As I'm sure most of you know, (if you don't, that's a pretty big rock you've been living under the past few months haha), Disney has recently released a live action version of their animated classic Beauty and the Beast. I was finally able to see it this week and this is what I thought.

Emma Watson was a fantastic Belle! She brought her own uniqueness to it but you could definitely still tell it was Belle. Her yellow dress was beautiful and a perfect update to the original. I honestly kind of want a dress similar to it.

Dan Stevens did a great job as the Beast. I knew Dan Stevens from his previous work on Downtown Abbey so it was interesting to see him in such a different roll. I think he brought a softness to it that really came through in the scenes with Emma where they discussed literature likes and dislikes.

One of the things I was most impressed with was the backstory that you finally got for both Belle and Adam (the prince). I had always wondered about where Adam's parents were and where Belle's mother was and this finally gave answers.

Another thing I thought was that overall, although it was a remake, it most definitely had its own story. It wasn't simply a cookie cutter reproduction of the animated movie. They added a few songs, a few new scenes, and a general air of updating. I appreciated how they incorporated the villagers in addition to the servants when the spell was lifted at the end.

After seeing the movie, I immediately wanted to go see it again! And that for me is the mark of a good movie. I can't remember the last movie that made me feel that way. There have been some great movies for sure, but none recently that made me want to see them again as soon as they finished.

This is definitely going to be one of my favorite Disney movies for sure. Not replacing the original animated movie by any means but it has carved its own space on my list of favorite movies.