-Kate Olsen), a powerful witch, during elections. To teach him a lesson she turns him into an ugly “beast” and tells him that he has one year to make someone fall in love with him or he stays the beast. Kyle’s dad, embarrassed, by his ugly son, pulls him from school and isolates him across town in his own house with a tutor – Will (Neil Patrick Harris) and a housekeeper – Zola (Lisa Gay Hamilton). Coincidently, this new house is in the general area of do gooder Lindy (Vanessa Hudgens), who is beautiful, open minded and even better had a crush on Kyle in High School.

Lindy’s father is in danger, so there for so is she. Kyle offers Lindy’s father a safe haven for her to stay, until it is safe for her again. Assuming the identity of Hunter, Kyle very slowly tries to woo the fair Lindy. But with his beastly looks he fears he will never be able to win her.

What I thought:

This movie is ghastly! I don’t know why I even went to go see it; I knew it was going to be bad. If you want to see a good beauty and the beast story rent “Beauty and the Beast” the Disney cartoon version. It is a classic! Lindy played by Vanessa Hudgens, could be a good character if Hudgens could act, but she is not well known for her acting chops. Lindy had the potential to be a cute endearing character but came off mostly flat. Kyle played by Alex Pettyfer is not very believable. Pettyfer tries to convey emotion but it doesn’t connect, he is basically dumped by his dad, turned into a beast, needs/wants to love but none of it conveys very well. You do get moments of believable anger, so I guess all is not lost.  I saw Pettyfer in I am Four and I expected more from him than this. Surprisingly enough Will the tutor played by Neil Patrick Harris is the best part of this film. All moments of comedy spring from Wills inappropriate sarcastic humor. I do have to admit Harris was the scene stealer in this movie, not that it would have been hard to steal any of the scenes. Kendra played by Mary-Kate Olsen had very little screen time but she wore some fantastic cloths and even better shoes. But what was going on with her hair and make-up? They put her in designer clothes and shoes and then completely compromised that with disastrous hair and makeup. I understand that she is gothic and a witch, but I am sure I speak for all the Wiccan’s/witches out there that just because they are a witch does not mean they walk around with bad hair and makeup especially when wearing beautiful clothes. I’m just saying. Skip this movie until it comes out on Red Box unless you happen to have a hugely arrogant, mean spirited child that needs a lesson.

Rating:

(Red Box it)