The Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid

The youngest of King Triton’s daughters, and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea, and while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric. With mermaids forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, which gives her a chance to experience life on land, but ultimately places her life – and her father’s crown – in jeopardy.

  • Released: 2023-05-26
  • Runtime: 120 minutes
  • Genre: Adventure, Family, Fantasy
  • Stars: Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Awkwafina, Daveed Diggs, Jacob Tremblay, Melissa McCarthy, Javier Bardem, Emily Coates, Jude Akuwudike, Noma Dumezweni, Russell Balogh, Adrian Christopher, Jessica Alexander, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Art Malik, Jude Akuwudike, Russell Balogh, Adrian Christopher
  • Director:
 Comments
  • Quethinks - 17 June 2024
    A mediocre remake with a great performance.
    The Little Mermaid (2023), not to be confused with it animated counterpart, is a really long and boring movie. One big complaint I have is how lifeless this film feels with color being dull and not saturated or colorful and just seeming bland and the most color in the film, especially during the underwater segments, seems to have been the end credits, which was disappointing to say the least but that the problem I have with most Disney live action remakes just have lifeless and dull they are.

    The positives I do have is that Halle Bailey is great as Ariel and Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, who felt like they gave it their all. Another positives I have is that the cinematography can be beautiful at sometimes, with a lot of breathtaking shots on shore and in the scene mostly Ursula lair as well as Prince Eric's palace, but that where my positives end, unfortunately.

    The Little Mermaid is such a weird film to adapt into a Live Action remake because the sea creatures like flounder and Sebastian look cute and merchandisable in the original film, but in this they just look uncanny and are an eyesore to look at. I think I'll have nightmares when I go to bed tonight.

    Overall, The Little Mermaid palls in comparison to the original 1989 classic and, at times, can be unnerving to look at, with it feeling soulless and dull and, at the end of the day, feeling like a cash grab. Also, this film is pretty long, clocking in at 2 hours and 15 minutes, which, in my opinion, did not need to be that long. 2/5.
  • Honesticedragon69 - 27 March 2024
    Not An Abomination But Still Needs Work.....
    The Pros= To start us off I really love the Actress that played Arial as I feel that she is Not Only a Good Singer, but also an Excellent Actress as well. Which is why it's such a shame that every one recognizes her for only her musical abilities, while at the same time saying that she is a terrible actress I of course feel much deferent. The next thing that I like is that it is not exactually a one for one recreation of the Original Animated Film, let me explain Yes most of it is a One for One Recreation but with extra scenes. So, it's the Animated Film in Live Action with some Extra Scenes, but I guess I say the same thing about the other Live Action Disney Films. Hare's another Big Plus with a 2hr and 15min Runtime it is not only the Longest Live Action Disney 'Remake' so far at least to my knowledge. But I also never really notice it whenever I watch it a big reason for it is because it gave us time to see how Arial is adapting to the Surface World and at the same time having Legs.

    Unlike with the original animated movie it was really great to have gotten some kind of Backstory for Prince Eric and some what of an unintended reason why he is a Prince. I felt that was what the original film was missing on top of never really seeing his parents. Then I feel One Humongous Plus of this film is that Finally, Finally an Accurate Live Action Ursula The Sea Witch in Desing but on the flip side I feel that there is an Even Bigger Problem with that I'll explain that in the Cons. But as for now Sadly the only other Live Action Ursula The Sea Witch that I know of 'Once Upon A Time' a show that I'm Obsessed with by the way, anyways that Ursla The Sea Witch was nowhere near close to looking like the Ursla The Sea Witch in the animated film, whom she was supposed to be designed after. Even the Character Ragina Mills aka The Evil Queen Pretending to be Ursula The Sea Witch as part of a Trick was more accurate in design then her but as for the real Ursula The Sea Witch well you know?

    And don't even get me started on her Backstory and her relation to King Triton but that last part that I could give the show for as it is supposed to be an updated take on her character. As for if I like that Ursula The Sea Witch's design I don't know? I really don't? Anyways back to this and speaking of 'Once Upon A Time' Comparisons I really don't know which Arial I like Better as unlike with Ursula The Sea Witch the Once A Upon A Time's Arial was really Accurate to the original animated movie to which she was supposed to be designed after. Then finally even though some of the musical scenes was not really necessary but I still enjoyed watching those scenes non the less, all but two I'll explain them in my Cons too. That should do it unless forgetting anything else.

    The Bad= We are going to start with what I Personally is the Biggest draw back to this film so much so I'm going have to divide it in to multipole parts, yeah it's that big. Starting with it's just too bad that All and I mean All of the Ursula The Sea Witch Scenes are Best Viewed with All and I mean All of the Lights Out. As the more lights that you have the Less that you could see that's how Dark all of her Scenes Are in Contrast. So those of us that prefer to watch this movie with the lights on and or during the Day in an Attempt to Preserve our Eyes Sight we are Out Of Luck when it comes to her scenes. I think the only scenes that you could see was her in the disguise of Vanessa her human form, and even then it was for the Wedding Scene Just Before she Transformed back in to her True form and the Party scene and that's only because there was more then enough daylight to see her.

