Written by David Magee
Directed by Rob Marshall
Ariel: "I wish I could be .... part of that world."
Disney Live Action adaptations have been a source of contention for a while now. Some see them as soulless cash grabs while everyone would concede that they're simply not as good as the animated versions that came before them.
I bring this up because this adaptation of The Little Mermaid definitely does fall into the latter category. While some online have made defending this movie into their life's mission and others have purposely misconstrued it in a negative light, the reality is that isn't a bad take on the beloved fairytale for a modern audience.
Halle Bailey's casting as Ariel has been a widely debated topic when it never needed to be in the first place. She's undoubtedly the best thing about the movie and a perfect fit for Ariel. Everything I liked about the character back on 1989, Bailey encapsulated perfectly for 2023. She's actually a revelation in the role.
Ariel's story followed the same trajectory here as well. She's growing up and yearning for the world above the sea, much to the distress of her father, Triton (Javier Bardem). Saving the handsome Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King) also informed her difference of opinions of humans, compared to her father and his mistrust of them.
Of course the divide between father and daughter on the topic of humans gave Triton's estranged sister, Ursula (Melissa McCarthy) the perfect opening to get Ariel on side. Same deal as the animated movie with a human made and mute Ariel having three days to get Eric to fall in love with her.
Fortunately for Ariel while Eric's adoptive mother, Selina (Noma Dumezweni) shared her own mistrust of the underwater world, there was Sebastian (Daveed Diggs), Flounder (Jacob Tremblay) and a gender swapped Scuttle (Awkwafina) to help push the budding couple together. Even Ursula's temporary transformation into Vanessa (Jessica Alexander) wasn't enough to deter the cross species romance.
There really aren't that many radical changes to the animated movie made here and even Ursula's fate is mostly the same, along with Triton's change of heart. Ariel and Eric end the movie and both the underwater and surface worlds are united.
- All of Ariel's sisters have had their names changed and there's a cross section of casting. They still don't do much, despite the long run time.
- Original Ariel herself Jodi Benson appeared briefly as a market vendor. I also liked Art Malik's character, Grimsby who was definitely shipping Ariel and Eric.
- Standout music: Part Of Our World, Poor Unfortunate Souls, Under The Sea and Wild Uncharted Waters. The less said about The Scuttlebutt the better.
- Chronology: Let's assume 1837 near the Carribbean.
The Little Mermaid might not be the best live action take on a Disney classic but there's actually a lot to like here. The underwater scenes are nice, most of the new songs work and Halle Bailey's performance definitely made sure this adaptation didn't sink. The original however will remain the best but this was worth the watch.
Rating: 7 out of 10
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