“But a mermaid has no tears, and therefore she suffers so much more” -Hans Christian Andersen, The Little Mermaid

It does not take long for viewers to be transported to part of that world. Not only are the visuals beyond perfect for the under the sea setting, but the entire cast embodies their characters from the original 1989 film as well as the iconic songs that are beautifully reimagined. 

As always with Disney’s live action remakes, I tend to be quite weary of them because they can feel very forced to make a quick buck. However, The Little Mermaid was a completely different experience for me. Personally, The Little Mermaid has always been my favorite Disney Princess movie ever since I was little. So when they announced the live action remake, I was beyond excited. Just from the first teaser and hearing Halle Bailey sing “Part of Your World” for the first time, brought back that nostalgic Disney feeling. That being said, I planned to critique this film more than the past live actions because of how well I know it from watching it hundreds of times on repeat when I was younger. 

Though I might be biased, I thought Disney absolutely blew it out of the water with this film. It was one of the better live action films I’ve seen in awhile. It brought all the elements from the original, but added certain details to fill plot holes and make it more acceptable in today’s society. 

Halle Bailey was the perfect casting for Ariel. Although she received much criticism and backlash on the initial casting, which was beyond rude, I knew she was fit for the role from the beginning. She is Ariel. I was in complete awe of the entire movie, from the way she carried the character from the beginning of the film with her innocence and stubbornness. Halle made the character her own, but also kept the original in mind by taking a more creative approach with “Part of Your World”. 

Ariel is somehow more likable than her original, animated counterpart. Halle Bailey is sweet, tender-hearted, and quiet, while also maintaining Ariel’s strong will, passion, curiosity, and determination. She has a lot of charm and charisma and the sweet, subtle way she plays Ariel really has you rooting for her. In the scenes toward the end of the film, the way Bailey plays a heartbroken Ariel is truly reminiscent of the original Hans Christian Andersen tale. “Part of Your World (Reprise II)” may be the best new song. It is exactly what the scene after Ariel discovers Eric’s engagement needed. It is beautiful, haunting, and heartbreaking, not only because of the parallels to “Part of Your World” from earlier in the film, but it once again seems to mirror Hans Christian Andersen’s tragic tale (and the quote at the beginning of the film). 

Jonah Hauer-King honestly stole the show as Eric. He was determined, charming, sweet, adventurous, and a bit unhinged at times. Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric left me speechless the entire time. As someone who has loved The Little Mermaid for as long as I can remember, seeing Jonah play the role brought back all the memories of why Prince Eric is my favorite Disney Prince. One of the best additions to the story, not only his countless shirtless scenes, but giving the character his own original song, “Wild Uncharted Waters”. It was breathtaking and let’s just say Jonah Hauer-King sang his heart out on the sails of the ship with the wind blowing his shirt open. 

Ariel and Eric have actual personalities and it felt like they both actually fell in love with each other and it wasn’t just physical attraction and a forced romance in three days’ time. They have shared passions and a natural curiosity about lands and cultures unknown to them. Ariel’s undying love for learning about the human world is perfectly paralleled by Eric’s love of the sea. Eric even has a library full of items he’s collected from his voyages on the sea, mirroring Ariel’s grotto of human objects. Their passion and knowledge fully fleshes and rounds out each other’s characters in a way that makes it seem like these two were almost destined to be together. 

Flounder was adorable, as always, but the only thing that took me back a bit was his initial design. The animated Flounder was blue and yellow where the live action version of him was more white and black with some hues of yellow. He looked a bit sun bleached. I’m so glad they gave him a signing role in “Kiss the Girl”!! Sebastian and Scuttle were a power duo that was a hilarious comedic duo that stole every scene they were in. 

“Did you hear the scuttlebutt?? The gossip?? The buzz?? The who-said-what-who-does-that… the scuttlebutt!!” Although the reactions of the new added song, “Scuttlebutt”, are quite mixed amongst fans, I actually enjoyed the new addition. You could tell right away it was a Lin-Manuel [Miranda] song, the rap, obviously. But it was enjoyable in the moment and it quite catchy. Especially when Sebastian joined in. I must say, it was very Hamilton. 

The way Ariel tells Eric her name is so clever and adorable, using the Aries constellation. And Eric actually tells her, “Ariel. That’s a beautiful name. Written in the stars,” instead of “Ariel. Hey, that’s kind of pretty.” 

Vanessa!! She HAD to steal the show with the scenes she was in. Her actress and costumes were perfect. “Vanessa’s Trick” was chilling, as well as the crazed acting as she slowly turns back into Ursula at the end. Ariel and Vanessa’s catfight over the sea shell necklace was unexpected, but such a great, wild addition to the film. When Ariel turns back into a mermaid, the scene is just as jarring as the original, if not more so. 

While it is one of the best live action films Disney has released, there were some key things missing that would have only elevated the film were they included. The costumes were certainly lacking, giving Ariel one lackluster blue dress throughout the film. Her “Kiss the Girl” dress, pink gown, sparkling sea foam transformation dress, and wedding dress were all nonexistent in this adaptation. Speaking of the wedding dress, Vanessa and Eric’s wedding as well as Ariel and Eric’s wedding were not included. The finale that truly makes The Little Mermaid’s ending was also left out, instead being included as a somewhat underwhelming instrumental. Three beloved songs were also left out of this film, those being “Daughters of Triton,” “Les Poissons,” and Vanessa’s iconic song when she’s revealed to be Ursula. 

Overall, The Little Mermaid felt like the perfect balance of elements from the original Hans Christian Andersen tale, the 1989 animated version, and of course making the 2023 live action adaptation its own thing. I can’t help but stress that families should go see this. You’d regret not seeing it on the big screen. If you are a fan of the original as much as I am, it is impossible not to like this reimagined version. It makes you fall in love with the story all over again but this time improved beautifully while respecting the original. 

The Little Mermaid only in theaters now!!