What I liked about this film (as opposed to other versions of the story I’ve seen or read) is that Belle or Beauty seemed much more real. She never quite accepted the Beast and couldn’t fully love him because of his appearance. This, in spite of the fact that he loved her more—and treated her with more respect—than her family whom she was so devoted to.
In the end it was apparent that her feelings for him changed once he was no longer “ugly.” The film seemed to be making a statement about how even the most virtuous can still be compelled by vanity.

While the end of this movie was slightly cheesy, once must, as the movie says at the beginning, remember that it is a fairytale. The sets were visually stunning, and the costuming was amazing. The special effects were well above what I expected for a film of the time period. I will be recommending this most certainly.