Diving Deep Into The Little Mermaid: A Biased Review and All the Best Moments to Look Forward to
*Warning: Spoilers Ahead*
After years, months, weeks, and days of excitement and anticipation, the live-action film, The Little Mermaid, was finally released in the U.S. on May 26th. As a die-hard Disney fan whose absolute favorite Disney princess is Ariel, I made no hesitation in seeing it in theaters on its release day. Of course, I made an effort to dress appropriately according to the nautical/mermaid-core theme. With my starfish earrings and seaweed-esque sequined mini bag, my sisters and I walked into the theatre with high hopes (and The Little Mermaid souvenir popcorn bucket and cup), ready to witness the magic.
Before you watch the film, you should definitely be okay with the two-hour and fifteen-minute time frame, and obviously expect the numerous musical numbers. From start to finish, I was enthralled by the visual effects, colors, and animation. While the film starts off slightly different than its animated counterpart, it did not disappoint. The beginning starts with a quote from the original fairytale which was written by Hans Christian Anderson in 1837. It reads, “… But a mermaid has no tears, and therefore she suffers so much more.” This already gave me a look into how the director, Rob Marshall, had interpreted the film and how the titular character would be portrayed by the phenomenal actress Halle Bailey.
We miss the concert scene with Sebastian and Ariel’s six sisters, whose names were all changed for this new film, which I personally loved since they were all appropriately named based on their designated sea. Instead, King Triton, portrayed by the wonderous actor Javier Bardem, has a meeting with his seven daughters: Caspia, Indira, Karina, Mala, Perla, and Tamika, for the Coral Moon when he notices that Ariel (of course) is MIA. We then see Halle for the first time as Ariel in her glory. I was excited to get an up-close look at this new Ariel’s glam and her tail and top getup. The character’s classic purple top and mint greenish tail combo were utilized in a much more vibrant, live-action-worthy light.
Skipping to the first musical number of the film, we get to hear Halle Bailey’s spell-bounding version of "Part of Your World.” She provides a more determined and adventurous side of Ariel that the cartoon version lacked. Listening to the song you get the feeling that Ariel is more interested in just exploring and experiencing the real world than falling in love. Afterward, when she sees Prince Eric for the first time, she is already intrigued without even seeing his actual face, and she definitely is not as lovestruck as the cartoon Ariel. The next musical number we get comes from Jonah Hauer-King’s Prince Eric, which I was not expecting, but absolutely loved. It gave the film a more interesting dynamic since we get a better version of the character as he cares about exploring the sea and finding where he came from while searching for Ariel in the process.
The proceeding musical numbers throughout the entirety of the film did not disappoint, as I had my eyes peeled at the screen the entire time! Getting into Melissa McCarthy’s portrayal of Ursula, I was once again not disappointed. While I wish that she was a bit more intimidating than the original cartoon character, she still did an amazing job—and as a big fan of her comedy, I found myself cracking up a couple of times in her scenes. Sebastian and Flounder, played by Wonder actors Daveed Diggs and Jacob Tremblay, met my expectations perfectly. However, I will admit listening to Diggs’ faux Jamaican accent during the whole film was a bit cringe. Flounder was super cute despite all of the hate his life-like appearance was receiving. Scuttle, the annoying yet helpful seagull, was portrayed by comedian Awkwafina.
One of the best moments in the entire film was the “Under the Sea” scene featuring Ariel, Sebastian, and many of Ariel’s sea creature friends. It really provided viewers with a realistic look into Disney’s version of the ocean and King Triton’s aquatic kingdom. The colors, the music, the magic—literally breathtaking.
The chemistry between Halle Bailey and Jonah-Hauer King was also exciting to watch, especially during the scene where she finds his room full of “thingamabobs.” It connects the love story between the two characters, giving them more in common and building up a real relationship, unlike the commonly recycled “love at first sight” theme. The addition of these scenes with the Caribbean setting, and Jodi Benson's cameo, made the film just as special as I had hoped. The only thing that slightly disappointed me was the costume design by Colleen Atwood, who has designed costumes for some of my favorite Tim Burton films, such as Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow, Alice in Wonderland, and Dumbo.
While all of the looks in the film were top-tier, I was not excited to see the same blue dress that Prince Eric’s servants wore on Ariel throughout her entire three days on land. While it was cute and definitely Caribbean-inspired, I would’ve liked to see Ariel in a different getup for her debut as a human again. The sparkly blue moment from the cartoon could have definitely been incorporated somehow, and the wedding dress was just too simple. However, I guess it was to focus more on Ariel’s personality, which differed from the 1989 Ariel completely (again, in my opinion).
Overall, The Little Mermaid film was a splashing success. It was truly magnificent and, by far, one of the best live-action Disney films to date. With mermaid-core trending for the summer season, it could not have come out at a better time since TikTok is already getting flooded with looks inspired by the film.
I will be thinking of this remake while I am pretending to be Ariel in the pool this summer! If you have not seen the film yet, run to your nearest theater now to see it, since it will most likely not be coming to Disney+ anytime soon.
What were your thoughts on Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid? Let us know in the comments.