Beastly

Directed By: Daniel Barnz
Written By: Daniel Barnz
Starring: Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Hudgens, Neil Patrick Harris, Lisa Gay Hamilton & Mary-Kate Olsen
Rated: PG-13

MY RATING: C+

This is a modern day take on Beauty and the Beast for the teenagers of the 21st century.
In this version high school student Kyle (Alex Pettyfer) is very arrogant and egotistical and believes looks are everything.  He's the most popular in his school and treats everyone as a means to an end.  Despite rumors that one student named Kendra is a witch (Mary-Kate Olsen) he treats her like dirt anyway and she gets revenge.  At a school dance she puts a curse on Kyle (Pettyfer) that makes him "beastly" looking.  She tells him that he has one year to get someone to fall in love with him and tell him they love him or he'll be stuck with his new gruesome looks forever.  As a result Kyle goes into hiding.  He wanders the streets at night and one night spots a girl from school named Lindy (Hudgens) who he's suddenly taken with.  He follows Lindy home where she gets involved in an altercation between her father and two muggers.  Her father shoots and kills one guy and the other promises to have his revenge.  Kyle steps in and offers to hide and protect Lindy and her father agrees.  So Lindy (Hudgens) stays with Kyle (Pettyfer) believing he's a friend of her father's along with Kyle's maid (Lisa Gay Hamilton) and blind tutor (Neil Patrick Harris).  Now the clock is ticking for Kyle to get Lindy to fall in love with him before it's too late.     

This movie was predictable of course but it was also sweet, sappy and romantic.  I wasn't crazy about the beginning but luckily that didn't last more than 10 minutes into the film.  Director and Writer Daniel Barnz did a good job of quickly getting to the meat and potatoes of the story.  Beastly is like a watered down version of Twilight sans the vampires and werewolves of course.  Yes the reason for Lindy (Hudgens) to be trapped in the house with Kyle (Pettyfer) is pretty ridiculous but once you get past that you can enjoy this movie.   
Neil Patrick Harris brings humor and wit to the film as Will, Kyle's tutor but his blindness wasn't a hundred percent believable.  Sorry but he's no Al Pacino.  Same goes for Lisa Gay Hamilton, hit and miss.  She definitely delivers the heart and maternal guidance as Zola but her island accent went in and out.
Beastly was a little sluggish in the middle but other than that it was pretty good.  I loved the make-up job they did on Alex Pettyfer and I surprisingly liked a lot of the dialogue in the script. 

Overall I think tweens and teens will like this film and it has a good message.  Women who love romance novels and other sappy love stories will also enjoy this one.  Men if you're forced to watch this with your girlfriend or wife ... I'm sorry. 

This is one to catch on t.v.