Teenaged girls are the only ones likely to care for this modern day retelling of Beauty and the Beast.  That’s your disclaimer.  For those of us who have discerning tastes, the film is mediocre at best, but I imagine the teen demographic will find the movie charming.

Alex Pettyfer stars as Kyle, an unbelievably narcissistic and self absorbed high school student who eschews those who have the misfortune of not being good looking enough for his liking. Looks, money, and popularity are the things he deems most important in life.  He’s a wretched human being suffering from a massive case of entitlement.

When we meet his father (played by Peter Krause), we see why Kyle has such shallow values. Dad is a preening news anchor with a bluetooth glued to his ear at all times. He has preached the gospel of good looks during Kyle’s entire life. The stagnant apartment they share in New York is devoid of charm; everything is white, and it reeks of wealth.

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How could one take Beauty and the Beast and give it an MTV spin to make it more accessible by today’s youth? This is a question that CBS Studios seemed to answer without taking a breath, as the newest trailer for their take on the classic, Beastly has just his the web.

The film focuses on Kyle (Alex Pettyfer), a rich, douchey New Yorker in his twenties, who cares more about his physical appearance than how he treats people. Kyle comes across a goth witch, who curses him to have the same hideous features that he has on the inside, on the outside, making him a disfigured monster with tribal tattoos. He’s told that if he doesn’t find the love of his life, he’ll stay that way forever.

Did I mention that the evil witch is played by Mary-Kate Olsen, and his true love is played by High School Musical’s Vanessa Hudgens? And he has a blind tutor played by Neil Patrick Harris? Take that, Twilight.

The film looks pretty straightforward in the way of fast cuts, contemporary alternative music, and melodramatic looks out of windows, but it’s nice to see vampires aren’t the only ones vying for the attention of kids these days.

Check out the trailer after the jump, and be sure to catch Beastly in theaters on July 30th.

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