Like many people who grew up with Disney animated movies, they hold a special place in my heart. However, unlike some, I don’t gatekeep them. In fact, I have been excited about the possibility of them being remade into live-action movies. Unfortunately, I have not loved the majority of the live-action Disney movies thus far. Therefore, I didn’t have much hope for the upcoming live-action Disney remakes, including The Little Mermaid. Therefore, it surprised me when I completely loved the movie.
In my opinion, it’s one of the best live-action remakes. It gets right what so many before it got wrong. I enjoyed The Little Mermaid so much that now I am hopeful for future live-action Disney movies, including the upcoming Snow White and Moana.
This could be the start of a good direction for the company's live-action movies.
The Changes Deepen The Characters
The Little Mermaid is a children’s animated film, so you can’t really take it too seriously, but the live-action version goes a little deeper than the original. It gives more depth to Eric (Jonah Hauer-King); we learn a lot more about his past, draw to the sea, and aspirations. He becomes more fully formed, especially more than he is in the original version.
We also learn a little more about Ursula’s (Melissa McCarthy) motivations and history. Though I really enjoyed Cruella and can’t wait for Cruella II, it was nice to see them incorporating more backstory within the main film. This makes you care even more about these beloved characters without needing an origin film to accomplish it. I would love an Ursula origin movie, but The Little Mermaid does a great job of giving you a little more about her history and motivation; you could be satisfied with just these additions without a separate film.
It also allows viewers to get into Ariel’s (Halle Bailey) mind when she can’t speak. This allows us to hear her regrets, and curiosity, and just come to understand her introduction to this world more.
These additions show that Disney's remakes can add a little more substance to their characters and still keep the whimsical nature of the stories.
It Takes The 1997 Cinderella Approach To Diversity
The 1997 Cinderella is one of the best Cinderella movies, and one of the great things about it is its ability to seamlessly incorporate diversity. There are so many different races and ethnicities represented in that film. It helps children of all backgrounds see themselves in these fairytale characters.
The Little Mermaid may take some inspiration from this film and maybe even the diversity of shows and movies like Bridgerton. It’s nice to see not only Ariel (Halle Bailey) played by a woman of color, but so many of the cast members, including Eric’s (Noma Dumezweni) mother and all of Ariel’s sisters. It creates a beautiful fantasy world where people of all colors and backgrounds can live peacefully and equally. This proves that Disney can effortlessly add more diversity to these live-action movies.
The Little Mermaid Has A Cast That’s Multitalented
No offense to some of the other live-action Disney movie stars but it’s nice that the majority of the cast are not only talented actors and actresses but great singers, as well. Halle Bailey is the perfect person to bring these iconic Little Mermaid songs to life. I am also happy to hear the new songs that allow people like Jonah Hauer-King a chance to show off their vocal talents.
I also didn’t realize that Melissa McCarthy was such a good singer, because she does a great job on “Poor Unfortunate Souls.” She really does this iconic Disney villain song justice. We all know Daveed Diggs is an incredible talent, but it’s so wonderful to hear him sing so many of these beloved songs. I was thoroughly impressed by the entire cast of The Little Mermaid.
They make me hopeful that the company will aim to cast talented actors who can also sing very well.
The Leads Have Great Chemistry
Bailey and Hauer-King’s chemistry is one of the things that The Little Mermaid does really well. The actors have great chemistry, even when they aren’t talking to each other. This is mostly because of the actors, but it’s also because the film does a little more to establish their connection than in the original. They almost feel like soulmates, especially when they’re able to connect because of both their admiration and respect for each other’s worlds.
They become such a deeper couple in the live-action movie because you understand their attraction to one another that goes beyond just the physical. You can easily imagine how they would work long-term in the human world, and how it’s a partnership that allows growth from both sides. The animated Disney films have so many great couples, but they don’t always translate well in the live-action versions. However, this shows that they could be one of the best parts of the movie when done well.
The Little Mermaid Crew Create Some Visually Stunning Moments
The sea creatures and some of the swimming scenes aren’t the best to look at, especially Flounder (Jacob Tremblay). However, there are so many other visually pleasing aspects. Just the shots of the ocean with little prominent sea creatures are very pretty. Rob Marshall and the VFX team do an astonishing job of creating this world.
The scenes of the shipwreck, sky, beach, and other scenery are so vibrant and lively. Those visuals help emphasize the importance of the setting in this story. They highlight the beauty of the land and the sea. This makes me excited to see what other visually stunning images will be created in future films.
It Blends Elements That Will Please Fans Of The Original With New Aspects
The new movie recreates plenty of the memorable moments from the original film. This allows it to please fans of the animated movie by staying true to it, but it also evolves the story. There are plenty of new scenes that aren’t in the original. Many of these feel necessary to help tell a newer version of this classic.
I believe that has been my main issue with so many of the live-action Disney movies: they don’t add much new to the stories to prove that they’re needed. The animated versions are fine on their own, and if I am going to rewatch these movies, I would easily pick the animated ones. The Little Mermaid is one of the few that I would probably rewatch before the animated original. This is mainly due to me enjoying the new aspects of it. They can still make these live-action remakes exciting by balancing new additions with classic aspects.
The Little Mermaid Is Exciting And Fun Without Feeling Just Like A Copy Of The Original
It’s not easy to make a new version of something so adored as the best Disney animated movies. Therefore, I can sympathize with these filmmakers. I understand the difficult task that they have been given, but The Little Mermaid proves it can be done. These movies can keep most of the elements of the original film but make enough changes to keep it feeling fresh, exciting, and new.
These changes help expand the story, but stay true to the film’s essence. At no point while watching it did I feel bored because I'd already seen this story. I really hope that this film is just the first of many live-action Disney movies that are able to be exciting but faithful to the original.
The Little Mermaid will be available to stream on Disney+ on September 6.
Buy The Little Mermaid on Amazon.
Stream The Little Mermaid on Disney+.
