Don't be fooled by poor ratings...WATCH and ENJOY

Rating: 10/10 (17 June 2017)

I'm not a fan of remakes and to me, a Disney "classic" is extremely hard to recreate. Maleficent doesn't count as a "remake" ... which was still entertaining! However, I was dissuaded to watch this version in theaters because of all the bad reviews. So the only caveat I leave here is that I had lower expectations than normal when I watched.
Beauty and the Beast has been retold several times (since 1740!) and the Disney cartoon is not the one and only version to compare this movie to. I heard the songs prior to the movie and I wasn't in love. BUT -- once in context ... it all made sense. The acting seemed "flat" only because the people were showing true human (non- cartoon) emotion. Singing of a poor, provincial town would not be a HAPPY song for Belle ... but Emma Watson executed the mood perfectly. The chatter about the openly gay character was a terrible shadow on the movie and was #1) not the focus and #2) NATURAL in again, human life.
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
The adaptations, side stories and little facts were placed for very good reason. The audience sees a deeper story behind The Beast. In fact, the very reason why Maurice is imprisoned was taken from the original story written in 1740. The story comes full circle when the Beast takes Belle to Paris and sees where she came from and WHY taking a rose was so important. I really liked the relationships shown and how this movie stayed as true to the cartoon "classic" as possible with an added flair appropriate for 2017 and humanized the characters even more.
Give the movie a chance -- and remember, it's a FAIRY TALE. Not a platform that should reflect any position on anything social, economic or political. The added songs are not bad and I actually really like the Beast's solo. Remember, it's a movie meant to entertain audiences ... not prove abilities to critics.