Review The Little Mermaid – Review on FilmTotaal
Director: robmarshall | Script: David Magee, Hans Christian Andersen, Ron Clements | Cast: Halle Bailey (Ariel), Javier Bardem (Triton), Melissa McCarthy (Ursula), Jonah Hauer-King (Eric), Jacob Tremblay (Botje – voice), Awkwafina (Jutter – voice), Daveed Diggs (Sebastian – voice) and others | Time to play: 135 minutes | Year: 2023
Then, last year, the first images of The little Mermaid were shared, outraged fans crawled behind their keyboards to vent their discontent. The film was already broken beforehand. After all, what had foolish Rob Marshall come up with or approved of? Ariel, the beloved mermaid who dreams of being among men, is dark. Not white, like in the original cartoon. No. Actress Halle Bailey has a tan. And since she plays Ariel, the mermaid is also inked.
That’s impossible! Is that bloody, hyperpolitically correct agenda being forced on the public again? Not to mention the childhood memories that are so twisted.
Aside from the racist air of comments like this, the keyboard gentlemen stayed away from the main question: is it The little Mermaid A good movie? Surprisingly, the answer to that is actually yes. Although it takes a while for this remake to find its tone.
For the uninitiated, history first. Ariel, a mermaid, has always been curious about the surface world. Although her father, the sea king Triton, expressly forbids her from interfering with people, Ariel still saves Prince Eric from a shipwreck. She fell in love with him. But how can she be with him? That’s where the wicked sea witch Ursula comes in…
The first few minutes feel a bit awkward. The visuals are beautiful, but the dialogue and gameplay feel a bit stiff. As if everyone is trying to find their place in the fairy tale. Is it dramatic? Funny? Exciting? A bit of everything? How should we act then? The jokes don’t land very well yet and seem made up.
Everything falls into place once Ariel has ventured to the surface and falls in love with Prince Eric. From then on, the old-fashioned Disney magic kicks in and the familiar story takes on a sizzling likable charm. In fact, it’s going to be fun and fun, with Jutter and Sebastiaan as the fighting duo and Eric and Ariel as the loving couple. Songs like Under the Sea are still hugely popular (especially when Bailey opens her golden throat) and will no doubt find their way to TikTok.
Bailey doesn’t do a bad job as Ariel, but Melissa McCarthy really steals the show. As the wicked Ursula, she chews the roll with great delight. She hopes some kind of witchy diva will seize her chance in the spotlight.
After a clumsy start The little Mermaid an excellent movie version of the 1989 animated classic. Due to the underwater scenes, it might even be worth admiring in 3D. And as for the haters who refuse to accept a dark Ariel, they can also choose not to see the movie. That saves a lot of negative energy.