The Little Mermaid Review!

The Little Mermaid is a magical film featuring Halle Bailey and entertaining adaptation of the Disney classic! The movie is directed by Rob Marshall and also directed Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) which also featured a mermaid, Syrena. The adaptation was written by David McGee who also worked on Mary Poppins Returns (2018) with Marshall. The live action film is based on the 1989 animated film co-directed and co-written by Ron Clements and John Musker. In turn, the original story was by Hans Christian Anderson’s 1837 story. It begins with a quote from Anderson’s The Little Mermaid (1837) that sets the dramatic tone. 

We see waves thrashing until there is a sailing ship with sailors throwing harpoons to kill what they think is a mermaid! Eric (Jonah Hauer-King) is on the mast helping to secure the sail and sees the sailors. King played Mo in the comedy series, The Flatshare. He swings down and stops them. The sailors warn Eric that King Triton gathers his daughters during the Coral Moon, the night moon looks reddish which would be a lunar eclipse. Eric tells them to wait and it is seen that dolphins are following the ship. The character of the prince is more caring of the rivalry between the kingdom and merpeople. This is the Romeo and Juliet situation that is central to the story. 

Sir Grimsby (Art Malik) joins him to note his birthday. Malik was in the sci fi series, The Man Who Fell to Earth. His part has been expanded from servant to prime minister. Plus, his character goes a step past the dry, worried person to an ally. Eric is checking out his telescope when Grimsby tells him to be careful. A wave almost topples Grimsby overboard, Eric catches him, but this sends the telescope into the ocean. We follow the telescope down past sea life until it falls to the seafloor. We see a hint of a mermaid, but the first one to swim past is Mala (Karolina Conchet) who is joined by her other sisters. 

It is the Gathering of the Coral Moon. Then, we have the impressive appearance of King Triton (Javier Bardem), the dramatic actor also has upcoming Dune: Part Two. His Triton is over protective of his youngest daughter and the reason behind it is explained. All of his seven daughters are there; Perla (Lorena Andrea), Indira (Simone Ashley), Tamika (Sienna King), Karina (Kasja Mohammar), and Caspia (Nathalie Sorrell). I do like the diversity and different looks of the mermaids. 

The only one who is missing is Ariel. Triton sends them to look for her and summons his major domo, the crab Sebastian voiced by Daveed Diggs. The actor created and stars in the comedy show, Blindspotting. Sebastian has many of the funny scenes in the movie. Ariel, played by Halle Bailey, has found the telescope accompanied by her angelfish friend, Flounder (voiced by Jacob Tremblay). Bailey was part of the duo, Chloe x Halle, and she starred as Sky Forster in Grown-ish. Her singing is perfect and also her portrayal of Ariel as headstrong, clever, and leading with her heart. 

Tremblay voiced Elmer Elevator in the animated film, My Father’s Dragon (2022). Ariel spots something in a shipwreck and swims over it. There are some particles in the water which adds to the illusion of underwater photography with the dry for wet filming; using rigs and CGi to replicate the underwater world. She picks up a fork and says it is the “smallest trident” she’s ever seen. A shark bursts into the ship, and even familiar with the cartoon, there is some tension with the shark nearly biting Ariel’s tail fin! She is able to defeat the shark though a very clever ploy. 

Later, Scuttle is startled by the gannet, diving bird, Scuttle (Awkwafina). The diving bird underwater makes more sense than a seagull. Awkwafina voiced Sisu in the animated Raya and the last Dragon (2021). Scuttle explains that Ariel’s new finding is a hair-styling "dinglehopper." Sebastian has found Ariel and reminds her of the Gathering. She swims away, but is seen from a dark cave by the glowing eyes of two eels; Flotsam and Jetsam (no voices). This is shown to the Ursula (Melissa McCarthy) with her large, octopus body, she is sister to Triton. The suckers on her tentacles have a bio-lumiescent glow that gives Ursula a nightclub light. 

She says, “I finally found Triton’s weakness.” Ariel meets with her father and Triton notes she has the same interest in the humans as her mother. He strongly forbids her to return to the Above World which is the rule he put in place after the death of Ariel's mother. She leaves and Triton has Sebastian follow her. Ariel swims to her hidden grotto with Flounder. Then, we have Halle Bailey’s singing of “Part of Your World”, the first song and she brings out all of the hope, longing, and sadness of the Little Mermaid. It is great to hear the classic Howard Ashman lyrics and Alan Menken has not merely added to his score, there is a richness added to the film's tone. 

She sees the bursts of light and swims up to the surface! Eric’s sheepdog, Max, sees Ariel, but Eric takes him away. Fireworks explode as the ship celebrates Eric’s birthday through “Fathoms Below.” Ariel slips into a boat lashed to the side of the ship to watch them. Eric sings along with the sailors about the merpeople. There is a statue of Eric as a gift. Grimsby takes him aside and explains that the king and queen took him in, adopted after a storm! Still, he feels isolated in the castle like Ariel in her world. 

