As most people know, Disney has begun turning their old classic cartoons into live action movies. As a huge Disney nerd, I’ve loved them all so much. Then, in 2014, they announced that they were going to be making a live action version of Beauty and the Beast — my favorite of the classic movies. I was already incredibly excited, and the announcement that Emma Watson would be playing Belle just added to that. I’ve adored Emma Watson since she was Hermione in the Harry Potter movies — my favorite fictional character — and was thrilled that she would be playing my favorite Disney princess.

There was a lot of hype surrounding this movie from people in my position, and it definitely lived up to expectations. The actors were amazing, the changes they made from the original cartoon were well thought-out and the visuals were absolutely beautiful.

Watson was perfect in her role. While she’s not a professional singer, I thought her voice was very pretty to listen to. I also really appreciated that they made sure Belle wasn’t a helpless character — in places where the plot allowed it, they made her character more than just a defenseless Disney princess. One of my favorite examples is the scene where The Beast, played by Dan Stevens, invites Belle to dinner for the first time, and it shows her lowering a rope made of fabric out of the window in an attempt to escape. Also, in the beginning, when they’re in the town, there are lots of times when she’s doing things that aren’t traditional Disney princess activities and that weren’t in the original cartoon.

The other actors were also all very well cast. Stevens did a great job as The Beast, and they did a fantastic job of making him look like the transformed-human-prince from the original. I was also impressed with the servants (whose roles were largely based on voice acting) for the quality of their performance.

A little while before the movie was released, it was announced that LeFou, played Josh Gad, Gaston’s sidekick, was gay. There was a lot of talk about it, and even some theaters that tried to ban the movie. However, after watching the movie, it’s clear the uproar was pointless. Had it not been announced beforehand, it wouldn’t have been noticed. One thing they did do to LeFou’s character was make him smarter — he’s still a silly character, but he’s not clueless and constantly fawning over Gaston. Gad was the perfect person to cast in this role, although I must admit that I had a hard time not hearing Olaf throughout the movie.

Possibly my favorite part of the movie were the visual effects. There was so much detail put into all the servants at the caste, all the way from the details on Cogsworth to the feathers on the featherduster. I was also incredibly impressed with the effects done on the Beast. Although he looked distinctly different from the original, I was very happy with what they did, and how well it was done. The costumes were ncredibly beautiful. The signature yellow dress was gorgeous in the dance scene, and all of the other costumes were just as great. When showing The Beast’s life before the curse, they had everyone wearing traditional old French clothing of the wealthy, which really added to the scene.

In all, this was an amazing movie. After waiting for so long, I was incredibly pleased with the finished product. And apparently the box offices agree — the movie has earned $462 million worldwide so far. I couldn’t have been happier with what Disney did with this classic, and I’m very excited to see what they do next.