The Little Mermaid (2023) Movie Review

I actually didn’t see the original Little Mermaid till I was 16 and watched it in my 11th grade Music class. That was also the class I was introduced to Hairspray, another movie I probably wasn’t looking for in my life but ended up falling in love with. In the 1989 Mermaid, I found the songs fun, I found the story simple and sweet, what wasn’t to like? When it comes to the Disney live-action adaptations, so far I’ve had a generally mixed response. I haven’t yet seen Beauty and the Beast, I liked Aladdin a fair bit, I felt Mulan was missing a bit, and I felt The Lion King took way too few chances. But with how Disney was trying out clearly new ideas with the new Little Mermaid and hearing it was about 45 minutes longer, I’ve been in a lot of anticipation for it.

Let’s get out of the way the things I would’ve changed. Unless my mind has been playing tricks on me, there weren’t as many songs in the original; I think the scene with Ariel sad and not understanding Eric’s sudden move away from her was more effective when we just had her sniffling to listen to. There could’ve been about 10 minutes shaved off, or maybe replaced with talking a bit more about the history of humans and merpeople. The atmosphere tickled my curiosity. I felt sometimes Sebastian’s new voice, Daveed Diggs, was in the beginning noticeably second-guessing tones, but he gains his footing relatively quickly. I don’t really have many true gripes with this movie in the slightest.

Everyone was in a true spirit here. It was definitely a challenge to keep up the trend of making their iconic animal (or china) characters live action, and even if Scuttle, Sebastian and Flounder look different from how they originally were, they manage to keep their likability, especially with Awkwafina’s bubbly performance. Jonah Hauer-King is a dreamboat as Eric, innocent, adventurous and, as Ariel put it, compassionate and kind. Not to mention cute. It’s no wonder Ariel would fall for him. Melissa McCarthy is a lot of fun as the loathsome sea witch, which we find out twice, first in her “Unfortunate Souls” and the other when she’s screaming to find the potion to give her an advantage in her deal with Ariel.

The movie is lovely to look at; there’s so many “how-did-they-pull-those-off”s as the camera swims around an underwater paradise that balances the dangers and the beauty of the coral, caves, plants and creatures. You know, the actual Under The Sea song is meant to feel like a vacation out on the beach, and the stunning shots of the shores and the kingdom, sunsets and rises, markets and parties, all feel like we’re down in the Caribbean.

But this movie obviously belongs to Halle Bailey. It’s no wonder that after she auditioned, no one else could really live up to what she brought. The original Ariel was just like how she is; curious, innocent, unrelenting in both departments, and wishing the world could be less fearful and more willing to come together. And just listening to her singing, how is it possible not to see her as The Little Mermaid herself?

The chemistry between her and Hauer-King is just right. You can tell the two of them appreciated the story of these characters finding someone they love, who loves them right back. After everything, the movie will probably leave you hopeful for romance.

Now, as is expected, this movie has songs in typical Disney format. So in other words, there are a fair few songs throughout its 2-hour 15-minute runtime. And there’s a scene involving a shark and Ursula’s moray eels are more than a little chilling. If everyone is ready for all that, The Little Mermaid is a movie the whole family is sure to love.