From animated classic to live adaptation, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast makes its debut on Mar. 17. Directed by Bill Condon, the live-action film received a jaw-dropping, $63.8 million on its opening day. Months before the film’s release, many stills have surfaced on social media, leaving people hyped and excited. In 2014, the live-action film was confirmed, it was only a matter of 3 years before its actual release.

Much like the animated original, Belle (Emma Watson) is a character of bravery and intelligence. She is often known for being a “funny girl” in her small village outside of Paris, France. However, the main antagonist, Gaston (Luke Evans) thinks otherwise. Throughout the entire film, Gaston is determined of marrying Belle, despite her numerous refusals. Her father, Maurice (Kevin Kline), who is both an eccentric inventor and gifted artist, leaves for a 1-day journey to present his newest creation. He also promises Belle a single rose as a gift. Instead, Maurice accidentally stumbles upon the Beast’s forgotten castle during a heavy storm. He is then thrown into prison by the Beast (Dan Stevens) after being caught trying to pick a rose on castle grounds. Alarmed by this news, Belle sets off to go find her father. When she does, she is confronted by the Beast and decides to exchange her freedom for her father’s. She soon learns that the Beast and his servant companions are under a curse and the only way to break it is if someone can love the Beast. With Belle slowly learning to love the Beast, she is quickly separated from him as soon as she hears that her father is being put into an asylum for acting insane. As soon as the village realizes that there truly is a monster living among them, they decide to go kill the Beast. At the end of the brutal battle, Gaston falls from a castle ledge while the the Beast is on the brink of death. When the Enchantress, the one to place the spell, appears to remove the curse, the Beast is finally reverted back to a human, having learned that true love has melted his cold-heartedness.

Being a major Disney supporter, I already knew this film was going to be spectacular from the beginning to the very end. And I wasn’t disappointed. For the most part, Beauty and the Beast was accurate in comparison to the animated original. There were some tweaks and add-ons, but they only made the film more interesting. A prominent point in the film was Belle’s past. In the 1991 cartoon version, nothing is revealed about her origins. However, from this newly, updated version, the audience learns that her mother died from the plague and that Belle and her father had to flee Paris. This brings me to my next point which is the collaboration between a fairy-tale classic and historical events. This film had a much more historical feel than the cartoon, shedding light on France in early 18th century. In addition, the costume and set designs were gorgeous, breathtaking, and historically accurate for the most part. Not only that, but the CGI effects were stunning. During Lumiere’s solo of “Be My Guest”, I couldn’t have been more awed at the CGI effects than anything else. Also, bringing the Beast to life with CGI effects was one of the most exciting parts of the film.

Another admirable aspect of the film are the characters and musicals. Firstly, casting Emma Watson as the protagonist couldn’t have been more perfect. Belle is a dynamic character with influential traits. In the film, Belle is shown teaching a little girl to become literate. In return, Belle gets backlash for doing so. Belle is a such a true role model to younger viewers just as Emma Watson is to others. The film does have a feminist hint with Belle leading a strong and independent personality, another aspect I enjoyed about the movie. The musical portions of the movie also couldn’t have been any more perfect. It brought back nostalgic feelings and the good old times. The music was just so alike to the cartoon, as well as a few new musical additions such as giving the Beast a solo part. Overall, the musical parts were just as entertaining as the main story plot.

As awe-inspiring as this movie was, there were some parts of the overall production of the film I didn’t enjoy. I agree that seeing a beloved classic come to life is exciting and heart-stopping, but there is a gray area that is still yet to be answered. With remakes comes mixed feelings. I surely did enjoy this movie, but in the end, I wasn’t sure if the movie should’ve been remade. Are Disney fans better off without the reincarnation of their favorite classics? This rhetorical question about all Disney remakes seems to always reappear.

Disney fans all around the world are once again gifted with another movie that happens to be wonderful and truly enchanting. Despite the bigger picture of remakes, Beauty and the Beast definitely is worth watching if you’re into films that make your heart burst with genuine happiness.