Beauty and the Beast: a mom's review (aka should you bring your kids to see the film?)

Thinking about taking your children to the new Beauty and the Beast film? I’m telling you what you need to know as a parent…..and what ages the film is appropriate for!We did it. Last week, our entire family was invited to the Disney Studios lot here in LA for an early screening of the live action Beauty and the Beast. I have to be honest, I wasn’t sure if bringing Lydia was a great idea. She’s only three, and some of the scenes in the previews looked a little scary (mainly the Beast growling and the wolves chasing Belle and her father in the forest, plus the violence when the town storms the castle). But, she’s Belle OBSESSED and kept begging to see the movie.

Our plan? To all go together, and for my husband to take her out to the lobby if she was uncomfortable. What actually happened? There were two parts (towards the beginning of the film) that were a little scary. They were EXACTLY the parts I anticipated. The wolves in the forest that chase Belle and her father look VERY real, and there was one spot where the Beast growled. Ironically, the Beast didn’t scare her (she whispered that he was grouchy because he was lonely)….but the wolves did.

My suggestion? If your kiddo scares easily, when Belle escapes into the woods might be a great time for a restroom break (the whole scene is only five minutes long).

My thoughts on the film as a whole? If you watched the original Beauty and the Beast as a child, you’ll be head over heels in LOVE with the live action version. The music? Amazingly done, and made me fall in love with Alan Menken’s original soundtrack all over again. The visuals? The film is stunning. The colors, the costumes, it’s just beautiful. And my favorite part? I saw so much diversity in the film (good job Disney). All in all, this film is perfect for date night or a family outing!