Beastly

CBS Films | Release Date: March 4, 2011

5.6	USER SCORE Mixed or average reviews based on 99 Ratings

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BartMar 4, 2011

Too bad the production did not hire a writer or an actor for this piece of garbage, otherwise it may have had potential. The characters had the depth of a wading pool, and dialogue that was not up to par for a high school play. However, ifToo bad the production did not hire a writer or an actor for this piece of garbage, otherwise it may have had potential. The characters had the depth of a wading pool, and dialogue that was not up to par for a high school play. However, if you thought the Justin Biber movie was "OMGOMGOMG best movie ever", you will probably like this.… Expand

4 of 5 users found this helpful41

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ShiiraMar 11, 2011

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Liam Neeson in Sam Raimi's "Darkman", now that's a guy who needed to hide in dark places. A victim of sabotage, a lab explosion rendered Dr. Peyton Westlake completely unrecognizable. The renowned chemist looked as if he had contacted the flesh-eating virus. The moviegoer understood why he stopped circulating in public, shunning the daylight and only coming out at night. He was, by anybody's standards, beastly. On the other hand, Kyle Kingson(Alex Pettyfer), the uber a*shole who finds himself disfigured when he angers the wrong goth, has facial alterations that are conspicuously artful, highlighted by two proportional red slashes and a squiggly metallic branch running down his forehead. Since Kyle rules the school, he could probably pull this new look off, but true to his word, the Aryan prepster doesn't take kindly to idiosyncrasies, and exiles himself from a world, he believes, where only beautiful people matter. Courtesy of his image-obsessed father(Peter Krausse), Kyle takes up residence in a snazzy townhouse, complete with a black maid(Lisa Gay Hamilton) and a blind tutor(Neil Patrick Harris). It's good to be rich. Conversely, Dr. Westlake lived in an abandoned warehouse. When Kendra(Mary Kate Olsen) puts a spell on her tormentor, the objective is to put this alpha male in his proper place, but far from learning a lesson, Kyle serves his penance in relative luxury. Although "Beastly" is supposed to be a contemporized take on "Beauty and the Beast"(originally an eighteenth century fairy tale written by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve), a beauty ill-serves the material, because this time around, it's less about the girl seeing the inner beauty of another living being, than the beast who needs to learn that "beauty is only skin deep". In a sense, and this is the fault of the casting, it does, and that's why "Beastly" doesn't make a lick of sense. Lindy(Vanessa Hudgens) is no Martha Dumptruck, the Westerberg High outcast in Michael Lehman's "Heathers", but she represents the film's idea of an outcast. Despite always being the prettiest girl in the room, Lindy says things like, "What can I say. I'm substance over style," and "Wow. Looks are really important to you," musings which sound galling from somebody so perfectly chiseled. This supposed dark horse is supposed to function as a contrast from the girls that the vanity-stricken pretty boy normally dates, and incredibly, that's exactly how "Beastly" utilizes Hudgens, treating her as an underdog in the Molly Ringwald tradition, the plain girl who is unrequitedly in love with the big man on campus. At a school dance, Lindy. the school treasurer(!), makes sure that each table has its own decorative candle, whereas Sloan(Dakota Johnson), the uber a*shole's girlfriend, basks in her own loveliness, breathing in the rarefied air of Kyle's company, a world where pretty girls rebuff corsages for being the wrong color. Wanting to be part of that world too, if only for a little while, Lindy convinces Kyle to pose for a picture with her, assuring the elitist snob that she's "worthy" of him. Meanwhile, the newly-elected Green committee president wears a confused look, as if he's baffled by his attraction to such a common girl, a girl of substance. After the transformation, Kyle spies on her, as she pounds the Manhattan pavement nightly looking for her alcoholic father. When Lindy eventually moves in with him(don't ask, the circumstances surrounding this development is hopelessly contrived), it's supposed to make for a touching love story: two lost and lonely souls, together at last, but the characters these two pin-up quality actors embody are an insult to the lost and lonely. Here's the better movie. If Kyle ended up with Kendra, like the athlete(Emilio Estevez) who finally sees the inner beauty of the "basket case"(Ally Sheedy) in John Hughes' "The Breakfast Club", with the exception that the witch wouldn't have to compromise(as Allison Reynolds did) and wipe off her dramatic makeup, then maybe you'd have a movie that meant something. "Beastly" carries with it the message that looks don't matter, but on closer inspection, the film telegraphs something quite the opposite. "Beastly" is as image-conscious as its raging megalomaniac of a hero.… Expand

