Review of film: “BEASTLY”

2011, 02-28:

Review of film:  “BEASTLY”

                                           His FACE Is, but the Movie ISN’T

Rob (PETER KRAUSE) is a well-known & rich TV broadcaster.  He’s gotten where he is on his good looks, & his mantra is that you need to be GREAT-LOOKING & surround yourself with similar people… 

…  His son, Kyle (ALEX PETTYFER), has FOLLOWED in his dad’s mis-steps in that regard, & (likewise) acts like an arrogant ass… 

…  Alex is very “open” in his attitude, & declares his belief that people need to be particularly ATTRACTIVE physically during his campaign to be a Class President at a fancy private high school in the New York area…

…  While much of the school is “awed” with his conceits (including his attitude that people “suck” if they’re not beautiful), he does not really impress a pretty girl Lindy (VANESSA HUDGENS) who is running for a lower office & who he’s never bothered to really talk to in her 3 years at the school…

…  Further, his condescensions and thoughtless treatment deeply antagonizes a Goth-like girl named Kendra (MARY-KATE OLSEN).  When he goes out of his way to be hurtful to her, she puts a CURSE on him:

…  To teach him a lesson, Alex loses his head hair & he becomes downright “BEASTLY” --  with ugly red gouges in his face + upraised spider-like VEINS & “vine” designs there & elsewhere on his body…  And, above his left eye, there’s an apropos tattoo etching of the word “SUCK”…

…  Yes, it’s a “take-off” on the “BEAUTY & THE BEAST” story, & Alex gets very depressed & angry when his “six-pack” becomes a “broken case”…  His dad takes him to doctors, but when he learns they can’t do anything to help his condition, he puts Alex in an out-of-the-way location & basically SHUNS him…

…  Alex is given just the help of a Caribbean housekeeper named Zola (LISA GAY HAMILTON) who Alex has been unkind to as long as he’s known her, + a tutor named Will (NEIL PATRICK HARRIS).  Neil is blind & takes no “guff” from Alex, since he’s unwilling to indulge someone who’s already clearly badly SPOILED & uncaring about the people & world around him…

…  Alex had been told by Mary-Kate that the only way she’d remove the curse from him is if he found someone who’d sincerely say she LOVES & kisses him within 1 year…  There are precious few “candidates” for that role, but Alex hesitantly goes after Vanessa…

…  She has grown up with a druggie father (-- sort of the “modern” touch to the old story! --), & Alex gets her father to let him care for Vanessa since the dad is clearly incapable of doing that properly… 

…  Alex is timid about even letting Vanessa SEE him at first.  But, eventually, he follow’s Neil’s straightforward advise, “listens” to her, & eventually starts becoming more THOUGHTFUL towards her (& others).  Eventually, following the other “contemporary” touch of being “Green”, he even tries building her a GREENHOUSE with pretty flowers…     

…  Will Alex start to truly change INSIDE as a person?...  Will Vanessa be able to NOT see Alex as “Beastly”?...   Will Alex’s Dad ever reconcile with him?...  Will Alex be able to find someone who’ll truly LOVE him & be able to break the SPELL he’s under?...     

…  Althought the writing is often fairly weak, it’s nevertheless a cute little story.  NEIL has the best “lines” in the film--  clever, funny & well-delivered…  The  other major actors do well with the sort of “partially-deveveloped” characters they’re given to play…  (Alex is better & has more to “do” in his “I AM NUMBER 4” role…)

…  Accordingly, since it’s enjoyable in a “light” way, I’m rating it as 7 out of 10 stars… 

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