Belle

GKIDS | Release Date: January 14, 2022

7.9	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 102 Ratings

USER RATING DISTRIBUTION

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Watch Now

Stream On

Expand

Review this movie

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Please sign in or create an account before writing a review.

Check box if your review contains spoilers

0 characters (5000 max)

User Reviews

User score By date Most helpful

AkastavoJan 21, 2022

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Belle was a movie that set out to show, say, express, and bring together a multitude of different ideas. The problem is by the end of the movie none of the different angles the movies goes for are fleshed out enough. Is it supposed to be a character driven drama? Is it an action love story? Is it a musical? I understand it doesn't need to necessarily be 1 specific thing, however, no particular direction really stuck out. The movie bounces back and forth between reality and a CG world called the U. One big issue I had with the U as a space and concept was that the rules of it or how it functioned were not really touched on. It made the entirety of when or how people were using it pretty confusing. Belle tries to juggle fleshing out characters from the real world, mainly our main character Suzu, while simultaneously using the U to express the person she can't be in the real world. Hosoda gave us some beautiful cinematography along with visuals throughout the movie but in my opinion the U just didn't accomplish enough as a story telling space. The climax of the movie was incredibly incredulous. The cinema experience coupled with seeing it in IMAX gave me some serious rose tinted glasses after the movie. But after pondering and thinking about the full package beyond the great presentation I can really only say it was good. The story desperately needed a bit more direction either in the real world or more focus on the U in order to tie a prettier knot. The story also draws heavy inspiration from Beauty and the Beast with a lot to be desired in the integration of that narrative into the film. It felt really out of place and I don't think it enhanced anything the movie really had going for it. The Disney interpretation had so much time to flesh out the give and pull of Belle and the Beast along with a great antagonist and fun characters that filled the empty space well. The film spent so little time giving us a fraction of the chemistry that inevitably builds between that Belle and Beast compared to the one were given here. The musical numbers performed by I believe the same voice actor for Suzu, Kaho Nakamura, were amazing. Kaho was able to inject the lyrics with so much damn emotion. The raspy grovel of her voice was just icing on the cake. While the music was spectacular in it's own right the was it was presented absolutely floored me. The final song performed was an amazing conclusion the convergence of sorts for Suzu's real life and avatar life letting her captivate the world. I heckin loved the music.

I really enjoyed the message of bonds mattering across any medium with a special online bond still bringing people together far away. I also loved the message of normal people can do incredible things which came across really well in one of the most epic moments of the film. All in all if you're a fan of Hosoda give it a watch. If you're a fan of anime I think it's worth a watch.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

All this user's reviews

NeisJan 16, 2022

What drew me to this film were definitely the visuals and soundtrack. After seeing little bits and pieces of it floating around on the internet, I was inspired to reserve a ticket and see for myself the spectacle that awaits me.

WhileWhat drew me to this film were definitely the visuals and soundtrack. After seeing little bits and pieces of it floating around on the internet, I was inspired to reserve a ticket and see for myself the spectacle that awaits me.

While watching the film, I was tickled at the little references to the original Disney's Beauty and Beast as well as the little references to pop culture and table top games that, while used sparingly, are a delight to see animated. The soundtrack was so addicting that they may as well be the highlight of the movie. The animation was definitely a sight to behold. Seeing a whimsical 2D animation get shown along with the 3D animation to feel the difference between the real and virtual world was such a delightful spectacle to see executed. There were some areas where in both 2D and 3D where there were some animations that were reused, but were done sparingly. There was a spot where you could think "Oh, the animators definitely took a break here", but that doesn't suggest a drop in quality.

What brought me down to earth were certainly the story and characters. While they were engaging and emotional, I felt that the points introduced in the story could've been explored further to enhance the engagement some more. There were definitely scenes that should bring up the tension, but I didn't feel it was to the edge of my seat because a lot of stakes or consequences weren't preset, so seeing high-octane action in the movie will get more confusion rather than tension out of me. I've watched the film in its English dub and it turned out amazing. The actors have definitely conveyed the emotions of their characters and then some. Though due to how the characters are written, there were a lot of characters, but not much to explore outside of their tropes or twists, if there are any, which are also pretty entertaining. This may have made actors feel a bit more limited in what they could convey on screen.

The commentary of the movie didn't seem push any conversation forward as this was more or less a representation of the virtual and real world blending together, much like what is starting to happen here in real life. The commentary stills stays with "The virtual world is a space where you can take a step out of your life and figure out how to solve your problems". However, there weren't too many conversations that offered a counterargument to that.

