I really enjoyed this adaptation of Beauty and the Beast.  What I appreciated most about it though, was whether this was the intention or not, I don’t feel like they tried too hard to stay true to the original Disney cartoon version.  This may or may not be a selling point for people.

My concern with remakes, usually, is I find myself disappointed that it doesn’t stay true to the original.  In this case though, I feel like the creators were trying to approach it more like giving a nod to certain aspects of the Disney cartoon, while also freshening things up a bit.

I haven’t watched the Disney cartoon version in a long time, so I can’t say this for certain, but I think they added a few new songs, which I didn’t mind.  I do think they took out some dialogue and songs—whether this was due to time constraint reasons I cannot say.  They removed some of the banter between Belle and the bookstore owner at the beginning, which I think perhaps was my only real disappointment with this version.  I also think they added a bit of backstory on Belle and her father, which I don’t think was there before.

I definitely enjoyed the unexpected comedy they slipped in there.  The original cartoon version had its funny moments, sure, but this was a bit different.  Without giving anything away, I’m not sure how I’d describe it other than there were a few lame-humored moments that I personally appreciated.  There was one particularly comical moment towards the end with Ian McKellen, and I also found funny one scene which reminded me of The Sound of Music (1965).  Not sure whether that one was intentional.

My opinion on this film is overall favorable in comparison to how I felt about the Pete’s Dragon live-action remake.  (I actually preferred the original cartoon in that instance.)

Final Thoughts: I thought this was a family-friendly remake.  The kids in the audience seemed to enjoy it.  Not sure I prefer it over the original or if I feel compelled enough to buy it personally, but I did have a good time watching it in theaters and didn’t feel like I wasted my time or money.  Can’t comment on the 3D because I saw this in standard version.  Based on previous experiences though, I doubt there is too much difference between the two formats.