3 of 5 users found this helpful32

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CactusManApr 7, 2011

Let me just start off by saying who is beastly, The man or the woman? I rather see Russell Brand play the role of the beautiful women, he looks more like one. Anyways thank you directer for ruining the greatest childhood story of all time. ILet me just start off by saying who is beastly, The man or the woman? I rather see Russell Brand play the role of the beautiful women, he looks more like one. Anyways thank you directer for ruining the greatest childhood story of all time. I will never show my children this movie i would rather them watch the human centipede, they be less scared of women, and more of evil doctors. Things that are more entertaining than this movie: someone tripping and failing, a baby crying, watching a episode of Teen Mom 2 not 1 that season blew my mind, and finally watching Justin Beiber's hair grow back. Thank you and sorry for wasting 5 mins of your life but saved u from the 2 hours of Beastly.… Expand

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

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trinimomJun 19, 2011

This movie did not do justice to the book!! Come on, turning the most good looking boy in school to a tattooed freak is supposed to teach him about "looks is not everything" There are people in New york city that walk the streets looking likeThis movie did not do justice to the book!! Come on, turning the most good looking boy in school to a tattooed freak is supposed to teach him about "looks is not everything" There are people in New york city that walk the streets looking like that. Alex nor Vanessa, did justice to the characters. They were stiff and showed no real emotion. Everything was wrong in this movie. The only thing that was real, was the characters names.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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heyitsmegrif4Dec 21, 2011

Awful performances, awful film making. As you can see it is quite awful not only that but it is selfish and should give you a bad vibe. It ruins the classic source materiel that it is based on. I give this movie 22%.

2 of 7 users found this helpful25

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SphynkMay 14, 2011

100% agree with Bart below. This movie was BAD. More spent on make up than on the lead's acting tuition. It only gets a 1 from me because my wife thought it "wasn't SO terrible".

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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harlthegr8Aug 24, 2011

The characters are just too awkward with each other. Even as they grow closer they seem to get more awkward in their actions, words, and emotions towards each other. Oh, and the main character is a SUPER creeper. He snoops on her phone calls,The characters are just too awkward with each other. Even as they grow closer they seem to get more awkward in their actions, words, and emotions towards each other. Oh, and the main character is a SUPER creeper. He snoops on her phone calls, text messages, computer, and follows her from a distance. It seemed as if he learned very little at all and pretty much forced the girl in the movie to be stuck with him out of his own selfishness...I really wanted to like the movie, but just couldnt.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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EdwinLopezJun 30, 2011

I love when they remake a movie and make it better than the original but I didn't see that happen in Beastly. I truly was looking forward to seeing the extraordinary movie that was shown in the trailer and it never matched up. The actingI love when they remake a movie and make it better than the original but I didn't see that happen in Beastly. I truly was looking forward to seeing the extraordinary movie that was shown in the trailer and it never matched up. The acting was mediocre and the characters were forgettable.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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TheMudDoctorAug 31, 2011

Beastly is an incredibly funny movie. Some scenes made me laugh so hard that I cried. Unfortunately for the film though, itâ

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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dyshpoMay 31, 2015

No one had natural chemistry . Story was more shallow than the lead actor. Empty and dead like most teenagers why this movie was made is anyone's guess . Beast make up was not ugly enough.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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