2023’s The Little Mermaid is the latest in Disney’s live-action adaptations of animated classics. Directed by Rob Marshall, the film stars Halle Bailey as the titular mermaid. It features most of the songs from the animation, with a few minor tweaks and a couple of original musical numbers added.
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Where can you watch The Little Mermaid in the UAE?
The Little Mermaid is currently showing in cinemas across the UAE, such as VOX Cinema and Reel Cinemas. It will probably be a while before the film hits Dinsey Plus in the UAE.
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The Little Mermaid review
- Great musical numbers
- Adds depth to the narrative
- Heartwarming story
- Fantastic performances from the cast
- The photorealistic animals fail to convey emotions.
What is The Little Mermaid about?
Based on a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, The Little Mermaid follows Ariel, the youngest of King Triton’s (Javier Bardem) daughters. Unlike her sisters, who are happy with their lives under the sea, Ariel is fascinated with the human world and wants to be a part of it, to her father’s dismay.
We first meet her exploring a shipwreck with her fish friend, Flounder (voiced by Jacob Tremblay), instead of attending an important meeting with the king and her six sisters, Karina (Kajsa Mohammar), Caspia (Nathalie Sorrell) Perla (Lorena Andrea), Indira (Simone Ashley), Mala (Karolina Conchet), and Tamika (Sienna King).
In this adaptation, King Triton has forbidden his daughters to ever go up to the surface because humans were responsible for the death of their mother. Unsurprisingly, a rebellious Ariel refuses to listen. When she does reach the surface during a storm, she ends up saving Prince Erik’s (Jonah Hauer-King) life.
Now madly in love with the prince, the young mermaid signs a deal in blood with her father’s evil sea witch sister, Ursula (Melissa McCarthy), for a chance to walk among the humans. In exchange for her beautiful voice, Ursula turns Ariel into a human. But there’s a catch – she only has three days to secure a true love’s kiss from Erik before she turns back into a mermaid and becomes Ursula’s property.
The photorealism fails again
For the past decade, Disney’s live-action adaptations of beloved classics have been hit or miss, but mostly miss. One element constantly criticized is the use of photorealistic animals to replace known animated characters. And yet, Disney keeps doing it.
The photorealism made 2019’s The Lion King look like a David Attenborough documentary, and it’s done the same thing for this year’s The Little Mermaid. Beloved characters like the educated crab, Sebastian (voiced by Daveed Diggs), the birdbrained Scuttle (Awkwafina), or the anxious fish, Flounder, look like they belong on the Discovery Channel, not a Disney fairy tale. While the voice actors are brilliant, the animals we see on screen fail to convey emotions, removing the magic that made the animated film a classic.
A charming fairy tale
While not flawless, The Little Mermaid does have its charm. Halle Bailey is fantastic as Ariel, while Melissa McCarthy’s portrayal of Ursula is iconic. Adding details to the narrative, such as making the sea witch and King Triton siblings, gives the story more depth.
Ariel and Erik’s romance is also a delight to watch, specifically seeing them bond over their shared interest in each other’s worlds. Like Ariel collects human objects from shipwrecks, Erik also has a room full of souvenirs from his travels.
It’s also hard to fault the musical numbers. The film features popular songs from the animation like Part of Your World and Kiss The Girl. Still, we also get some original music, including a hilarious rap number, The Scuttlebutt. Even Eric gets his own song and a more interesting backstory than his animated counterpart.
The Little Mermaid is probably one of the best of Disney’s mixed bag of live adaptations. It adds depth to the animation, and despite the controversy, the cast does a fine job of bringing well-known characters to life. This movie is worth watching on the big screen.
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The Little Mermaid – FAQs
Who is playing Ariel in The Little Mermaid 2023?
Actress Halle Bailey has been cast to play Ariel in the live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid. The 23-year-old Grammy winner is known for her successful music career and appearance in the Grown-ish sitcom.
Why is The Little Mermaid Rated PG?
The Motion Pictures Association quoted “action/peril, some scary images” as reasons for the PG rating.
