The original “Beauty and the Beast” film was released in November of 1991 which was the same month my daughter Alex was born.  So it was no real surprise when she got to the age where she loved watching Disney videos this would become one of her favorites.

I could not even take a wild guess as to how many times she watched the animated musical but it was enough that I got to know the words to the songs without even realizing it.I have to admit it was one of my favorite Disney films as well.

More than 25 years later Disney has created a live-action adaptation of that classic and I’m sure you’re aware it’s done very well at the box office, earning over $400 million in the U.S. in less than three weeks.  It’s the sixth-fastest movie of all time to reach that milestone and when all the dollars are counted there is no doubt it will be a mega blockbuster.

I say this after seeing the new version yesterday with my wife. I know you’re thinking: why would a 61-year old man without any grandchildren see this movie.

The answer is because it’s fabulous, stupendous, magnificent, beautiful, amazing and uplifting.  When it comes to movie ratings I’m a fairly devoted follower of “Rotten Tomatoes” who gave it a good but not great 71% and I think they missed the mark on this one.

At times I was simply mesmerized by the music which was nothing short of sensational. Same for the costumes and the ensemble cast.  This new version adds some twists from the original and it’s a plus but the story is very much the same.  This one is quite funny at times but also has its share of dark moments. That Gaston is one bad dude.

Great movies come in all sizes and styles. To me the new “Beauty and the Beast” is a great big film.

 

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