This was posted to Facebook, but I also wanted to share it here with you all.

***SPOILER ALERT***
Saturday Night was Date Night and we saw Beauty and the Beast 2017. Before I go on, please see the movie before you read this and know there are spoilers or items that could taint your enjoyment of the film in this post. I believe it is impossible to improve on such an amazing movie, which happens to also be one of my very favorite movies of all time. Not to mention an Oscar & Golden Globe Winner and Nominee. Quite impressive for an animated film.
The new incarnation of Beauty and the Beast was visually beautiful, had great new songs and some well cast actors. However, there were a few moments when I felt like I was spinning like a top due to the CG effects that were trying so hard to copy what cannot be done unless animated.

A highlight of the film was the Beast. I am not sure which parts were CG versus the live actor. The blending of those two mediums was a success. Also, his costuming was gorgeous. I had a challenge with Belle being British, but I think her accent faded in and out within her dialog and was not noticeable when she sang. Gaston, Le Fou and Papa were well cast and acted by each of the actors. The Gaston scene in the pub was fun and I liked the dancing on the tables. The real-life animated characters were a little flat. You could not see the expressions on their faces resulting in the lack of conveying emotions. That was a bit disappointing.

Beast’s transformation scene was impressive, matching it closely to the original. I liked the addition of the scene when the castle staff became antiques. It added emotional weight. This was the only time in the movie I got a little misty eyed. The fact that Belle did not stand out in the opening scene/song “Belle” bugged me. She was the only one that wore blue in the original movie and that was a huge miss, in my opinion. Answering some of the unanswered questions from the original movie was unnecessary and just added more time to the film. I truly never thought about Belle’s Mom, Mr. Potts or Gaston’s Military background. At a 2 hour and 9 minute running time, it felt long.

On the whole, I enjoyed the film and revisiting my favorite characters. I totally get why Disney remakes the classic films in live action… Opening weekend totals hover around $350 million worldwide so far.

In my mind and in my heart, the original Beauty and the Beast is still superior.

On a related note, we were able to get the AMC Dolby Cinema pins that they were “sold out” of. It just pays to be nice and not yell at someone when the website clearly states while supplies last. I think my pouty lip and Beauty and the Beast shirt may have helped a tad as well.

All sealed up so you were not able to pick the pin you wanted. Smart!

We got 2 out of the 3 pins. Not too shabby!