Improvement on the Cartoon Version

Rating: 9/10 (23 April 2017)

As much as I love the cartoon version of this movie from my childhood, it is full of plot holes and unanswered questions. The new Beauty and the Beast did a great job addressing the plot holes, giving all the characters more depth, and expanding on secondary stories. I appreciate the detail and thought that went into the scenery and animated characters. They conveyed the desperation of the cursed castle staff by having their faces look less like people and more like the objects they were turned into. They are essentially dying and very close to losing their remaining human characteristics. They clearly steered more toward progressive moral themes. The cast was more culturally diverse, La Fou and another villager are (albeit subtly) gay, and they better emphasized Belle's positive traits despite adversity and social rejection. I think they chose Emma Watson to get away from the Disney princess stereotype. Don't listen to other reviewers. Go see it, and don't go in expecting to see the old cartoon version.