by Laura Falin posted in Life

I had a chance to see Beauty and the Beast a few days before it hits theaters.
I have seen all the Disney movies these last few years that have taken animated classics and remade them as live-action films. I like to see what they're going to do with each movie. For the most part, they've changed up the original story, or used it as a jumping-off point for another story, as with "Maleficent".
Beauty and the Beast stays close to the original, and I love it. There are a few added scenes, and a few more musical numbers (hurrah!), but a lot of the movie is so unchanged, I could recite lines along with the characters. This is because I've watched the animated version approximately 103,495 times since it first came out on VHS in the '90s. I know my B&B. And this was a beautiful, loving homage to the original.
Emma Watson is spot on as Belle -- an independent, book-loving girl in a village that discourages that sort of thing. Her Belle is stronger than the original, and it's great to watch her spirited personality. And Luke Evans is nothing but fun as the conceited Gaston.

My favorite part, though, was the music. The singing numbers reminded me more of the stage musical than the original movie, and they're gorgeous. The audience actually cheered after "Be Our Guest," though my personal favorite was "Gaston" because it's a rowdy and ridiculous good time.

The movie is more gothic in feel than the original -- darker a...