A storm starts to appear, Eric warns the others, he takes hold of the steering wheel to try to avoid a rocky island! Ariel has swum away to a distance and watches Eric. The ship crashes against the rocks, it is set on fire by the cargo, and Eric calls for everyone to abandon ship. The statue falls over the side of the ship. The sailors leap into the sea and climb aboard the boats. Max is trapped on the quarter deck and Eric braves the flames to rescue him. Ariel sees his kindness towards others, not just humans. Grimsby calls Max over to his boat and Ariel gives the dog an assist underwater. Eric is about to leap overboard, but a wave throws him back and into the water! He starts to drop into the dark of the sea, but pulled up to the surface by Ariel!

In the morning, Ariel has taken Eric to the beach, she sings the “Part of Your World” reprise, now a love song. Scuttle joins Sebastian on a rock and they watch. The sunlight falls on Eric’s eyes and he blurrily sees Ariel. Guards rush down from the castle with torches. Ariel has slipped away as they take Eric back to the castle. Sebastian goes to Ariel’s grotto and finds her admiring the statue of Eric missing an arm. Sebastian finds Ariel and consoles her with “Under the Sea.” This starts as a conversation with Sebastian telling her about the wonders. 

Then, Ariel joins the upbeat song along with dolphins, rays, and jellyfish which is spectacular with dance elements provided by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater! Still, Ariel leaves unnoticed by Sebastian. At the castle, Queen Selina (Noma Dumezweni) is talking with Grimsby about the other shipwrecks. Dumezweni was in Mary Poppins Returns as Miss Penny Parthing. She is strict and protective of her son, a parallel to Triton. Eric has sent out search parties to find the mysterious girl. He explains to his mother that he is reaching out to other cultures. Eric leaves, walking along the shoreline, and then sings “Wild Uncharted Waters.” The additional songs feature lyrics by Lin Manuel Miranda, who played Jack in Mary Poppins Returns. 

Ariel is singing while her sisters are working to salvage the shipwreck. It has damaged the coral which will take a thousand years to recover. Triton appears and is again angry at the humans. Ariel leaves and her sisters hint that she is in love. At Triton’s throne, Sebastian is brought by a guard, he tries to reassure himself. Once Triton has him in his palm, Sebastian blurts out that Ariel has fallen in love with a human! At Ariel’s Grotto, she finds her father, who angrily tells her, “They killed your mother!” Ariel says that one human killed her. Triton rages, uses his trident to blast parts of her cave, and finally Eric’s statue! His anger would also be lethal to humans. He leaves and Ariel holds the statue’s hand. 

She sends Sebastian and Flounder away and then is seen by Flotsam and Jetsam who form a circle. Ursula speaks to her and brings up that she will be under Triton’s rules. Ariel swims away with the eels followed by Flounder and Sebastian. They take her down to the abyss with volcanic vents and Ursula’s lair, the entrance is a skeleton of a prehistoric Mosasaurus. It is the same beast that it is in Jurassic World (2015). Ursula makes her bargain, the potion that will transform Ariel into a human with “Poor Unfortunate Souls”, McCarthy’s villainy is mixed with funny moments. Ariel doesn't trust the Sea Witch since she had started the trouble between humans and merpeople. This implies that she started the conflict that ended the life of Ariel's mother. 

Besides her voice, Ariel has to sacrifice one of her scales! This is watched by Sebastian and Flounder. Ariel sings and her voice is trapped in Ursula’s necklace. As she swims to the surface for air, Ursula notes that Ariel will also lose her memory of the kiss needed to keep Ariel from her! In the dawn, Ariel takes her first human breath, a beautiful image. Sebastian and Flounder guide her to shore, but she is captured in the net of a fisherman. The fisherman seems to have been a role that would have been great for the voice of Sebastian, Samuel E. Wright, who unfortunately died in 2021. He later takes her to the castle, on the ride we have the song, “For the First Time”, Ariel’s thoughts about finally being in the Above World. 

The fisherman gives her over to the care of Lashana (Martina Laird) and Rosa (Emily Coates). Laird is in the British comedy series, Dreamland. She is washed up and given a light blue dress. There is a scene in the dark where Ariel sings her expectation, but Eric arrives and thinks she can’t be the same girl without a voice! Sebastian finally crawls up to the balcony and offers to help her knowing she forgets about the kiss! Ariel slips away and finds a library that looks similar to her grotto. Eric finds her there and gives her a jade mermaid, his “little mermaid.” I love the connection between the two visually and character wise. The Little Mermaid is a wondrous live action adaptation featuring Halle Bailey and a strong cast, adding new dimension to the story, and great music! 

Five Jade Mermaids out of Five! 

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