The world has exploded with excitement over the new remake of the popular Disney movie, Beauty and the Beast. Sticking with the original plot and characters, the only key difference is that this magical animated film is not animated! That’s right: the beast, the talking tableware, all things imaginary have come to life. Released March 16, 2017, this movie features Emma Watson as Belle, (who you may know as the booksmart Hermione from the Harry Potter series), and Dan Stevens as the Beast.

Beauty and the Beast tells the timeless tale of a young, intelligent, village girl named Belle who learns what it means to truly look at what is on the inside. As the name implies, Beast was once a young prince, but his arrogance earned him a spell in which he is turned into a hideous beast and  can only return to his human form when he finds true love. Belle learns to see through the Beast’s grotesque exterior and recognize him for the prince that he truly is. Many marvel at the enchanting music, scenery, and characters.

The original Beauty and the Beast was released in 1991, and was another Disney Princess hit. Many loved the moral lessons behind the beautiful, magical animation. Belle was a kind, loving, intelligent person that many of the children viewers could look up to, and the spell cast on the prince was a warning not to be cruel, arrogant, or selfish. Beauty and the Beast depicts the common lessons that “it’s what’s on the inside that matters”, and “don’t judge a book by its cover”. This makes it a great film for people of all ages to enjoy and embrace.

Although the original was successful,  many argue that the 2017 remake has dominated it. The LA Times states, “The live-action remake of the animated classic starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens grossed $23.9 million, bringing its cumulative box office to over $300 million and putting it on track to pull in another $90 million in total this weekend.” Not only is Beauty and the Beast popular, it is ubiquitously well-loved too! One user on IMDb says, “…I found this remake with all its changes to be more enchanting, beautiful, and complete than the original 1991 movie.” Another user says, “‘Beauty and the Beast’ was stunning and gorgeous. Beautifully and artfully performed. Dazzlingly colorful and charming. Fresh and lighthearted. Wonderfully and magically enthralling.” Hele substitute language arts teacher Ms. Valenti also compliments, “I thought that the costumes were beautiful. I like that they did a lot of backstory, and they filled in a lot of stuff that the other movie left out.”

Beauty and the Beast, whether you watch the nostalgic original, or the captivating modern remake, is without a doubt a movie worth watching. Beauty and the Beast has enchanting scenery, ravishing costumes, melodic music, and of course, eloquent characters. So if you are in the mood for a magical ride, Beauty and the Beast is your movie.