Ignore the negative reviews. Brilliant remake with 3 additional brilliant songs and more Belle and beast backstory that adds greater emotional impact.

Rating: 9/10 (22 June 2017)

I can't believe that anyone who loved the original would not love this. Evermore, Days in the Sun and How Does a Moment Last Forever are 3 new and fantastic emotionally- charged songs that take the original to a new level. Overall it is a better musical for these songs. The Beast is better represented as the protagonist and his aria "Everymore" could very well win the Best Original Song Oscar. He has more of a backstory that explains his previous selfish behaviour. Belle too has a backstory that adds depth to her and her father's characters. Emma Watson cannot reach the vocal heights of Paige O'Hara in the original but she has a sweet voice and shines as Belle as does Dan Stevens as The Beast (and his version of Evermore is better than Josh Grobans in the closing credits). In fact the whole ensemble cast is perfectly cast. Not surprised it has taken 1.2 billion at the box office and is the 2nd highest grossing musical of all time. Sure to watch it many more times in the future as I do other great musicals.