The Little Mermaid is a noble entry into the lineup of live-action remakes, and it ultimately surfaces as one of the stronger ones.

Nearly 35 years after the release of the original animated film, Disney’s The Little Mermaid returns to the big screen as the studio’s latest live-action remake. The story remains about the same as one familiar with the 1989 animated film could expect. Ariel (Halle Bailey) is a young mermaid, who lives in an oceanic kingdom ruled by her father, King Triton (Javier Bardem). Ariel dreams of exploring the human world, constantly exploring shipwrecks and even the surface above. When Ariel witnesses a shipwreck happen in real time, she pulls the charming Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King) from the wreckage, saving his life and instantly falling in love.

Determined to be reunited with her human love, Ariel seeks the help (or mayhem) of notorious sea witch, Ursula (Melissa McCarthy), who makes a deal with the desperate mermaid. Ursula will give Ariel the ability to live as a human for three days, and if she is able to get Prince Eric to kiss her in that time, she will remain a human forever. However, if she fails, she will be kept captive by the sea witch. The caveat: she must give up her voice, making it impossible for her to let Eric know that she is the voice behind the siren call he was entranced in. With the help of her friends Sebastian, Flounder, and Scuttle (Daveed Diggs, Jacob Tremblay, and Awkwafina, respectively), Ariel must race against time to win her voice back. 

The Little Mermaid is far from the first attempt by Disney to update a classic story. Over the years, Disney has cranked out an array of live-action remakes of their greatest hits that have ranged from a shot-for-shot remake of the original to a film that almost feels completely new. The Little Mermaid falls gracefully somewhere in between. While the main skeleton of the original animated film remains, there are just enough updates to the story to keep things fresh. Most notably, Prince Eric is given a stronger arc in this film, a departure from the pretty much nonexistent arc given to his animated counterpoint. 

However, the performances are what sell the film. Halle Bailey makes a splash (no pun intended) as the titular character, giving Ariel a level of depth and earnestness that even the most die-hard of fans of the original may not be used to. Her chemistry with Jonah Hauer-King is palpable, giving the audience a chance to truly root for Ariel and Eric to fall in love, and not just for the purposes of breaking Ursula’s spell. Melissa McCarthy is obviously having a blast as Ursula, serving justice to the late Pat Carrol, who voiced the sea witch in the animated film. However, Daveed Diggs is the true standout of the film, balancing the perfect blend of paying homage to Samuel E. Wright’s iconic original performance as Sebastian, while still providing his own take on the role. 

However, the lacking visuals ultimately hurt the film. The locations fluctuate between land and sea, with the sea scenes taking place in a world that is clearly CGI. In what feels like an episode of H20 in some places, the animation comes across as cheap and unfinished, which is particularly disappointing in scenes such as the “Under the Sea” and “Kiss the Girl,” a stark contrast to the beautiful animation of the original. While the top-notch performances in the film save it, the almost off-putting animated world does it a lot of harm. Well, that and “Scuttlebutt” (sorry, Lin, we’ll always have “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.”)

That said, The Little Mermaid is a noble entry into the lineup of live action remakes, and it ultimately surfaces as one of the stronger ones. Halle Bailey’s gorgeous performance is reason enough to validate a watch, and the nostalgia factor will likely have you humming Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s iconic score for days to come. 

Grade: B-

Oscar Prospects:
Likely: None
Should be Considered: None

Where to Watch: In Theaters