Yesterday I watched The live action Little Mermaid for the first time and I was bloooooown away! I have already watched it twice and if it weren’t for the fact that it was thunderstorming right now, then I would 100% be in the theatre right now.
Halle Bailey is the Perfect Ariel
Let’s start with the obvious, Halle Bailey did an absolutely incredible job.
I never particularly minded that they had cast a black actress for a traditionally white character, but I did feel a certain protectiveness for Ariel. She was my favorite Disney Princess growing up and we all know the live-actions have the tendency of ruining a perfectly good character (I’m looking at you, Mulan 2020!). Besides, back in 2018 I watched another interpretation of the Little Mermaid and calling it a major disappointment is being generous.
So, it was with great skepticism that I entered the movie theatre Thursday (the day before the official release). It won’t be as good as the original, I reminded myself. The best I could hope for was something that didn’t ruin the original for me.
And then Halle Bailey opened her mouth and sang.
In one decisive moment, all my doubts, all my trepidations were deemed ridiculous. From her curiosity and innocence to her voice, Halle Bailey embodied the character perfectly. Halle Bailey didn’t just play Ariel, she was Ariel. I can’t think of a single other actor who could fill the roll like she has.
Sebastian, Scuttle, and Flounder have Great Chemistry
I was pleasantly surprised with the sealife trio. Sebastian and Scuttle had great banter. There were several moments when I laughed out loud, even when I knew the joke was coming. In addition, they added a Scuttle and Sebastion song which was absolutely amazing. It was fun, upbeat, and added to the story. In fact, I wish the song had lasted longer.
Flounder’s design was a bit questionable, but he’s a fish. There really wasn’t much they could do. The movie seemed to limit Flounder’s screen time and I think that was the right choice. Seeing his little fish eyes could be a little distracting at times!
The Story Respects and Enhances the Original
The live-action story respects and enhances the original film. All of the magical moments are maintained. Part of Your World and Under the Sea are absolutely breathtaking and even weave in real sealife such as the Blanket Octopus.
In addition, several iconic scenes are perfectly recreated, such as Ariel’s hair flip when emerging from the ocean.
The live-action adds depth to Prince Eric’s and Ariel’s connection. They both share a longing for adventure and a habit for collections. I especially love the new island setting of Eric’s kingdom. It is filled with dancing and laughter and color. Eric even gets his own song. It is just as amazing as all the other songs and fits in perfectly with the originals. And lastly, Ariel has an internal song while she is mute which was a nice touch.
Lastly, the suspenseful scenes were incredible! I found myself holding my breath as Ariel drags herself across the ship in the battle against Ursula. Hats off to everyone involved with the music, graphics, and choreography!
The Main Flaw: Triton has a Harem?
Ok, if someone has an explanation for this, please let me know, but all of Triton’s daughters are a completely different ethnicity. I’m not talking about them being lighter or darker than each other, I mean one is Nordic white and another is Asian. And the movie doesn’t bother to explain this at all.
Adoption?
The most innocent answer of adoption doesn’t quite seem to hold up. At every possible opportunity, Triton is mentioning “your mother” and they refer to him as “father.” Of course, adopted children would refer to their adopted parents as mother and father. However, the movie doesn’t shy away from discussing Prince Eric’s adoption. If the sisters were adopted, why wouldn’t they state this equally as openly?
Gene Roulette
Then, one could argue that Triton and his wife are mixed race and all of those recessive genes came together in the most statistically improbable configuration. This would make sense for maybe four ethnicities, but seven? It doesn’t make sense.
Magic Genetics
Or perhaps, genetics just work differently underwater. They’re mermaids after all. Besides Triton and Ursula are somehow siblings–that’s two different species right there. Maybe some magical fish delivers mer-babies to their parents, much like the land stork.
I’m Assuming it’s not Actually a Harem, but…
I’m assuming the movie lore is not that Triton had a harem. This doesn’t seem like the message they were going for. My second time watching I searched diligently for the smallest little hint against the harem theory. I found none except what seemed an emphasis that they were indeed biological sisters.
I understand that they were pushing for diversity and inclusivity, but shouldn’t the movie have explained how this happened? Couldn’t the sisters have been cousins instead? Or why couldn’t all the sisters have all been black/mixed? After all, the movie shows plenty of other mermaids that fill the role of diversity.
Anyways, this fact didn’t really detract from my enjoyment of the movie, even though I can’t blindly accept it like they seem to expect me to…
As a kid, I would watch The Little Mermaid on repeat. The moment it ended, I would eject the VHS, rewind it, and begin from the top. It’s a movie close to my heart and the new live-action version did it justice. I recommend this movie to everyone and anyone!
Bird Lover's Musings 