I finally got the chance to see the new live action Little Mermaid Movie! A few people have asked for my thoughts so I just went ahead and wrote a whole review.
The movie is overall very well done and I loved it! Let’s get into it!
Going in:
I was skeptical about the CGI mermaid tails and Sebastian looked kind of creepy in the trailer. I didn’t want to know anything going in but tiktok ruined that for me so I did have some spoilers.
Ariel’s sisters:
Originally Triton had 7 daughters one for each of the 7 seas and I like that they took that a step further and each daughter lived in a different sea as an extension of the crown. I don’t like that they changed the names of the daughters and didn’t have the daughters of triton song. It’s a very catchy and fun song.
Sebastian:
When I first saw him in the trailer it was a bit of a jump scare but he did fit into the movie well and it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I liked him overall.
The shark scene:
Scary sharks make good movies but scary movie sharks make kids afraid of real life sharks. I wish they had left this scene out. Sharks are in need of protection and conservation and when I teach kids about how sharks are misunderstood and very important for our oceans they usually bring up this scene. I have to explain that while the movie is based on the true story of princess Ariel not everything in movies is accurate. I explain that they added this scene to the movie to make it more dramatic even though it never happened. Sharks only kill 10-12 people worldwide per year but are made out to be vicious man eaters.
When Ariel goes to the surface for the first time:
Ariel has always been fascinated by the human world and when her hand breaks the surface for the first time there is tension and there is excitement and you almost feel it with her. It’s beautifully done. Ariel immediately relates to Eric overhearing him talk about how his life is already planned for him and it’s not what he wants. They are from 2 completely different worlds but are the same.
Went back for the dog!
Ariel loves animals and seeing herself reflected in this strange human man more and more just strengthens her belief that the world above isn’t that bad and she wants to experience it.
Under the sea:
Beautifully done it was absolutely stunning with all the sea creatures. I was pointing out the sea hares and the brittle stars to my husband which I’m sure he found very entertaining. This is probably the the hardest scene and they pulled it off.
Wild uncharted waters:
Prince Eric is very much giving Moana vibes. You need to leave and explore to help your island but the queen is afraid of losing him in a shipwreck.
Ocean conservation:
Coral damage caused by humans is mentioned and the reason king triton hates all humans isn’t just a personal vendetta because a human killed Ariel’s mom (which did happen) it’s that humans are the “Most dangerous species of all” which is true and I’m glad they added that in there. Humans do destroy the oceans and more people need to be made aware of their harmful effects on the planet.
Ursula:
Ariel: “The sea witch?” Ursula: “The what?” 😂 Ursula’s liar is really cool and creepy but for a deep sea trench with skeletons and bioluminescence it’s in very shallow water. In some shots it looks like 50 feet and in some it looks like 20 feet max. Either way that’s not a deep sea trench.
Ursula bioluminescence is really cool and I like that they added that. Poor unfortunate souls was well done and Melissa McCarthy did a good job as Ursula. She made up for the lack of vocal experience and training by adding more character to the song (which is a trick for theatre. Add more acting to cover up vocal hiccups or notes you can’t reach)
I love how when you pull off a scale it bleeds. When I perform as a mermaid kids are often confused when I say I have scaley skin and the scales on my tail are part of my body maybe they can think back to this and they will understand better.
“Look at her stupid little feet “ 😂
Adding something to the spell so she won’t remember needing the kiss seemed unnecessary to add since Ursula cheats by tipping her boat over and by turning into Vanessa.
For the first time
This song is so cute it’s a nice way to show how strange being on land is for the first time but condense it. Being caught in a net and taken to the castle is a good way of getting her to land and getting her clothed. It was all very well thought out and intentional. Filling gaps in the animation in order to make it make sense for live action. This song kind of pulled from the Broadway version where she is singing and we hear it but it’s actually her inner dialogue.
Scuttle:
Scuttle is very funny and while I thought I would find her annoying I found her cute.
Trading her voice for a man?
People like to say that Ariel gave up everything for a man but in this movie they made sure to elaborate the fact that Ariel wanted to be on land and wanted to know what the human world was like even before she met Eric. Meeting a human she saw so much of herself reflected in and rescuing Eric was just the event that made her decide to finally act. sitting with a human on the shore being so close to something she had always dreamed of is what made her determined to finally get to land not meeting a man. Eric explores and has a treasure grotto too they do so many things to show that Ariel sees herself in him and that they truly are soulmates which I like.
A couple other notes:
Jodi benson cameo!
In case you missed her, the original voice of the animated Ariel makes an appearance in the market. She is the one that gives Ariel the fork (dinglehopper)
This movie is long! over 2 hours and there were a couple younger kids who got bored and were running around the theater. I feel like this was more for the adults who saw the original movie as kid.
Only 1 outfit! Even her wedding outfit was the SAME just a different color! What?! The same dress for 3 days straight and no pink ballgown come on people.
There was no dinner scene the only thing we saw her eat on land was soap and a flower. No chef Louis!
Part of your world reprise is soooo emotional! I loved it so much!
We love a Happy ending! I loved seeing them go off into adventure together! King triton isn’t actually a bad/mean guy he is just trying to do what’s best for his kingdom and his family and he loves Ariel so much. seeing 2 worlds come together and seeing Merfolk and humans just on the beach together sending off the royal couple after their wedding was so nice.
Halle Bailey:
She’s the perfect Ariel. The Emotion in her voice, her voice is like a literally angel. The way she portrays the innocence, wonder, and sense of adventure that Ariel has is absolutely perfect. They could not have picked a better Ariel. Her casting and this movie overall opens doors for merpeople of all races and gender identities. Merfolk are just as diverse as humans but have mostly been portrayed as the white cartoon style mermaid. This is the first big mermaid film that shows Merfolk of varying races and genders and that is a HUGE step forward.
The top:
I love a good scale top but that weird ruffle growing out of her chest drive me nuts! It was a bad choice.
The tails:
We all know how I feel about CGI mermaid tails 😖 but in this situation it was soooo well done. The movement, the close up, the scales, the shimmery scales on her skin, it was all as perfect as CGI mermaids can get. BUT! It did not translate to the on land scenes. The beach scene is filmed with an actual tail costume you can see the fabric going up and down on the waves in this scene. They of course enhanced it with CGI but I’m not a fan of their choice to use only sequins and fabric. Imagine how a JMB FX Studio tail would have looked flopping out of that dress on the castle balcony or laid out on the sand next to Eric instead of what they had. The ending scene with the merpeople on the beach looked like bad photoshop. They desperately needed some real practical tails for at least that scene. I’m the movie “Bedtime Stories” they created a full handmade silicone tail cast in a 2 part mold from 1 giant sculpture which cost around $20,000+ and it was worn by the actress on screen for less than a minute. So they could and SHOULD have put them in real practical tails for the land scenes.
Overall I loved this movie and I can’t wait to talk about it with the kids at mermaid meet and greets!
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