Beauty and the Beast

Parents need to know that Beauty and the Beast (remade in live action in 2017) is one of Disney's most beloved "princess" stories -- and the first animated film to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. Beast's initial ferocity might scare younger viewers, though once they've seen his gentle side, scenes of him being hunted and stabbed by Gaston are likely to be emotionally upsetting. The sequence in which a mob comes after Beast is also quite intense, and there's a fair bit of cleavage on display during the bar-set "Gaston" number. But kids mature enough for feature-length stories will find this one of the best Disney movies they could spend time with in terms of intelligence, quality, and originality -- not to mention having one of Disney's smartest, most independent heroines. Note: The movie's 2012 3D theatrical rerelease intensified the musical numbers like "Be Our Guest" and the waltz scene in "Beauty and the Beast," but it didn't make Beast's roars or the mob scenes too much scarier than they are in 2D.