This movie is popular because of Emma Watson. She is a big star with the 20 somethings. Those who grew up with Harry Potter. Emma is not in that many movies. So this is one of very few chances for her fans to see her. And of course this is a Disney princess movie that was popular at the time if first came out. And lastly, Ariana Grande and John Legend were somehow singing in it. And its that total combination of those three stars and a familiar but not overplayed Disney Princess formula movie that has ever girl from 12 to 30 going to see it.
It’s not a great movie this time. The shots are too close. If you get nauseous from 3D movies you will get queasy at times in the regular version of this movie. And most of us will get queasy at the PC changes in the movie. Small but numerous edits to the script that turn Belle into a snob, and the towns people into evil barbarians. A classic movie where globalists are right and towns people are stupid and evil. They actually say, “small town means small minded”.
I have a hard time imagining male fans of the Harry Potter movie franchise going to something like this for Emma Watson. Girls, yes.
Freegards
The only thing the 2017 version did regarding those things was made such messaging even more apparent. Even the 1991 version had those exact same messages you decried in the 2017 version (and yes, even in the 1991 version, Belle was very much a snob. Maybe I should remind you that the very opening of the song had her actually decrying the town as being provincial twice, and in fact her first few lyrics had her outright stating the town was “full of little people.”). Heck, if anything, the villagers in the 2017 version are actually nice compared to the 1991 version. Say what you will of what the villagers in the 2017 version were like, at least they didn’t outright cheer on Gaston when he loudly divulged key plans to his evil plan of blackmailing Belle by having her father locked up under false charges of insanity unless she married him, which was exactly what the 1991 version did with the Gaston reprise (thank goodness that reprise was cut since it was stupid and needlessly demonized the entire village more than necessary), not to mention they also apparently had some hesitance regarding locking up Maurice unlike in the film where they, again, cheered Gaston on.
There is a reason why most young people leave the small hometown when they grow up. They want opportunity, a chance to grow and expand their world and a job. I can't even begin to tell you how many people I have talked to from small towns couldn't wait to leave their small towns. There is nothing there for them.
Most of my relatives live in small towns and I do like them, but it is just the way it is.