I’m a big fan of the original version of The Little Mermaid. I was very excited to see the live-action version ever since it was announced. I saw it last night on opening night and I’m going to tell you what I think.
First of all, I noticed that a couple of the original songs were missing. I understood why they took out some of them but some of them I really missed. But overall I really liked the movie. There are many similarities to the original version and many differences, but the new movie captures the essence and nostalgia of the original.
Halle Bailey was a surprisingly good choice for Ariel. She was probably the strongest part of the entire movie and a big reason why the movie worked so well. Prince Eric was given more attention in this movie, and I think that worked really well also. We get to learn more about him and the movie gets us to root for him as a person, and not just as a prize to be won at the end of the story. Eric got his own song, which helped to explain why he and Ariel are meant for each other. I would have liked to have seen a duet with him and Ariel at the end of the movie, but that’s ok. Melissa McCarthy gave one of her strongest performances as Ursula. Her acting and singing were both great. She was not my first choice for Ursula but by the end of the movie I was convinced she was perfect for the part. Javier Bardem did a good job as Triton. In the original, Triton was loud and dominating. Bardem’s Triton was different. In most of his roles, Bardem is very quiet and calm, but creates a strong, intimidating presence. He was that way in this movie, and it worked even though it was different than the original.
The underwater special effects were decent. I wouldn’t say they as good as they were in Avatar: The Way of Water, but the effects were fine. After the trailers, people were worried that the underwaters scenes would be too dark, but for the most part that wasn’t the case. There were some dark parts but not most of the time.
I don’t want to give away too much about it but I will say that this was the best Disney Live-action remake since Beauty and the Beast, and SO much better than The Lion King remake, which was, in my opinion, the most unnecessary of them all. This was a lot like Avatar: The Way of Water and Top Gun: Maverick, and even Dune, in that I got to have a theatrical experience I never thought I’d have.
If you don’t have anything else to do this weekend, go see this movie on the big screen, or any screen for that matter. It’s definitely worth the price. I give it a 10 out of 10!
See you at the movies!
First of all, I noticed that a couple of the original songs were missing. I understood why they took out some of them but some of them I really missed. But overall I really liked the movie. There are many similarities to the original version and many differences, but the new movie captures the essence and nostalgia of the original.
Halle Bailey was a surprisingly good choice for Ariel. She was probably the strongest part of the entire movie and a big reason why the movie worked so well. Prince Eric was given more attention in this movie, and I think that worked really well also. We get to learn more about him and the movie gets us to root for him as a person, and not just as a prize to be won at the end of the story. Eric got his own song, which helped to explain why he and Ariel are meant for each other. I would have liked to have seen a duet with him and Ariel at the end of the movie, but that’s ok. Melissa McCarthy gave one of her strongest performances as Ursula. Her acting and singing were both great. She was not my first choice for Ursula but by the end of the movie I was convinced she was perfect for the part. Javier Bardem did a good job as Triton. In the original, Triton was loud and dominating. Bardem’s Triton was different. In most of his roles, Bardem is very quiet and calm, but creates a strong, intimidating presence. He was that way in this movie, and it worked even though it was different than the original.
The underwater special effects were decent. I wouldn’t say they as good as they were in Avatar: The Way of Water, but the effects were fine. After the trailers, people were worried that the underwaters scenes would be too dark, but for the most part that wasn’t the case. There were some dark parts but not most of the time.
I don’t want to give away too much about it but I will say that this was the best Disney Live-action remake since Beauty and the Beast, and SO much better than The Lion King remake, which was, in my opinion, the most unnecessary of them all. This was a lot like Avatar: The Way of Water and Top Gun: Maverick, and even Dune, in that I got to have a theatrical experience I never thought I’d have.
If you don’t have anything else to do this weekend, go see this movie on the big screen, or any screen for that matter. It’s definitely worth the price. I give it a 10 out of 10!
See you at the movies!