Are your kids desperate to see the new adaptation of Beauty and the Beast? I know Tully hasn’t stopped talking about it for months. But I’m sure that many of you have seen the preview and wondered if it was going to be too scary for your child, especially if they are on the younger side.

Tully is about to turn five and we saw it on the weekend. She’s been beside herself with excitement about the whole thing and I did wonder if it would be a bit scary but we took the plunge anyway. So here’s the rundown:

The great bits of the new Beauty and the Beast film

For me, this was miles ahead of the original cartoon. Emma Watson was fantastic as Belle and gave the character far more wit and sass than the original film. In terms of it being loyal to the original, it’s very much the same, but they have added more scenes and songs to explain some back story. The Beast now has a solo as well. Some of these new scenes feel a little unnecessary and, with an extra 45 minutes added to the new film you may start feeling a little ‘skip to the end!’, especially if you have a wriggling child next to you.

But all your favourite songs are there and Luke Evans and Josh Gad are fantastic as Gaston and Le Fou, they are so much fun. However, if you have sat through a lot of Frozen you’ll be having Olaf induced flashbacks as Gad also voices Olaf.

All the characters in the castle have been beautifully recreated, with Emma Thompson as Mrs Potts and Ewan McGregor as Lumiere being a few of the highlights.

The mantel clock Cogsworth, the teapot Mrs. Potts, Lumiere the candelabra and the feather duster Plumette live in an enchanted castle in Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST the live-action adaptation of the studio’s animated classic directed by Bill Condon.

The scary bits of the new Beauty and the Beast film

I’m not going to lie, there are some pretty scary/ suspenseful parts in this movie. Tully was scared quite a lot so if you have a sensitive child then it might not be for them, especially at the movies. On DVD you can fast forward and you don’t get the same atmosphere. The scariest parts were when Belle’s dad gets lost in the forest and is chased by Wolves, the Beast reveal, the Beast’s reaction when he finds Belle in the west wing, Belle being chased by wolves and the Beast fighting them and then the scene at the end where Gaston and the Beast fight. All of these are when the Beast goes into full ‘Beast mode’ and it’s pretty frightening on the big screen.

I wouldn’t really recommend it for kids under five unless you know that they can handle it. It’s perfect for around seven and up and at the end of the day, you know your kid and what they can deal with. Don’t be talked into it though if you don’t think it’s for them.

Beauty and the Beast (2017)
The Beast (Dan Stevens) and Belle (Emma Watson) in the castle library

If you’re in the movie with a lot of other mums you’ll hear a lot of, “It’s cousin Matthew!’ at the end when the Beast turns into a prince, as the prince is played by Dan Stevens from Downtown Abbey.

So what did Tully think? Well, I asked her and she said, “It was good! Gooder than the other one!”

So there you have it!