With modernized musical numbers and glittering costumes, Disney’s $160 million live-action remake of the animated 1991 classic of “Beauty and the Beast” continues to win viewers’ hearts worldwide.

Dating back to its original 1740 publication in France, the tale as old as time, directed by Bill Condon, stars Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as the Beast sharing a live readaptation of the original fairytale filled with joy, romance, and enchantment.

As written on the official website for the 2017 Disney film, “‘Beauty and the Beast’ is the fantastic journey of Belle, a bright, beautiful and independent young woman who is taken prisoner by a beast in his castle. Despite her fears, she befriends the castle’s enchanted staff and learns to look beyond the Beast’s hideous exterior, discovering the kind heart and soul of the true Prince within.”

The nostalgic story closely follows its 26 year-old cartoon predecessor, ranging from the soundtrack and costumes to characterization and setting.

“I loved the cinematography of the movie and all of the intricate details, plus I love the scene with the song ‘Something There’,” Cathedral Catholic High School student Kate Petosa ‘17 said.

It seems as if every detail from the 1991 Disney original transcends into the modernized film, including the famous “Be Our Guest” scene featuring the friendly household objects and the sparkling ballroom dance scene with Belle’s signature yellow dress, which required 12,000 hours of creation time, according to the costume designer Jacqeuline Durran, who recently interviewed with “E! Online.”

But what truly enraptures the audience is the modern film’s resurfacing of the traditional values of compassion, patience, and heroism in the the lovely character of Belle.

“I loved ‘Beauty and the Beast’!” CCHS student Nicky Shanks ‘17 said. “Emma Watson was the perfect Belle, and I couldn’t imagine anyone else playing her.”

While the beauty-beast complex seems awkward at first glance, the film smoothly surpasses any blunders in the story by focusing on Belle’s competence and independence as a young woman in her picturesque French village.

Belle obtains a feminist persona as she refuses to let anyone order her around, holding her head high with confidence as the townspeople coin her as “weird.” She also demonstrates immense loyalty and intuitiveness in her relationship with her father, pledging a life of fearlessness.

The attention to detail in “Beauty and the Beast” keeps audiences entranced under the film’s spell, making it easy to see how the film recently raked in a record $1 billion at the box office worldwide, an amount only 29 films have achieved in history.