Beauty and the Beast (2017)

$1.27 billion worldwide, and most of what people paid for was a movie they already owned on VHS. This Beauty and the Beast copies the animated classic almost scene for scene, then pads it with new backstory nobody asked for, including a magic book that teleports. The enchanted household gets a realistic makeover, and a realistic talking teapot is a little unsettling. The Beast’s computer face has two settings, grumpy and slightly less grumpy. Emma Watson makes a fine Belle, but her songs sound buffed so smooth in the studio that the voice seems ironed. Luke Evans steals the movie. His Gaston is vain, loud and actually threatening, and the tavern number with Josh Gad’s LeFou is a party. Kevin Kline brings real tenderness as Belle’s dad, and Dan Stevens gets a brand new song that’s the best addition. The ballroom dance still works on anyone with a pulse. A 6.2 because the classic bones hold up and almost every change is a downgrade. $504.52 says you dig out the cartoon this weekend just to compare candlesticks.

What works: Luke Evans and Josh Gad turn Gaston’s scenes into the liveliest part of the movie, and the castle and ballroom look gorgeous.

What doesn’t: Most of the new material slows things down, and the realistic, computer-made Beast and servants lose the warmth of the original cartoon.

Who it’s for: Families who love the original and want a big, shiny singalong on a rainy afternoon.