Disney has had a mixed record with adapting their animated classics to live-action form. They succeeded with Cinderella, The Jungle Book and Beauty and the Beast. However, they slightly misfired with Aladdin, The Lion King and Dumbo. However, they’re back in the driver’s seat with their live-action version of The Little Mermaid.
I’m unsure if it was a justified remake, but it doesn’t ring completely hollow.
Of course, the story remains the same as the 1989 original: Ariel (Halle Bailey), a mermaid living under the sea (no pun intended), desires to live among humans, but her father, King Triton (Javier Bardem), discourages her from doing so because the humans killed Ariel’s mother. Ariel has her three oceanic companions to help keep her company in the meantime: the crab Sebastian (Daveed Diggs), the fish Flounder (Jacob Tremblay), and the seagull Scuttle (Awkwafina). They try to convince Ariel that life in the water is much safer than above, but Ariel is determined.
She gets her chance to meet one of the humans named Eric (Jonah Hauer-King), a prince and explorer who Ariel falls in love with after saving his life when his ship is caught in a storm. After Triton learns of what she’s done, he forbids her from ever coming in contact with a human again, but Ariel will have none of it.
Melissa McCarthy is Ursula, a sea witch, and King Triton’s sister. She overhears Ariel’s dilemma about wanting to go above the water and makes her a deal: Ariel has three days to find her true love and share a kiss to become human.
The movie stays true to the spirit of the animated original by featuring such songs as “Part of Your World,” “Under the Sea,” and “Kiss the Girl,” which are all delivered with a great deal of joy and energy from its cast. At the same time, some of the new numbers composed by Lin- Manuel Miranda are hit or miss. (Although “Scuttlebutt” performed by Awkwafina does have a goofy charm that works well with the character.)
Director Rob Marshall knows how to stage this remake in a way so that fans of the original will recognize it (perhaps a little too nostalgic for some tastes), but he also makes it seem fresh and alive with not only its cast but also its incredible visual style. The underwater sequences look mostly convincing, and a surprising number of threads help advance the plot without getting bogged down in too much extra narrative.
Bailey, as Ariel, has a true shining presence. She has a beautiful, lively voice for the musical numbers and just the right amount of allurement and investment necessary for this movie’s heroine. She employs so much emotion in every scene, but it’s just the right note.
Bardem, McCarthy, and even the voice cast are having a great time and not just going through the motions. They seem to inhabit their roles with what they require, be it menace, stoicism, or just plain nutty. They never overdo their performances and step over into farce but instead give these characters precisely what is expected.
I know many people might find this remake poor and unfortunate, but for me, The Little Mermaid is one instance where Disney knows what it’s doing and rarely stumbles.
Grade: B+
(Rated PG for action/peril and some scary images.)
