I didn't have high expectations for this but it was overall pretty good. It is NOT a Disney version. The beast here does things like insist knife throwers throw at their subjects blindfolded and wants to whip children. He is a jerk. I would actually say that he is a mix between beast and Mr. Rochester. As Bella goes to work for him as a servant to pay off his father's debt Beast is basically a Rochester like playboy. Bored and scheming. Eventually, however, Bella wins him over with a mix of courage and kindness and he finds himself really having feelings for her... in the midst of his bluster about getting sex out of her. The good news.. both main characters are good looking and the "beast" really isn't that beastly on the outside. The reasons for Bella working for him seem to make more sense than in the Disney movie and dad and family provide much better secondary characters. The Beast's cousin here sort of fills the blanche role form Jane Eyre but over all she wasn't necessary.
