Great film on par with the original

Rating: 8/10 (22 July 2017)

Wow! I am amazed at the poor reviews, which only has one very slim but not actual justification, in that the original was so good that it measure this movie against a very high bar.
But I very much think it delivered, the cgi and visual effects were gorgeous, the acting and singing very good. The plot has and message over all has always been a good one even though I get the point that despite the story claiming to be against the outer visual beauty, it is still the material life Belle seems to fall for. The difference between the beast and Gaston isn't all the great.
But that said it is a beautiful story, and message which never grows old in a world which needs its message so much. I was pleasantly surprised by bot Watson, Gad, McGregor, evens and most involved. I am not sure it was better than the original, but I think it was as good and gave a visually different cgi movie with live actors which I think could justify the remake. The music of cause is very good too, though it was close to the same as the original, and so not very original.
As good as I think Emma Watson did with the singing and acting, I do still think she may be a bit too polished to be believable in this role. When she was locked away be a beast, seeing her father leave, if she did this out of love for him and a yearning for true love, then you would expect more emotion and pain, but I Think she did a very good job. I loved this movie and if I were to judge it alone, may have given it a 9. If judging it against the excellent original, i would probably give it a 7. So i decided on 8.
This movie never deserved 1 or 2 stars, reviews rating it so low should not be taken serious. I can get some of the critiques yes, but I have seen what a truly bad movie looks like, and this was not one. I well made movie which I enjoyed from start to finish. Never a dull moment, though i have seen and read this story so many times.If you have a heart and can appreciate good art, music, performance and story which dares to take your heart where few dare to believe it can go. I strongly recommend this movie.