Disney’s live action The Little Mermaid is expected to create both critical and audience buzz in 2024, touching the nerves of the fans. Put together by Rob Marshall, this movie features a live-action retelling of the iconic 1989 animation that reminds one of Disney’s old work but tries to squeeze it into new generations’ lives while keeping it rather close to the original. This is a modern retake of the movie; it features a completely new cast, including Halle Bailey as Ariel, Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, and Melissa McCarthy as Ursula. This is set against an incredibly beautiful underwater environment with top-of-the-line CGI.
The biggest debate surrounding this film has centred on the performance of Halle Bailey as Ariel. It’s Bailey because her casting was publicised; acting as the beloved character has since become the centre of praise and backlash. Fans and critics alike have heaped glorious praise upon phenomenal vocals, specifically in the cover of “Part of Your World,” many described as at once nostalgic and refreshingly soulful. Ariel is far more deliberate and self-assertive in this adaptation than she is in the one included with Bailey’s publication. The character’s storyline revolves so much more around her personal agency and ambitions than around some doomed infatuation with Prince Eric.
Special effects have also received a mixed response. There are those who commend the film because it features the most incredible, very lushly coloured underwater landscapes and well-designed creatures, and there are others who believe that certain uses of CGI are rather overused or awkward. Actually, one of the most controversies among fans happened with Flounder, the fish companion of Ariel, said to appear more realistic in comparison to the more cartoonish and less subtle characters from the original animation.
Then there was Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, the sea witch, a case of “love it or hate it.” The public was divided between those who adored how witty she was and how over-the-top her personality was, and those who thought that her interpretation was saccharine and lacked an element of the darkness that made the villainous Ursula so unforgettable in the original animated version. Yet McCarthy’s take on “Poor Unfortunate Souls” has drawn kudos even from her harshest critics.
Like most live-action Disney remakes, some will draw inevitable comparisons to the original. Hardcore long-time fans of the 1989 film were probably a little disheartened about where the live-action adaptation didn’t quite have the same sparkle as the original, particularly where changes to the key storyline and songs happened. But for the less devoted, the live-action The Little Mermaid is exciting to see because it really does make the story feel heartwarming.
Still, Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid has helped reopen new interest in the fairytale. With a bright cast, colourful musical numbers, and beautiful visualisations of underwater scenes, it’s generated some very strong box office numbers, propping up talking points over debate for the Disney live-action adaptations.
