The Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid
Starring Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Melissa McCarthy, Javier Bardem
Directed by Rob Marshall
Living as a mermaid under the rule of her strict father King Triton (Javier Bardem), Ariel (Halle Bailey) is a free-spirited girl who enjoys collecting things from shipwrecks and other trinkets she finds along the ocean floor, all the while maintaining a whimsical desire to go to the surface and find out how humans live. Triton forbids it because he sees humanity as evil after one of them killed his wife, but Ariel feels that there's more to humanity than their wickedness. One night she witnesses a shipwreck and saves the young Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King), and her desire to be human only grows.
This draws the attention of Triton's estranged sister Ursula (Melissa McCarthy), who manipulates and tricks Ariel into giving up her siren voice so she can be human for three days. She offers her a deal: if she can find true love's kiss in the three days that she's human, she'll remain one forever - but if she doesn't, then she'll belong to Ursula forever. Ariel agrees and Ursula turns her into a human, but without a voice. With the help of her underwater friends Sebastian the crab (Daveed Diggs), Flouder the sergeant major fish (Jacob Tremblay), and Scuttle the dim-witted northern gannet (Awkwafina), Ariel connects with Prince Eric and learns more about the surface world, and the two begin to fall in love - until Ursula discovers this and hatches a plan to prevent the young lovers from coming together so she can keep Ariel to herself forever.
The Good:
There's major differences between the animated and live-action films that make "The Little Mermaid" more than just a lazy shot-for-shot remake. Instead of Ariel wanting to become human solely because she crushes hard on Prince Eric, she wants to become human so she can experience what its like being human, understanding their motives and ways of living, and exploring her own desires apart from just being a Prince's girlfriend. This gives Ariel a more independent feel that girls can relate to and that younger girls can admire, showing that they only need to rely and think for themselves instead of depending on what other people think of them.
Here, Ariel also has a wanderlust that's stronger than her animated counterpart. She collects stuff she finds, but also is quizzical about the surface world and often swims alongside ships to try and gain some sort of knowledge about living above the sea. This concerns her overly protective father, who forbids her from going to the surface because humans killed his wife (also something that was never addressed in the original), and even though Triton comes across as a mean father, it's really his way of looking out for his youngest daughter and make sure she stays safe.
In the same vein, Prince Eric gets his own backstory that's wholly original from the animated classic, which gives him more character depth than just a handsome prince looking for his princess. Here, like Ariel, he lives under the firm yet caring thumb of his family, who doesn't understand why he has a desire for the ocean, and much like Triton, Eric's mother wants to protect her son from the dangers of the other world. This connects Ariel and Eric on a deeper level than just surface attraction, as when Ariel finally arrives on the surface and is muted, she expresses her desire to know the things of the world and they share their same fascination for things they don't know.
This film is almost twice as long as the original, which allows room for more character development, more catchy songs, and more chances to fall in love with the classic all over again. All the major characters have more depth than the original, and Lin-Manuel Miranda offers his unique talent to the festivities by introducing three new songs that are as catchy and as endearing as the originals, and the film focuses more on independence and a quest for understanding as opposed to a young girl's flight of fancy. All of these make for a more entertaining, thought-provoking, and powerful film instead of just doing the cheap thing and re-making the classic shot-for-shot. This is due to the talents of Oscar-nominated director Rob Marshall who's no stranger to musicals, having directed the Best Picture Oscar winning film "Chicago" as well as "Into the Woods" and "Nine," proving that he has a knack for blending the orchestral and the dramatic performances with effortless ease.
Halle Bailey is a revelation, a young actress who is better known for being half of the singing duo Chloe x Halle with her sister Chloe, together earning five Grammy nominations. She had a recurring role on the hit series "Grown-ish," but "The Little Mermaid" is her first major breakout role. Suffice it to say she had major shoes to fill - not just that of Jodi Benson's original Ariel, but also proving to her numerous detractors who were angry that they cast an African American woman in the role of the white-skinned red-haired mermaid. That kind of scrutiny is overwhelming even for a seasoned adult actor, but putting that weight on an up-and-coming eighteen year old is more than most could bear - but Bailey soars to the occasion and lets her natural acting talent do the talking. She excels as Ariel, giving her a deeper connection to the audience and her singing voice is impeccable.
Melissa McCarthy also turns Ursula into something more than just an evil sea hag who wants Ariel's voice, but instead here she's the disgraced sister of King Triton, who sets out to destroy her brother's empire by taking that which he loves most - Ariel. She's cunning and conniving, but also hilarious and Marshall allows McCarthy's natural comedic timing to be infused with Ursula's darker side, making her another villain you can actively root for even as you're rooting against her.
Javier Bardem's King Triton also has more to lose than his animated counterpart, as the reason he forbids Ariel from going to the surface goes deeper than a prejudice against humans. Humans killed his wife - and Ariel's mother - and he worries that they'll do the same to her, which, as any father would attest, is ample reason to prevent their wayward daughter from exploring her imaginative ways. Daveed Diggs shines as the always obedient if not manic stressed Sebastian, while Awkwafina interjects her own unique brand of humor in the gender-swapped Scuttle, and even has a song where she and Diggs rap "The Scuttlebutt" perfectly. Even Jacob Tremblay turns a terrifying looking Flounder into a lovable sidekick for Ariel thanks to his natural vocal charisma.
While the underwater scenes are a bit choppy, the world above the sea is wonderful and full of lavish color and marvelous set designs, which speak again to Marshall's previous work as he directed "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" and gives the film a classic pirate feel.
The songs that audiences come to know and love return, and some have changed for the modern era in a good way (most notably "Kiss the Girl" where the verses that talk about kissing her without her giving vocal consent are gone). While "Under the Sea" is still better in the animated version, "Part of Your World" (which is one of my top favorite Disney songs ever) gets a massive upgrade thanks to Bailey's vocals, soaring higher than before and connecting on a deeper level. Melissa McCarthy - who didn't sing before this film - renders "Poor Unfortunate Souls" with crowd-pleasing aplomb. The new songs also shine, especially "The Scuttlebutt" that allows Awkwafina and Daveed Diggs' rap abilities chances to shine.
The Bad:
Some of the animation has a lot to be desired, especially the underwater scenes. They look artificial and studio-ready, especially in today's day-and-age where CGI is constantly criticized (and rightfully so). It doesn't feel like you're embarking on a wonderful under the sea adventure, but rather watching actors try to flounder around on wires against a green screen packed to the brim with computer generated oceanic animals and flora.
Speaking of CGI, while most people were outraged that they cast an African American woman as Ariel, the real crime is how they rendered Flounder from a lovable, cute, cuddly fish into a somewhat humanistic-looking abomination. In the words of the great Vito Corleone from "The Godfather" - "Look how they massacred my boy!"
The Verdict:
Despite Disney's track record for producing soulless cash grabs of their animated classics, "The Little Mermaid" rises above the waves and delivers a fresh take on the beloved children's classic filled with catchy songs, an updated story, and a star-making performance from Halle Bailey.
The Score: A
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