The countdown has been on for a while. Ever since I watched the trailer of Disney’s remake of Beauty and the Beast I’ve been super excited to see it.
We went with family and cousins on opening weekend. The kids were just as excited. (OK fine. The adults might have been most excited! ?)
My 13-year-old daughter and two sons, aged 10 & 7, came along, and just like everyone else, they loved it!
I think Disney has always been progressive and ahead of the curve. They are always evolving with the times and are quick to adapt social and cultural change.
Although they stayed true to the original Beauty and the Beast, they added just a wee bit more to make it current and send powerful positive messages to children and young adults.
As we talked about in the vlog, here’s the three reasons why I think it’s a great idea to make sure Beauty and the Beast is on your son’s must see list as well as your daughters.
*I preface this with I think some kids might find the Beast or wolves scary. Also there is a scene at the end where the beast gets shot. I would think age 5 would be a good age to show them. There were lots of younger kids in the theatre, but age 5 is just my personal suggestion for a good age.
1. The big gruff Beast sings. Disney is well known for incorporating incredible soundtracks into their classics. The beast affirms that despite your size and gruffness, expressing yourself through sensitive meaningful song is awesome.
2. Gastons’ character sends a big message to boys and girls: “hunting” women is not ok. Objectifying women is not ok, and forcing someone to like you is not ok.
3. There’s a reason the Beast/prince is so angry, hostile and not likeable. They give a back story in the movie about why he acts the way he does. I love this because it teaches kids that everyone has a reason for their behaviour. It encourages critical thinking, and to get kids to ask why.
Honestly it is a masterpiece. The entire cast was outstanding. I highly recommend watching it no matter who you are!
Be our guest.
MF
