The story is pretty much the same as it’s animated source material. A curious teenage mermaid named Ariel (Halle Bailey) ventures to the surface world and falls for a prince. She then trades her voice to a sea witch in exchange for legs, all for some man.
These Disney live-action remakes have always been set up for box-office success, having a fanbase which miraculously doesn’t seem to care if these films are simply shot for shot remakes, as long as the songs are there and the vibes are right. And while “The Little Mermaid” is not a shot for shot remake whatsoever, all the most memorable visual aspects of this remake are the shots that keep true to the 1989 animated original.
For a remake which is almost an hour longer than the original, director Rob Marshall does a good job of keeping this two hour plus film moving at a pace which accounts for a child’s attention span. And his interpretations of some of the most beloved musical numbers in the Disney canon, will be received well by audiences.
To account for this extended runtime, we get new songs with music from Alan Menken and lyrics from Lin-Manuel Miranda. Some of which are catchier than others, but all fit the atmosphere of a more modern retelling of this classic tale. In addition to the new songs, more backstory is added to many of the characters in an attempt to give enhanced motivations. Truthfully, this aspect neither harms nor helps with actual story engagement.
Most importantly, the live-action CGI talking crab, fish and seagull are done well enough to not be a distraction. I’m being facetious, but also, I understand this is a worry which sits in the back of the minds of non-child viewers who become fixated on these very things. The only issue I have with the visuals is somewhat of a bad timing thing, as the underwater CGI is made underwhelming due to the recent release of “Avatar: The Way of Water” and the technical comparisons these scenes are sure to garner. I must restate that the direction here (while the weakest aspect of this film) is fine and will only be picked apart by critics. My criticism of Marshall’s vision is that he doesn’t seem to have one that wishes to step out of its predecessor’s shadow. This is not a sleepwalking directorial effort, as it’s all quite entertaining. It just doesn’t rock the boat in any capacity. Which isn’t a bad thing, if that is what you came to see.
All of that said, this version does stand out from the original due to the enjoyment many will get from these performances. Melissa McCarthy as Ursula and Javier Bardem as King Triton are great casting choices and very much filled the shoes of these supporting characters quite well. The same goes for Jonah Hauer-King who plays Prince Eric, very much giving dark-haired Ryan Gosling. Awkwafina is the voice of Scuttle the gannet (not seagull) and Daveed Diggs is the voice of Sebastian the crab, both doing much of the comedic heavy lifting, adding comedic touches which differ from the straight-forward whimsy of the original. The fact is, there are no bad performances. Jacob Trembley who voices Flounder is a complete afterthought, but even his voice work isn’t what I’d call “bad”. Anyway, Halle Bailey’s performance is the main reason to see this movie. She is such star quality, capturing the essence of her character (Ariel) better than any other character in any Disney live-action remake thus far.
Final Thought: The 1989 “The Little Mermaid” was my favorite animated film as a child and so I did go into this ready to enjoy myself, but also ready to be all sorts of unforgiving at the slightest hint of an attempt to ruin my childhood. Thankfully, this version of “The Little Mermaid” was an overall enjoyable watch. And due to the nostalgia evoking musical sequences and Bailey’s performance, “The Little Mermaid” is quite rewatchable.
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