Is Beauty and the Beast Kid-Friendly?

If you’ve been following along on my Be Our Guest Event adventure, I’m pretty sure, you know my personal feelings about Beauty and the Beast. From a screening at Walt Disney Studios to interviews with Emma Watson, Josh Gad, and Audra McDonald, I’ve been living Beauty and the Beast everything for the last month, and it’s been glorious. So this review is for the moms. You know, I like to give you the lowdown from a mom’s point of view. If you’re a Disney fan, you’ve probably already seen the movie or you already have tickets. If you’re waiting to take your children because you’re nervous, I’ll give you the scoop – is Beauty and the Beast kid-friendly?

Is Beauty and the Beast Kid-Friendly?

I’ll tell you up front, yes, for my children it is kid-friendly. I have 5 girls ages 12 to 4, and I have purchased tickets for my entire family to watch it tonight. I’ve already seen it, and I want to see it again! However, what’s right for my children doesn’t necessarily mean it’s right for your children. Let’s break it down.

Beauty and the Beast is rated PG. There is no nudity, no sexual content (a few kisses at the end between Belle and the Prince, and between the objects that become human again), no curse words, mild violence. ETA: So I just watched the movie again tonight, and made a couple of revisions. Also, Gaston does have a gun and uses it a couple of times.

There are mature themes, though, as you get more backstory about the Prince and why a spell has been cast on the house. You also hear more about Belle’s mother. So there are a lot of parent/child relationship storylines as well as separation. And Beauty and the Beast is a love story.

Here’s what you need to watch for: The Beast can be scary. However, they’ve also humanized him extremely well, too. I don’t think kids will be scared of him until he gets angry. There are a couple of scenes with wolves that are loud and the final scene with Gaston is tense and could cause children to be sad. By this time you’ve fallen in love with the Beast, and then someone is attacking him, and you see him injured. I would say spoiler alert, but it’s true to the animated Beauty and the Beast storyline. With CGI, everything seems realistic.

Beauty and the Beast is Over 2 Hours

I was so engrossed in the film that I didn’t want it to end. A small child may feel otherwise. The running time is 2 hours and 9 minutes. You know your child. I think my girls 6 and up will love it, while the 4-year-old may be asking for more popcorn. It’s hard to tell. While the animated Beauty and the Beast is lovely, the live-action film makes you feel like you’re part of it. This can be engaging for children and for others, boring. I know my girls will love the singing and dancing throughout the film!

Why You Should Take Your Kids to See Beauty and the Beast

I’ve had so many people message me asking if Beauty and the Beast is really THAT good. I tell them that everyone’s expectations are different. It depends what you hold the most dear. Did they follow the original storyline? Yes, for the most part. The actors and director wanted to stay true to the original.

So why do a live-action remake? Because we all need to be reminded of this tale as old as time. Truly. In this classic we learn to love ourselves and love others despite their differences. These are things I want my children to learn! No hidden agendas. Just pure and simple messages. Also Gaston is a jerk. Have your children ever had friends that were kind of jerks, but they stayed friends with them for whatever reason? Well here’s a good conversation to have. Should we stay friends with those kinds of people or search for the friends that are going to have our backs?

I cannot reiterate this enough – the cast is perfection! Every last one of them. Will fans of the animated version miss a little Angela Lansbury or Jerry Orbach? Perhaps. I did every once in awhile, because I have seen it a million times. This is the Beauty and the Beast our kids will be talking about with their friends at school. And I’m happy that they will. The music, the scenery, the characters…they are all breathtaking. I am thrilled this will be the Belle my 5 girls can look up to and love. We all deserve some fairytale in our lives.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is in theaters now!