    But Regardless you could barley see her in her final form for the big Climax of the film with or with out lights. I feel all that only thing that you could see was the waves rising and a little bit of Ursula The Sea Witch in her Kraken Mega Sized form using the Triton to stir up the Sea, and that was because the Triton itself was Glowing. But even then you could Barly and I mean just Barly make it out as I have already said, but regardless you can't even make you Arial or Prince Eric. In fact the only time that I could clearly see Ursula The Sea Witch the Best was in Still Images, and even then I can't find on in her Super Sized Kraken form believe me I've tried to no avail.

    Then next is that there's just something about the CGI on Ursula The Sea Witch that feels I don't know Cheap and a little bit like a Cut Scene from a Video Game. It's just something Artificial about her specially when it comes to the face area from whatever little that I could make out of Ursula The Sea Witch. In fact I would say that Ursula's The Sea Witch's design is comparable to Cheetah's Final Form from Wonder Woman 84, yeah I went there. Her design is that bad. Next moving on to the 'Unfortunate Souls' number one of my all-time favorite Disney Villain Songs ever, all though I don't have any problems with the song itself it's just that I feel that it needs that umph at the end, oh sure they tried but I felt like it was barley noticeable.

    What I'm talking about is that Epic Laud Malady at the end of the number after when Ursula The Sea Witch was successful at magically ripping Arial's Voice out of her throat, before it transition to that Sombre Melody just as she was being helped to the surface and to safety by Sebastian and Flounder just like in the Original Animated Movie. Not Only that but also feel that the lyrics where rushed a little it was like they needed to quickly get through it as if that song was taking up preciouses movie time, but at least I still enjoyed it a little at least there's that, but still not as good as the original one (Duh).

    Then moving on to Melissa McCarthy I feel that she is doing it like she always does in all of her movies which includes her own show Mike & Molly. As I just don't buy her performance as Ursula The Sea Witch there is just some thing stale about it I feel like I wasn't getting enough emotion from her half the time. Especially when she's not Screaming her Head Off or Acting Like a Psycho. Which brings me to my next point this Ursula The Sea Witch feels all over the place, most noticeably in the scene where she is Frantically gathering ingredients to make herself human.

    To cape off the Ursula The Sea Witch part of my review unlike with her animated counter part Melissa McCarthy's Version just come off as Blood Thirsty or Deranged, she doesn't even come off as Seductive. In fact she just feels tame compare to her animated counterpart in fact every time that she is trying to be Blood Thirsty or Deranged or even Seductive she just comes off as some one who is trying too hard. It's just too bad because it was because of Ursula that my Overall Score for the film it is what it is, instead of a 7 or even an 8 like it probably should be. Not only that Ursula The Sea Witch is one of my all time favorite Disney Villains.

    The Rest are kind of forgivable but still pretty bad but not as bad as Ursula, first is that the so-called Scuttle 'Song', I found that it felt less 'song' and more Scuttle Bug being Annoyingly Hyper, even though I don't have anything too big against Scuttle. In fact I think Awkwafina did a wonderful job at Voicing Scuttle, it's just her Scuttle Bug song that I don't like. Speaking of new songs, I don't know is it just me or was Jonah Hauer-King who plays Prince Eric is a Terrible singer? As when it came to his solo song, I just feel that he was deliberately or instructed to sing badly for some reason, as every time that I watch that scene I always wanted to Howel like a Wolf as a sign that person is a terrible singer.

    Moving on then the next is King Triton unlike with his animated movie counter part I feel that this King Triton was over protective. To the point of where he's more "I forbid you going to the surface! Don't You Dare Think Of Arguing with me!!!! Just because!!!" type as to oppose to his animated movie counter part where it's more like "Stay away from the Surface understand, look Arial I'm just trying to keep you safe. Please just obey me." And this Triton didn't seem to feel any Regrets when he Destroyed that Stature of Prince Eric. Unlike with his animated movie counterpart you could tell that King Triton almost Regrated it right away.

    Which takes me to the End of the Film I feel that this King Triton is so reluctant to let Give Arial Legs and let her go to live on the Surface. That it comes off more as "Oh do I have to fine I'll give Arial Legs and live on the Surface." Verses his animated movie counterpart where it comes more like "What the Heck if Arial wants to Live on the Surface I mind as well Give her Legs and besides it's what she wants, even if it isn't what I want." The perfect Analogy of that is that this King Triton is the kind of Father that wouldn't Think Twice of Locking His Daughter Up just so that she wouldn't move away and go to Collage. While the Animated King Triton he is the type of Father that Yes may not want his Daughter to move away and go to Collage, but he wouldn't stop her either in fact he'll probably wish his Daughter Luck and Stay Safe while at Collage. See the big deference?

    Now we get to the Under The Sea song I feel that with Arial enjoying the song feels off as unlike in the animated movie. This Arial doesn't feel like she's all that interested in what Sebastian has to say as she was constantly trying to getaway, case and point at the end of the song number she swam away all by her own accord. Where as in the animated version Flounder whispered something in her ear before swimming away and we could speculate that Flounder was simply whispering "Let's get out of hare." But back to this film for some reason as a viewer I'm just not getting that Caribbean Feeling when I'm listening to this version of Under The Sea even thou they are virtually the exact same song.

    Now we get to the Ending of the Film aside fr.