This past February a classic disney movie was remade into a great masterpiece. Directed by Bill Condon, Beauty and the Beast rocked theaters all around the world and became the tenth highest grossing film ever! It is not hard to see why though, from the thrilling plot to the marvelous costumes it certainly did justice to the 1991 cartoon classic.

Though the fairy tale originated in France and got first made into a movie in 1946, it was popularized by the disney cartoon animation in 1991.

In case you’re not familiar with the story, this is how it goes. Belle is a smart village girl who lives with her dad. One day her dad found a castle which turns out to be owned by a half-human, angry Beast. The Beast captures her dad, and when Belle hears this she goes to the castle and takes her father’s place. Beast and Belle slowly but surely develop a friendship, and you can probably guess the rest.

The children’s musical marked millions of childhoods and made its way into all of our hearts, so when I heard there would be a remake I couldn’t help but feel sceptical about it. Just like a lot of critics, I imagined the new movie would be a total disaster and that it would ruin the memories of the older one, but I was wrong. The movie was incredible!

Every actor played their character flawlessly, there was chemistry between them which added to the movie’s overall magic.

The main character, Belle, played by Emma Watson, not only physically resembled Belle from the original movie, but Watson’s generous expressions made viewers fall in love with the character.

Beast was a huge surprise in the movie. Though we only get to see Dan Steven’s face in a couple of scenes and the rest is a special effects made Beast face, they mixed into the most perfect prince of all time.

Gaston, played by Luke Evans, was perfectly arrogant and appealing to viewers and playing the role to perfection.

The rest of the actors also did an outstanding job, not to mention the special effects that went into all the household items in the castle. Ms. Potts, Plumette, Cogsworth & Lumière were incredible, both when played by actual actors and animated household items, the transitions were really smooth which made the film easy to follow.

The best actor, in my opinion, had to be Josh Gad who played Lefou. Though he isn’t a main character in the film, the producers gave him hilarious lines which he totally nailed. He made tense and serious moments more relaxed and humorous.

Overall, I can say all characters were born for the roles they played and made the movie into what it is.

Very similar to the first movie, songs were spread throughout the entire film and the actors broke into song often. The soundtrack was re-made by producers Alan Menken, Matt Sullivan and Mitchell Leib and I have to admit I like it better than the one in the original movie. The singing was flawless and the performances were incredibly elaborate. The spin on the classic “Be our Guest” was spectacular. Nothing beats a thousand spoons dancing around on a table while Belle happily watches.

One of the best parts of the movie was how diverse the cast was. Actors from different races were cast which makes the film more interesting and inclusive. It is important to have cultural diversity in movies because children can relate to actors who resemble themselves.

The character of Lefou was subtly homosexual, he even got a partner towards the end of the movie! Though this angered some people and definitely stirred controversy in the media, I think it is amazing that they included it in the film. It teaches young children that homosexuality is normal and should not be looked upon as something bad.

Stereotypes should be broken, not all princesses have to be tall blonde and perfect girls. Humanizing characters is really important and Beauty and the beast really knocked it out of the park on this one.

From Belle’s dresses to Beast’s grungy capes, the costumes in the movie were breathtaking all around. 

Jacqueline Durran, costume director of the film, took a twist on the classic princess costumes and modernized Belle’s wardrobe. Belle’s staple blue village dress that never changes in the cartoon version of the movie is actually switched various times during the remake. The dresses still resembles the original one, but slight changes are made to each of them for a more realistic feel.

What really took all of our breaths away was the yellow dress worn by Belle towards the end of the movie. There was a magical scene where Madame de la Grande Bouche, Belle’s vanity, transforms a simple yellow gown into a masterpiece by adding gold detailing from the chandelier and shimmers that fell from the ceiling. It was truly spectacular.

The scenery throughout the movie was out of this world. Not only the castle where Beast lived, but also the Old French Village as well as its outskirts were incredible. The inside of the castle was magical, literally. Every object inside of it seemed to have life of its own which added character to the castle and helped viewers understand Beast in a deeper way.

I recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys musicals and fantastic scenery. The blend of the acting, script and storyline is sure to entertain a wide range audience. Even if you’re not a disney fan the beautiful and moving narrative will hook you till the end.