The Little Mermaid 2023 – Disney is making a live-action remake of the beloved animated film The Little Mermaid. It tells the story of a young mermaid who wants to explore the human world, especially after her first meeting with a human.
I had no specific expectations when I decided to go for the movie. Maybe you can watch the remake of a childhood movie and enjoy the time.
The Little Mermaid Movie Review
The 1989 classic The Little Mermaid thrives simply with a focused plot and entertaining songs. Where the remake attempts to bring more depth to the story, it weighs it with unnecessary additions, making it feel rather bloated. The new scenes and exploration of Ariel and Eric’s relationship do more to pad the runtime than enhance the story.
While it effectively showcases Ariel’s character growth, it loses some of the fairytale charm and magic that made the original special. The above-ground sequences felt uninspired, lacking interesting characters and meaningful development for Ariel. However, the underwater sequences partially make up for this. Overall, the movie falls short of capturing the same enchantment as its animated counterpart.
The movie offers some of Disney’s best-ever songs, although some new additions may not enhance the overall experience. However, Halle Bailey’s singing performance is consistently great throughout the film.
Melissa McCarthy delivers a standout performance as Ursula, flawlessly capturing the character’s essence. Her portrayal of the evil and compelling villain is the film’s highlight. Additionally, Javier Bardem and Daveed Diggs perform well as King Triton and Sebastian.
The visual effects in the film are impressive, particularly the underwater scenes that showcase a realistic and immersive ecosystem. While they may not reach the level of Avatar: The Way of Water, they are convincing and do not detract from the overall cinematic experience.
Final Thoughts
The live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid falls short of capturing the magic of the original 1989 film. While it features elements of Ariel’s journey and has some entertaining moments, the story becomes drawn out by unnecessary additions. However, there are positives, such as Melissa McCarthy’s portrayal of Ursula and Halle Bailey’s performance as Ariel. I’d rather call it an average remake that lacks the enchantment of the original.
Would I recommend it? Not necessarily.
Do I plan a re-watch? No. I would only give it a re-watch to have heard the original actors sing once, but that’s nothing I plan on doing soon.
Have you seen the remake of Disney’s Little Mermaid? Do you plan to watch it? Share your thoughts!
