Do yourself a favor and see this movie twice

Rating: 9/10 (19 March 2017)

If you've seen the 1991 animated classic, that experience will almost certainly cloud your initial viewing of this live action version. The first time I saw the new Beauty and the Beast (Thursday night), I thought it was good to very good. When I saw it again this morning (Sunday), it was spectacular. I was able to free myself from inevitable comparisons and could just enjoy this movie on its own. And it really is special. The back stories on Maurice, Belle and the Beast added to the richness of the story and fleshed out their characters in a very meaningful way. The new songs also added depth. Emma Watson's singing voice was better than I expected although not a strong, Broadway show capability. Dan Stevens, on the other hand, has a surprisingly strong, deep voice. Luke Evans is quite a performer and singer who does a great job portraying Gaston even without being the size of a barge. The voice actors did a superb job as well. Josh Gad was very good, and for some will be an acquired taste. Treat yourself to a second viewing; you will not regret it.