I'd love to say that Disney finally got it right, that The Little Mermaid surpassed expectation and delivered a nostalgic yet reinvigorated tale of a young woman desperate for adventure, and all the love, heartache & magic that comes with it.
Alas, that wasn't the case. While I enjoyed the first part and being swept away by Halle Bailey's glorious voice and the vibrant mermaid tails on display, the visual effects and changes to the storyline because of the "live action" stamp were disappointing. It's true that casting was the hot topic with this remake, but I think it's one of the aspects they got mostly right. I can't fault Bailey as Ariel, and Melissa McCarthy gave her own fun twist to Ursula (despite pointless changes to the character herself). Javier Bardem was okay as King Triton, he's a minor character in the scheme of the storyline so for that part he did fine. Torn about the casting for Eric, Jonah Hauer-King was good but he wasn't the right match for Bailey's Ariel - the chemistry was lacking between them. Granted, the changes to his character made him more endearing - well, except for that stupid solo song. I love Lin Manuel, but what a useless addition to the soundtrack. Especially given the quality of the original songs and how they were delivered.
As for our live action side kicks, I wasn't against the changes to Scuttle as Awkwafina is a legend, and Daveed Diggs has the right inflections for Sebastian's iconic voice. Ugh but Flounder - they essentially made his character redundant. And let's be honest, no live action animal looks as exciting as a cartoon version, so the film loses points here as well.
I'm of two minds about this adaptation. It stays truest to the version I grew up with when compared to the horrendous string of live action remakes I've seen (2015's Cinderella was the exception). 90% of the music was spot on, the diversity of both kingdoms was an exciting improvement, the bright colours and costumes a homage to the 1989 classic. And kudos for Jodi Benson's cameo too. But I question the changes to the storyline and final scene, the amendments to multiple characters, the additions to the soundtrack and the visual effects - all of which diminished the experience. That being said, I am sure the kids growing up with this version of The Little Mermaid will love it. It's worth dressing up your little princesses for their chance to see it.
@WatchItWombat.
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