The Little Mermaid (2023) Review

"That's a beautiful name. Written in the stars,"

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

If I'm being honest, I am usually against live action remakes of animated classics. Animation is an art on it's own, and creating a live action version of this as a cash-grab is an insult to this brilliant and unique art form. As a child, my favourite Disney movie was The Little Mermaid (1989), so I was hoping this movie would be good and would do my childhood movie some justice. And it did.

This movie was everything a Disney movie should be: enjoyable. It remained as fun as the classic, while sticking to the original plot of the movie (with a few changes - apparently Ariel didn't remember she was supposed to get Eric to kiss her like she did in the original, but that didn't seem to influence the plot in any way and was an unnecessary addition if I'm being honest). It reused all the same amazing songs from the original, and Halle's voice was so magical it really captured the perfect essence of a Disney princess, while also adding some new songs to the movie - Prince Eric's 'Wild Uncharted Waters' is one of the best songs from a Disney remake I've heard in a long time.

The casting from this movie only improved the experience even more. Halle Bailey is the perfect Ariel. She really acts like princess, and sings like one too. She carried the role of Ariel with such excellence, and I don't think I'd want anyone else to play my favourite Disney princess now that I've seen how amazing she was. Her performance was improved through the chemistry between her and Jonah Hauer-King, who played Prince Eric. I found out after watching this movie that the first scene they filmed together was the scene involving the song 'Kiss The Girl'. The fact that Jonah was able to make Prince Eric seem to have fallen so deep in love with her on their very first scene together really demonstrates how strong the connection and chemistry is between the two actors. Not only was their performance together amazing, but Hauer-King really brought more character to Prince Eric than we were given in the first movie, making him more complex and therefore more likeable as a love interest. Furthermore, Melissa McCarthy was an excellent Ursula, carrying her character with the perfect mix of seductiveness and evilness that makes her one of the best Disney villains out there.

The movie overall was fun, and sometimes that's all you need. I will admit, some scenes seemed a bit more colourless and dull than a mermaid movie should be, but it was easy to look past. Rob Marshall really exceeded expectations with this one, and if there has to be more Disney remakes in the future, I know I would trust him to bring these beloved animated characters to life in the best way.