The Little Mermaid (2023) - Review
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© 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Directed by: Rob Marshall
Written by: David Magee
Starring: Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay, Noma Dumezweni, Javier Bardem, Melissa McCarthy
Runtime: 135 min
Synopsis: The youngest of King Triton's daughters, and the most defiant, Ariel (Halle Bailey) longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea, and while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King). While mermaids are forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel must follow her heart. She makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula (Melissa McCarthy), which gives her a chance to experience life on land, but ultimately places her life - and her father's crown - in jeopardy.
© 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Editor's Note: Original review was written for Firstshowing. Full article can be found below.
REVIEW SUMMARY
The Little Mermaid enriches virtually every narrative aspect compared to the original, deepening Ariel and Eric's arcs while exploring the same core themes without losing any of its predecessor's essence. The relationship between the protagonists is unquestionably more complex and emotionally compelling, while the secondary characters - namely Sebastian and Scuttle - remain genuinely hilarious. Halle Bailey is VERY impressive and the cast accompanies her excellently. However, it's not without its problems: the new songs are, for the most part, forgettable; the visuals are better than anticipated, but the feeling of being surrounded by fake walls never quite disappears; and Ursula was left with unexplored potential. That said, it's one of Disney's best live-action remakes of recent times and deserves to be seen by every child in the world in need of some inspiration - as we once were.
