The Little Mermaid (2023) Reflection
9 Things I Appreciated About The Live-Action Re-Imagining
A couple days ago, Disney+ released The Little Mermaid starring Halle Bailey onto the platform. Even though I have seen the animated movie over a billion times, I was still gasping at parts I knew were going to happen. For example, when King Triton destroys the statue of Eric, I gasped so loud. I was left in awe plenty of times throughout the re-imagining of the classic. But something stood out to me that I hadn’t fully appreciated about the live-actions until watching The Little Mermaid (2023). From an emotionally developed prince to the talent brought in for the film, below is a list of nine things I appreciated about the re-imagining.
Eric was dreamy on an emotional level
Eric wants to explore the world and learn about different cultures. My favorite scene between them was when Ariel picked up a sea rock that Eric was worried about her dropping. After she dropped the rock and inside a beautiful crystal was revealed, leaving Eric in awe. His curiosity for the world matched Ariel’s.
The romance was well developed
Across the live-action princess movies released, the romances have been breathtaking without being suffocating. The romance in The Little Mermaid is built on the individual knowing themselves and a mutual desire to explore the world.
Ariel’s sisters
Her sisters were glorious. They reflected the balance of understanding their sister’s fascination with humans while respecting their father’s wishes. Additionally, they represent the seven seas in a more representative way.
Ursula’s eyebrows
This is definitely controversial but her eyebrows were actually on point. Ursula’s eyebrows are millennial-coded. This means that they were plucked to an oblivion and will resurface stronger than ever.
Ursula’s character remaining the same
Nearly every live-action reimagining has given the villains a redemption arc. For villains like Maleficent, this is understandable. But we actually need some of the villains to maintain their badassery.
Ariel’s mermaid tail
Talk about upping the ante! Her mermaid tail was incredible. From the colors to the design to the fins, it was a masterpiece.
Siren lore
Disney really leaning into siren lore gave a depth to several aspects of the reimagining. The opening scene where a tail of some kind is seen introduces two important parts of the lore. First, the sailors mistook a dolphin for a mermaid, which is close to how the lore began. Secondly, a sailor explicitly tells of how sirens lure sailors to their deaths with their song.
Lin-Manuel Miranda and Alan Menken
If you’re going to make a musical, bring in LM^2. The way he writes ballads and raps is exactly how one can elevate a beloved musical. From the consenting remake of Alan Menken’s “Kiss The Girl” and the original song for Eric entitled “Wild Uncharted Waters”, the music in the reimagining honors the original work done by Menken and crew in the 80s.
Halle Bailey
Bailey’s performance as Ariel was impeccable. All I can really say is that the valedictorian of the Beyoncé School of Music gave us the vocals we needed for “Part of Your World”, “For the First Time”, and “Under the Sea”. It’s about time Disney hired a trained vocalist for their live-action princess re-imaginings.