I attended an advanced screening of this movie for my review. All opinions are my own.

“The story and characters audiences know and love come to spectacular life in Disney’s live-action adaptation “Beauty and the Beast,” a stunning, cinematic event celebrating one of the most beloved tales ever told. “Beauty and the Beast” is the fantastic journey of Belle, a bright, beautiful and independent young woman who is taken prisoner by a Beast in his castle. Despite her fears, she befriends the castle’s enchanted staff and learns to look beyond the Beast’s hideous exterior and realize the kind heart of the true Prince within. The film stars: Emma Watson as Belle; Dan Stevens as the Beast; Luke Evans as Gaston, the handsome, but shallow villager who woos Belle; Kevin Kline as Maurice, Belle’s father; Josh Gad as LeFou, Gaston’s long-suffering aide-de-camp; Ewan McGregor as Lumière, the candelabra; Stanley Tucci as Maestro Cadenza, the harpsichord; Audra McDonald as Madame de Garderobe, the wardrobe; Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Plumette, the feather duster; Hattie Morahan as the enchantress; and Nathan Mack as Chip, the teacup; with Ian McKellen as Cogsworth, the mantel clock; and Emma Thompson as the teapot, Mrs. Potts.

Directed by Bill Condon based on the 1991 animated film, “Beauty and the Beast,” the screenplay is written by Stephen Chbosky and Evan Spiliotopoulos and produced by Mandeville Films’ David Hoberman, p.g.a. and Todd Lieberman, p.g.a. with Jeffrey Silver, Thomas Schumacher and Don Hahn serving as executive producers. Alan Menken, who won two Academy Awards® (Best Original Score and Best Song) for the animated film, provides the score, which includes new recordings of the original songs written by Menken and Howard Ashman, as well as three new songs written by Menken and Tim Rice. “Beauty and the Beast” will be released in U.S. theaters on March 17, 2017.”

I have been so excited to see the new live action BEAUTY AND THE BEAST in theaters. The animated movie has been my favorite movie since I saw it when I was 6 years old. I have had pretty high expectations for the new version of the film. I LOVED the new BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. I felt like I was 6 years old again when I watched it. I was smiling the entire time.

The cast in this movie is spectacular. I felt like everyone was cast perfectly in their roles. I loved Dan Stevens as the Beast. Beast has always been one of my favorite Disney characters. I felt that Dan Stevens portrayed the beautiful soul that the Beast really has inside. I also loved Luke Evans as Gaston and Josh Gad as LeFou. These two had such great chemistry together and provide some of the funniest moments in the film.

Gaston (Luke Evans) a handsome but arrogant brute, holds court in the village tavern in Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, directed by Bill Condon, a live-action adaptation of the studio’s animated classic and a celebration of one of the most beloved stories ever told.

All of the musical numbers are showstoppers. I felt like I was watching a live Broadway show. I thought that the cast all sang pretty well. There have been some new songs added to the film and I felt like they fit in well with the original songs made for the animated film. I loved the Gaston number. Some new clever lyrics were added to the song. It was a great way to make the song new again. Luke Evans and Josh Gad really deliver during this number. Of the new songs, the song sang by the Beast called Evermore was fantastic with a well done performance by Dan Stevens.

The Beast (Dan Stevens) and Belle (Emma Watson) in the castle library in Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, a live-action adaptation of the studio’s animated classic which is a celebration of one of the most beloved stories ever told.

Visually, this movie is stunning. The visual effects and costumes are beautiful. The sets in this movie are amazing, especially during the title ballroom dance scene. I will admit, seeing this scene in the live action format brought tears to my eyes, it was absolutely gorgeous. I was able to view the movie in IMAX. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST was actually filmed especially for large format screens. As the viewer, you actually get more picture seeing it in this format. I thought that BEAUTY AND THE BEAST was amazing in the large screen format and would definitely recommend seeing it this way if you can.