'Beauty & the Beast' Funko Pop! 2017 vs 2011
In March of this year, we will all bear witness to the highly anticipated film reboot of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ starring Emma Watson as Belle. It has been a whopping 26 years since Disney’s original animated feature film was first released, and this live action version is set to be amazing.
As with all big film releases these days, it's highly likely we can expect a wide variety of merchandise to come from it. The one line of goods a loyal fan base can anticipate is that of the Funko Pop! range.
In 2011, Funko released a ‘Beauty and the Beast’ line based on the 1991 cartoon characters. Now, much like with the film, they are adapting the line to portray the figures consistently with their modern movie counterparts.
Let's take a look at the 2011 releases and compare them to the 2017 film versions, shall we?
Before we get started, one thing that is apparent in each of Funko's Pop! lines is that they cannot always translate live action movie characters with the same accuracy as their cartoon versions. This is in no way the fault of the designers, though. It purely comes down to the simple fact that 'cartoony' images translate better to tangible products.
Unfortunately, each character in the new line (other than Belle) suffer from such design translation. It might just be that the 1991 versions of the characters have been with us for so long that we hold them dear, finding them highly recognisable. After all, exposure to the ‘new’ and ‘unknown’ can often be an uncomfortable thing.
Regardless of any differences, preferences or opinions, it should be agreed that this is still a stellar set of vinyl figures. While the sculptors don't always hit the mark, there are character releases that appear to exceed expectations. The detail in Cogsworth’s sculpt is one of the best and most intricate designs ever released by Funko, and impressively, Mrs Potts and Chip look like they're made out of actual porcelain.
All in all, it's an exceptional effort and one which is sure to be an absolute must for Funko Pop! collectors in 2017.
What are your thoughts? Are you looking forward to the line, or is this one you're happy to miss?
Whatever your opinion, let us know HERE!
