Alright. Here we go again.
Disney has done it again. They created another live-action remake of one of their classic renaissance movies and of course, us as the audience decided to head to the theaters to go and see it because we can’t help but love our nostalgia. This time, it was The Little Mermaid, starring Halle Bailey.
While the movie itself has received criticism regarding its casting and song decisions, I went into it with an open mind, despite how I’ve been feeling about the live-action versions of Disney’s adaptations as of late.
And, ah, there were things that worked – and some things that most certainly did not.
I do love Disney, despite its shortcomings. It means a lot to me, but the live-action The Little Mermaid is one of those movies that either delivered really well when it did deliver, or fell flat at its worst moments. Let’s get into what worked, and what didn’t.
Worked – Halle Bailey’s Performance
I have to admit, I was not expecting that much from Halle Bailey. I knew instantly that she was going to have an amazing voice – she was a singer alongside her sister before she was ever an actress, so having an actual singer play one of the princesses was a great decision.
I, however, did not know what I was going to get acting-wise with Bailey. This was her first major acting role in a movie that wasn’t a short film. While I had seen her in a supporting role in the popular sitcom, grown-ish, there’s a difference between a supporting part on a sitcom and starring in a movie. And, judging from the trailers, it looked like this movie was taking more of a dramatic turn rather than its more colorful, fun counterpart in the animated film.
Even so, Bailey did a surprisingly good job in her first major movie role. While I do think that there was room for improvement in the way she expressed her character’s feeling in certain moments, she was better than I expected. She properly captured Ariel’s curiosity and her adventurous spirit while still keeping the legendary mermaid fun for both kids and adults to love.
Obviously, her singing was amazing. I don’t need to write an entire article about that. “Part of Your World” was outstanding.
Didn’t Work – The Animation Of The Sea Characters
Here’s the thing – when it comes to animated movies, there is so much you can do with your characters in terms of how they look, act, and everything else. That’s really what made the original The Little Mermaid so much fun, that it was so colorful and the characters were so well-animated and all had a distinct look.
I was not a huge fan of the animation style of the characters in this movie. Because Disney is making hyperrealistic remakes of these classic animated movies, there’s a certain magic that is lost when these sea creatures are brought to life – and worse yet, they have no facial expressions, which makes them that much less enjoyable to watch.
Sebastian and Flounder were some of my favorite characters from the original and in live-action they felt so lifeless in comparison to their animated versions. I do love the voices of Daveed Diggs and Jacob Tremblay, but Disney really needs to stop bringing these types live-action animals to the table if they can’t make them expressive at all.
Worked – The Love Story Of Eric And Ariel
Disney didn’t really impress me with their love stories for some time, because in many earlier movies, it always felt like the girl fell for the guy so easily and it was always love at first sight. I believe that’s why I enjoyed Beauty and the Beast and any movie that came after that, because it felt like the relationship was earned.
Eric and Ariel were one of those couples from the original movie that I was not a fan of, because their love story felt so unrealistic. It felt like Eric was more in lust with Ariel, and vice versa – because they were both pretty people. I’m pretty sure Ariel fell for Eric because of his love of the sea, but other than that, we really don’t see them share that many common interests.
In the live-action version, however, we do see them expand more on their love story. It’s not just looks that they love about the other, but their common interests and the things they love. Even in the way the story ends, how they both go off to explore the world together, shows a shared interest that we didn’t see in the original, and I enjoyed it.
Didn’t Work – Unnecessary Song Changes And Additions
To be honest, I didn’t care at all about the casting of this movie or any of that. I cared a whole lot more about the song changes, because I’m from a very musical-based family. I understand adapting certain songs in order to change with the ever-evolving landscape that is our society, but some of the changes in this movie felt a bit unnecessary to me.
While I do believe that the topic of sexual consent is an important conversation to have, I don’t know that changing the lyrics of two classic Disney songs is particularly moving us in the right direction. It’s great that we are having these discussions, but in the grand scheme of things, changing the lyrics of some of these songs feels like it doesn’t leave the impact it should have left. Granted, I can’t speak for everyone, so I’m not sure how others feel regarding that situation. I totally understand having 100% consent for the kissing, but the lyrics felt like they didn’t fit with the storyline, that’s all.
Pair that with the horrendous song additions in this movie and the music just didn’t hit as good as it normally would. “The Scuttlebutt” haunts my dreams, but the other song additions didn’t feel needed, either.
Worked – Melissa McCarthy As Ursula
Melissa McCarthy was the only casting choice that I was a little concerned about, just because when I think of Ursula, I think of someone utterly evil. McCarthy was not the first person that came to mind, but I have to admit – she rocked the role.
I do think she’s missing something in terms of sass/spunk. Animated Ursula felt like she was constantly looking for a great business deal and was always planning something, while McCarthy’s version feels a little subdued in nature. However, she was still able to capture the essence of Ursula and bring so much fun to the role, and her version of “Poor Unfortunate Souls” was surprisingly well done – despite the lyrical change.
Do I think a drag queen, which is what Ursula is inspired by, could have performed the role a little better? Yeah, I do, but I think McCarthy did a great job with what she was given, and I can’t ask for much more.
Didn’t Work – The Ending
I’m so aggravated by the ending of this movie, you have no idea.
In the original, when Ursula is given King Triton’s triton, Eric is the one to save Ariel by steering the ship into Ursula. Here, it’s Ariel who does this, and I despise this so much.
This is honestly a plot hole, because Ariel doesn’t even know how to steer a ship. As far as we know, she’s never been taught, and it’s not like Eric taught her. So it doesn’t make sense that she would even be able to do it. But, there’s an even bigger issue that I have, and that’s Eric’s story.
We spend so much time trying to further their relationship, to show that they truly care for each other. In the original, Eric saving Ariel and her father was a huge turning point. It was what made Triton realize that maybe not all humans are bad, so he lets his daughter be with Eric – and, Eric’s now repaid Ariel for saving his life when his ship went down.
I was a part of the generation where we watched princesses save themselves, and that’s great! I love watching Elsa, Anna, Rapunzel, and all my modern-day female protagonists being badasses and not needing someone to save them, showing they can do the saving. But, Eric saving Ariel was more than just a prince saving a princess, and this movie ripped that away.
I do think The Little Mermaid is one of the better live-action remakes from Disney over the last few years, but there’s a lot left to be desired in this movie. Even so, I’m sure this movie will be modern-day children’s new favorite, and it’ll make Halle Bailey a certified Disney princess with that beautiful voice.
Both versions can live on – but I think I’ll stick to the original for its brilliant animation and listen to Halle Bailey’s versions of the songs, if we’re being honest.