An enchanting rendition that's very faithful to its original source, Beauty and the Beast is a musical, visually-pleasing crowd-pleaser that will give you all the warm fuzzy feels. Emma Watson and Dan Stevens lead the live-action cast, whilst the likes of Sir Ian McKellen, Ewan McGregor and Emma Thompson get the animated treatment.

Is it bad that I watched James Corden's Crosswalk the Musical version before I'd even seen the new cinema release? Both versions had me wanting to join in song and dance, so that must be good riiiight? One, however, was vastly different to the 1991 version: the one that's 10 minutes involving Corden in a bright yellow dress. Bill Condon's 129 minute production is a remake of the cartoon whereby it's pretty much the same. Bar the 'real people', and a few extras of course. Not that this is a bad thing, because we're treated to a delicious feast of everything we loved the first time round and it's satisfying.

You know the story: beautiful small town girl Belle falls in love with the cursed Beast. He keeps her as his prisoner in his enchanted castle and his ugly exterior begins to melt away as they get to know each other and stuff. Hmm, so you're falling for the guy who's kept you captive...? To their credit, the chemistry is there and Dan Stevens does, through the makeup and visual effects, eventually show the charm of the furry 'monster', particularly when he smiles that smile. The development of this unusual relationship feels natural too. (Speaking of the Beast, his name is still a mystery. Whereas Prince Charming receives the fine name of Kit, we're told not to call Beast 'Beast' even though there's no alternative. Even X-Men's Beast is Dr Hank McCoy by day. I digress...)

Emma Watson is a graceful and defiant heroine and a safe fit for the role of Belle, even it felt restrained (and a bit tooo safe) at times. It also wouldn't be Beauty and the Beast without the magic household objects - the former castle residents add buckets of charm and energy. Sure, Ewan McGregor's French accent is...questionable...but he pours so much light into candelabra Lumiere that we can forgive him. If candles could have jazz hands... Sir Ian McKellen is also perfect casting for Cogsworth, as is Emma Thompson as Mrs Potts. She knows everything can be fixed with a cuppa. I've got to say, however, my standouts were perfect Luke Evans as slimy, arrogant Gaston and Josh Gad swapping his Disney Olaf boots to LeFou. The Gad-related headlines and ruckus over Disney's "first openly gay character" have essentially created loads of buzz over nothing - it's a vaguely subtle hint at best.

The 3 new songs are hardly the main selling point for the cinema ticket, but it's the music that captivated worldwide audiences once upon a time that brings this to life again. Magnificent musical numbers are set in the little village, starting with 'Belle', the funny 'Gaston' and the highlight and completely over-the-top 'Be Our Guest'. New addition 'How Does a Moment Last Forever' (first sung by Kevin Kline then Celine Dion) manages to capture the essence of the original soundtrack, whilst 'Beauty and the Beast' is spine-tingling iconic. The cast may not be known first for their vocal ranges, yet they all hold their own. Emma Watson's singing voice is sweet and lovely, but it has noticeably had a few rounds through the autotune machine. It's Luke Evans, however, who impresses all round - did you know he started out on stage in the West End in productions like Rent and Miss Saigon? It shows; he's fantastic.

The special effects are another highlight. I guess, as not an awful lot has changed, you might look to the 2017-standard effects. They're impressive, but not groundbreaking. The family of objects are not as adorable as they were in 2D drawing form, and Mrs Potts is ever so slightly scary, but combined with the stellar voice acting there's enough personality to go around. They all get some very emotional farewells (and flamboyant 'live actor' comebacks) - who would've thought a little teacup would be able to make me cry!?  'Be Our Guest' takes the visual element to the extreme too. The setting is equally beautiful, despite the fact that it often feels like a theatre stage set rather than film. The town feels limited, but the gorgeously gothic castle goes all out. I guess it balances out.

4 stars is bordering upon slightly generous, but it's brilliantly nostalgic and definitely one for the fans. Although my Disney childhood favourite was Cinderella (and I got my live-action remake in 2015), Beauty and the Beast ticked all the right boxes for me. And 5 year old me, for that matter. The library scenes for bookworm Belle will bring back Harry Potter throwbacks, plus the over 2 hour running time flies by pretty quickly. Within the added minutes there's more depth in the father-daughter relationship (Kevin Kline is superb), and a prologue for the Prince. Emma Watson may have been the star billing and buzz-generator for this film, but there's a lot more on offer.

We've had revamps of Cinderella, The Jungle Book and on the horizon there's Cruella (starring Emma Stone), Mulan (reportedly without music!?), and The Little Mermaid. I'm hoping for some more adventurous adaptations for those, but for me, Beauty and the Beast is a strong start.

Beauty and the Beast is in cinemas now.