[Review] The Little Mermaid (5.5/10)

 

Title - The Little Mermaid
Production - Walt Disney Pictures, Lucamar Productions, Marc Platt Productions
Starring - Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Melissa McCarthy, Javier Bardem, Noma Dumezweni, Art Malik, Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay, Jessica Alexander
Writer - David Magee
Director - Rob Marshall
Release - 26 May 2023

After seeing The Little Mermaid, I believe there are just some movies that has to either be adapted more, or stay animation. This is definitely one of them.

First off, Halle Bailey's singing was the best part about the movie. She hit those notes like the siren that her character was rumoured to be. On the acting front, though, she was sorely lacking. And here's also the proof that for a musical, acting capability still comes first and singing second. While she looks great as Ariel, and I bought into her in the role fairly early on; when more acting was needed and not just looking forlorn, she just could not deliver.

Put into contrast, when Ursulla went into disguise, an unknown - Jessica Alexander - took over as a mermaid turned human. And in that two or three-minute screentime she was given, she not only looked the part but was very memorable because her acting was actually good.

Jonah Hauer-King was adequate, but no real charisma. His singing sounded more like just screaming the whole time.

Melissa McCarthy and Javier Bardem were both good, no less than what's expected. But the underwater CGI, and because we live in a post-Avatar: The Way Of Water world, was very distracting and did the actors no justice. Especially the movement of their hair, they were bad. And I don't know why when Bardem came above the water his make up looked horrendous. 

The CGI during the song "Under The Sea" also looked very subpar. 

But the voices by David Diggs, Awkwafina and Jacob Tremblay were great. And Lin-Manuel Miranda's new rap tune for Diggs and Awkwafina was great.

But when talking about adapting more, I'm referring to the final battle. It's weird to see Ursulla increase in size physically. And it's weird to see Triton die and get brought back to life just like that. In a live-action world, there needs to be more realism even when in a fantasy. 

Also at the end of it all, it was a very strange sight to see mer-people all over while the humans looked like it was just another Tuesday for them, when no one has ever seen an underwater person before that day.

The only thing to take away from this live-action adaptation is the classic songs being covered by a great vocalist.