The story's concept also felt extremely interesting, but could have been expanded further to really capture me. Had there been an expansion of the rules of the world both in the real life and virtual side of the film, I'd certainly have been far more engaged. This concept of living in another world outside of real life has been explored to an extent in anime, but this idea of syncing the five senses through the phone and wireless earphones has me really interested. Here were some questions that I had when watching the movie: What happens to the human body as the person is entering the virtual world? Does the person retain awareness of the real world or do they fall into a sort of trance? Have there been any accidents that happened when someone is accessing the virtual world outside their home? What happens if the earphones were forcefully removed? Where's the line where privacy is drawn? What are the consequences should an avatar be physically beaten or injured? What are the limitations of flying in the virtual world? How were families concerned when their children started engaging with the virtual world? I have a feeling that had these questions been answered, we might've been able to see a more engaging storyline.

The main strength of the film is definitely in animation and the soundtrack with flying colors. It has pushed the boundaries of Japanese-style animation even further and probably have given the animators more tricks and tools to use for their next project. The performance of what the actors and animators have been given definitely carried the story to its finish line, but I felt that the story could have been expanded further. Given its runtime of a little over 2 hours, it's certainly a concept that could be explored with at least 2 full anime seasons and then some. I hope to see a similar concept pop up in the future, whether that is in a movie or in another anime season. It seems like a waste for it to disappear as further exploration could lead to something really big and open up commentary to the next generation of our time. I hope to see perhaps the writer of this movie here or another project with a writer who could be brave enough to take that next step forward in that conversation.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

All this user's reviews

AkikyoFeb 7, 2022

I really wanted to love this film after seeing the trailer, but in the end this is the first movie that I've ever walked out on at the cinema because I seriously couldnt take much more of it. It got me so annoyed that I had to write a reviewI really wanted to love this film after seeing the trailer, but in the end this is the first movie that I've ever walked out on at the cinema because I seriously couldnt take much more of it. It got me so annoyed that I had to write a review about it and share my opinion when I heared others saying its a 10/10 film and one of the best stories in anime. This review im writing is not trying to grab attention or to throw hate on anyone who does likes this film, but for me I honestly feel this is one of the worst anime films out there right now and is directors Mamoru Hosoda's worst to date.

To the films credit the animation and the music are stunning and are a specticle to view even when on the big screen. The music is by far the best aspect of the film and has a soundtrack which is so good I would put it up there as one of the best in an anime film. But the film also relies on a story and what lets the film down for me the most is that story, its characters and its attempt to replicate the Beauty and the Beast in a very scatered and confusing fashion with a modern twist.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

All this user's reviews

Breadlofe1Jan 15, 2022

I’m a fan of anime and animation in general and I can appreciate how amazing this movie is visually. The background art in the real-world scenes and the cg in the VR scenes are top notch and beautifully done. However, everything else aboutI’m a fan of anime and animation in general and I can appreciate how amazing this movie is visually. The background art in the real-world scenes and the cg in the VR scenes are top notch and beautifully done. However, everything else about the movie was so remarkably predictable and unoriginal that I started hoping for the movie to end half way through. None of the characters are interesting (except maybe the canoe guy) due to the abundance of hyper-cliched exposition and motivation, which leaves all the “emotional high points” completely tension-less and It fails to do anything interesting with it’s modern take on Beauty and the Beast other then it’s unique setting. There are also a few really bizarre things that annoyed me like the main voice actresses awkward and annoying crying throughout the film as well as some creepy mentions or references to underage-adult romance. After it’s sloppy ending that lazily brings to a close all of the major conflicts and arcs I was left not caring about a single character or plot point throughout the 2 hour runtime. The strange thing is I really like most of this directors previous films. Wolf Children and The Boy and The Beast are great films. I really liked The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, and Summer Wars was at least pretty decent. This movie felt like it just wanted to make your standard inspiring “be yourself” movie with a futuristic twist. But it falls flat without the foundations of good storytelling like proper characterization and tension in its conflict.… Expand

4 of 7 users found this helpful43

All this user's reviews

RtheomFeb 4, 2022

This movie had so much potential and just barely missed it on almost every count. The animation is gorgeous, so it wins there, easily. The music is fantastic... but there's very very little of it, despite the premise, which was veryThis movie had so much potential and just barely missed it on almost every count. The animation is gorgeous, so it wins there, easily. The music is fantastic... but there's very very little of it, despite the premise, which was very unfortuante. The voice on the singer is awesome. The plot points are actually really really good points, points that need to be addressed. Unfortunately, the movie's pacing and arrangement is so poor that those plot points are kind of hindered, and kept from becoming as important as they should be. Overall, it had very high aspirations and could have been a stunning movie, but the execution was flawed in every regard, except the animation. Maybe see it when it comes to streaming, if you have nothing else to watch, but it's not really worth seeking out. There's much better options out there.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

hk300May 1, 2023

Started quite strongly with some interesting concepts. Beautiful art and animation, but the story is where it falters greatly, I've enjoyed Hosoda's other works, the boy and the beast, and Mirai pop to mind and I feel as though this fails toStarted quite strongly with some interesting concepts. Beautiful art and animation, but the story is where it falters greatly, I've enjoyed Hosoda's other works, the boy and the beast, and Mirai pop to mind and I feel as though this fails to live up to their legacy.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews