Disney’s attempt to reimagine their animated classics as live action adaptations has been a mixed bag. Some lend themselves better to live action and are due for an update and ‘The Little Mermaid’ fit that bill.
Halle Bailey is a brilliant casting choice for Ariel. Bailey embodies the spirit of the character. She has a beautiful voice, her face is expressive, and her mannerisms are animated- making her the perfect Ariel. One of the best way actors and actresses can adapt performances from animated films is to deliver livelier performances. Ultimately, Bailey is the soul of the film. Melissa McCarthy's portrayal of Ursula is also commendable.
The narrative and plot points are basically the same as the animated classic. The new additions fit to update and expand on the story and themes. The downside is not all the additions were lean and they excessively extended the runtime. The upside is the filmmakers were able to better flesh out the characters, particularly Eric. The filmmakers also discard the 'Les Poissons' song and sequences which was probably for the better.
‘The Little Mermaid’ is hit and miss when it comes to the special effects and action. The film bounces around from murky and incohesive underwater scenes to vibrant kinetic sequences. Luckily, the musical numbers primarily fell under the ‘vibrant kinetic’ category.
The music for ‘The Little Mermaid’ is really the highlight of the original and is translated well for the live action film. Director Rob Marshall, most notable for his best picture winning big screen adaptation of 'Chicago', shines during these theatrical moments. The new songs are admittedly hit or miss. One of them in particular screamed, in the best way, ‘Lin Manuel Miranda’, who is a producer as well as additional songwriter on this film.
‘The Little Mermaid’ is one of the more enjoyable Disney live-action reimaginings. Although the film is not without its issues, it is ultimately elevated by Halle Bailey’s breakout performance as the titular character.
MY STAR RATING 3.5/5 STARS
Be sure to visit the Brown Deer Public Library and check out other Disney Live Action reimaginings.
