The Little Mermaid

Disney splashes into unknown waters by making a watchable remake of a princess movie

Halle Bailey discusses the Scuttlebutt with her pals in Rob Marshall's remake of Disney's The Little Mermaid.

Fathoms below the surface of the ocean is a thriving mermaid world. King Triton (Javier Bardem) rules over his subjects with one simple guideline — don’t interact with humans. It’s an easy enough rule to follow. Most merfolk view the humans as polluters and killers, who overfish their seas and attempt to slay anything they don’t understand.

There’s only one problem with Triton’s decree: His youngest daughter Ariel (Halle Bailey) is obsessed with human culture. She investigates shipwrecks, chats with seabird Scuttle (Awkwafina) about the relics she finds, and believes that there can be peace between her kingdom and the human world. Triton is less sure of this. Humans killed Ariel’s mother and he wants them to stay out of his waters. Whenever his daughter broaches the subject of humanity, he shuts her down.

So, like most teenagers forbidden from doing something, Ariel immediately disobeys her dad and swims up to the surface. There, she observes a human party and even spots a cute boy, Eric (Jonah Hauer-King). When a storm sinks the ship, Ariel chooses to save Eric and develops quite the crush.

When her father refuses to listen to her, Ariel does something desperate: She finds the sea witch Ursula (Melissa McCarthy) and strikes a bargain. Ursula will make Ariel human for three days. During that time, Ariel and Eric must exchange true love’s kiss, or Ariel reverts to her mermaid body and becomes the property of the nefarious sea witch. Oh, and one other small caveat: Ariel must do all this without her siren’s song voice.

It’s not a fair deal, but teens with overly strict parents don’t always make great decisions…

Can Ariel win her freedom and Eric’s heart? Is life better under the sea? Can Disney remake one of their Renaissance classics without ruining it?

Thirty-four years ago, Disney’s The Little Mermaid inspired a generation of millennials to give themselves chronic neck issues by trying to flip out the water with their hair streaming in a resplendent arc. The new Disney live-action remake of The Little Mermaid preserves that scene so new generations can know the pain of whiplash, but they’ve also done something interesting: Updated the story in ways that make sense for a new era while preserving the magic of the original.

Granted the bar for these live-action remakes is subterranean. Most are cynical cash grabs that rake in the money while offering nothing new or interesting. And while The Little Mermaid is far from a perfect film, it’s closer in spirit to the remakes of Pete’s Dragon and The Jungle Book than the dismal Beauty and the Beast or the lifeless Lion King remakes. It’s clear that writer David Magee took pains when adapting the story to flesh out some of the characters and beef up the central relationships instead of just responding to complaints from fans on a Reddit thread.

Now, Ariel isn’t just some starstruck teen. She’s an anthropology nerd who really loves human culture. And Eric, rather than being essentially a Ken Doll for Ariel to moon over, is a huge anthropology nerd as well, pouring over his love of sea creature lore. Watching the two of them play with artifacts and study maps together gives the duo a sense of commonality that goes beyond the surface. These are two people who feel trapped by overbearing royal parents and share a deep interest in learning about the worlds around them.

I am sorry to report that we lose one song (Les Poissons) from the original, but we gain three with lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and music from original Little Mermaid composer Alan Menken. Nothing stands out as a stone-cold classic, but two of the songs help flesh out Eric and Ariel, while goofy the rap song will be something little ones will memorize and torture their parents with. You thought Bruno was bad? Wait until you hear about the Scuttlebutt…

And while the care taken with the additional songs and the script changes make this remake notable, the real reason to buy a ticket is the titular mermaid. Bailey, who has weathered some truly disgusting racist attacks after her casting as Ariel, is an absolute movie star. The moment she enters frame, it’s impossible to take your eyes off her. She’s got a natural, likable screen presence and a voice that will give you chills. Bailey also finds a way to distinguish her vocal performance from Disney’s original Ariel, Jodi Benson (keep an eye out for her when Ariel visits the marketplace). The new take on the classic songs is fun, a bit more emotional, and completely refreshing. She also has an excellent natural chemistry with Hauer-King that offers a bit of (age-appropriate) heat to the Eric-Ariel relationship.

And though Disney seems to have learned a few lessons about adapting their works, it’s not all dinglehoppers and snarfblatts. Director Rob Marshall seems to excel when the movie is on land but gets waterlogged any time the film goes under the sea. The water effects aren’t great, and the lighting is weirdly murky for a movie that has a song about the vivid wonders of the world beneath the waters.

But the real issue in the film is that the villain, an icon for most Disney fans, is a pale imitation of her animated glory. Melissa McCarthy is stuck doing a third-rate imitation of Pat Carroll’s original voice work. It sounds like she’s singing along to the songs in her car. In a movie that clearly values updating a story, it’s gobsmacking that we’re stuck with such a flat, uninspired performance. One wonders if McCarthy was nervous about taking on the iconic role or if the studio held her back. Either way, it’s a shame she wasn’t allowed to sink her teeth into the role and make it her own.

Though the villain is lackluster, and the production sinks when it slips beneath the waves, The Little Mermaid still finds some of the Disney magic that made the original animated film such a hit. With Bailey as the lead, the movie manages to rise above the dreck and offer us something truly unique: A live-action remake that’s worth the price of admission.

Verdict: With Bailey’s phenomenal performance anchoring the film, The Little Mermaid is well worth the ticket.

The Little Mermaid is rated PG and available in theaters on May 26.