Beastly movie review (2011)

Beastly (2011)

Brief review: Loosely based on Alex Flinn's 2007 novel of the same name, "Beastly" plays like a modern version of Beauty and the Beast, but instead of paying a tribute to its source material in a refreshing sort of way, the movie ends up being a laughably cheesy romance, crafted with zero imagination whatsoever. Pretty much everything about "Beastly" feels contrived, rushed, fake and downright ludicrous, due to its uninspired and horribly-written script, full of countless cliches, absurd situations and lame on-liners, and Daniel Barnz's incompetent, lackluster direction. Even the moral message of "Beastly" that says 'It's the inner beauty that matters', feels dated, hackneyed, and way far from modern reality. Aside from some luxury indoor settings, and a couple of pretty shots, "Beastly" is nothing-to-write-home-about in terms of visuals - it's ugly inside and out, just like its main character. The make-up effects are quite poor as well, and as a result, the 'beastly' Kyle looks more like "300"'s Xerxes, rather than an actual freak. The acting is also atrocious. Alex Pettyfer is the new Hayden Christensen - good-looking, yet dull, lifeless, and lacking in acting skills. Vanessa Hudgens is pretty mediocre, while Neil Patrick Harris delivers in his role as the blind teacher, Will.

Overall summary: Dull, poorly-written and terribly-acted, "Beastly" is not only one of the worst movies of 2011 so far, but also one of the cheesiest romantic stories ever put on film. It's so bad, that any cheap TV version of "Beauty and the Beast" would be more worth-seeing.