Yesterday, I walked into the 9pm showing of Beauty and the Beast hopeful that the filmmakers wouldn't ruin one of my favorite classic Disney movies. I left feeling both utterly amazed and "eh" at the same time. *This review contains spoilers! Proceed with caution.*

Looking back on my "eh" moments throughout the movie, there seems to be a pattern that they all happened when the filmmakers added something, with the exception of Belle and the Beast's backstory. For example, the new character, human-become-piano Cadenza, voiced by Stanley Tucci, seemed like a "filler" character. He had no real significance in the story, and honestly, I wouldn't miss him if he didn't exist. The rest of the "furniture" characters from the original- Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, Chip, etc.- were all as charming and magical as before and could have carried the story by themselves just as well as they did in the original.

Not all of the changes were bad, however. Adding in Belle and the Beast's back story was a great move on Disney's part. One of the big plot holes in the animated version was What happened to Belle's mother?, and Disney hit the nail on the head. The Beast learns that Belle wants adventure, and he brings her a book that can transport them anywhere. Belle brings them to her childhood home so she can find out what happened to her mother since her father never had the heart to tell her. The scene has a double whammy of revealing Belle's backstory AND seeing the Beast learning to care for others. A++ for this addition, Disney.

I also loved seeing a bit of the Beast's backstory; it gives a lot more dimension to his character and reminds us that he's still human, even if his appearance doesn't say so. The only thing I have a problem with is the way we get that backstory. As the Beast is resting after saving Belle from the wolves, he has this flashback of him singing to his mother laying on her deathbed. I don't get why Disney felt the need to add in this 30 second tune when there are a lot of other film techniques that could've conveyed the same thing. All of the extra songs in the film were SO unnecessary and made the movie seem cheesy. In the live action film, for example, after Belle leaves to save her asylum-bound father, the Beast suddenly bursts into song about his newfound ability to love. Is it really necessary? We know that the Beast has come to love; Mrs. Potts SAYS, verbatim, that he let her go "because he loves her." If expressing something in song was THAT important, it probably would've been in the original movie.

Now, for the cast. Emma Watson's interpretation of Belle was lovely, and would have been perfect if she had stronger pipes and didn't have her Potter reputation. She didn't feel like Belle to me. I, however, fell in LOVE with Dan Stevens as the Beast. He portrayed him so well that I liked the Beast better in this version than in the animated movie. Along with new songs and characters, the screen writers added in some new conversations with him and Belle that made him funny and helps the audience see their relationship changing from hate, to friendship, to true love. My personal favorite is when Belle is reciting Shakespeare while caring for the Beast after their run-in with wolves, and he joins in halfway, surprising Belle with his knowledge. He rolls his eyes humorously and jokes "I had a lot of expensive educations."

The changes and additions were the only thing I had a real problem with in this film. The rest of the movie was enchanting, larger than life, and fulfilled every one of my expectations. I got butterflies hearing the opening song and nearly cried during "Tale as Old as Time". It was a beautiful, 21st century retelling of the original story with some unnecessary bits thrown in. Trying to make a film "for a new generation", in my opinion, doesn't mean adding unnecessary songs and characters just for the sake of them being new. The story itself, the characters, and the songs never had to change; there's a reason they're timeless and still as beloved as when the original was released. Making it live action with a new cast and answering the questions posed in the original would have been the perfect amount of change to update it for the new generation and keep those who prefer the Disney classics happy.