The most annoying thing about the live action Disney remakes of their animated films is that while these movies are mostly awful, they're rarely completely awful, and can't be written off completely. Most are watchable and some of them, occasionally, are pretty good. It turns out that if you put enough talented people together with a large enough budget, inevitably they're going to figure out a way to be a little bit entertaining. The new "The Little Mermaid," based on the 1989 cartoon version, has no good reason to exist, and features some truly boneheaded adaptation decisions, but as a whole this Disney remake is one of the better ones.
I think it helps that the 1989 cartoon hasn't aged as well as some of the other Disney Renaissance blockbusters. The characters are very thin, and culture has shifted a bit when it comes to teenage love and romance. Rob Marshall, who last directed "Mary Poppins Returns" for Disney, doesn't change the story much and keeps most of the songs. However, he smartly fills in some plot holes, updates the boy-girl dynamics, and changes the setting to the Caribbean to better accommodate a multicultural cast. The new Ariel is played by Halle Bailey, who is very good in the part, though she has more of a pop voice than a musical theater voice. Her Ariel is also quite a bit smarter and more resourceful than her animated counterpart. Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King) is still Caucasian, but the adopted son of a dark complexioned Queen Selina (Noma Dumezweni), ruler of their island kingdom. Meanwhile, King Triton (Javier Bardem), the human-hating monarch of the seas, has fathered mermaid daughters of many different colors and complexions.
The live action "Little Mermaid" is nearly an hour longer than the animated "Little Mermaid," which may test the patience of younger viewers. However, the extra time is well spent. The major characters are more fleshed out, and I'm happy to report that the romance is vastly improved. Bailey and Hauer-King have good chemistry, and enough time onscreen together to actually form a connection. It's only a few additional scenes, like Eric talking to Ariel about his adventures as a sailor, and Ariel finding a way to tell Eric her name while mute, but they do make a difference. More emphasis is also placed on Ariel's relationship with Triton and the ongoing human/merfolk hostilities.
As usual, the worst part of the adaptation is trying to turn the cartoon sidekick characters from the original film into more realistic CGI creations. Flounder (Jacob Tremblay), Sebastian (Daveed Diggs) and Scuttle (Awkwafina) now resemble a real fish, crab, and sea bird, and it looks dreadful. Scuttle getting a rap number (written by Lin Manuel Miranda, naturally) is a real low point in the film. I'm an Awkwafina supporter, but she and Disney really need to take a break for a while. Melissa McCarthy as the sea witch, Ursula, fares much better. "Poor Unfortunate Souls" is the musical number that translates best to live action. She doesn't get as much screen time as I would have liked, but she makes the appearances count.
The 1989 "Little Mermaid" was the beginning of the Disney Renaissance, and I'm a little surprised that this adaptation took so long to reach our screens. I suspect it has a lot to do with the technical challenges involved with doing so many nautical and underwater elements. The film is very CGI heavy, with some visuals that work well, and others that don't. The designs of Ursula and the mermaid characters, for instance, are great, but most of the other sea creatures are stuck in uncanny valley. The film is far more picturesque when it's on dry land. Once again, underwater societies really don't work in anything even remotely close to live action.
There's no end in sight for future live action Disney adaptations, despite their spotty track record. And because I'm a Disney nerd who just can't resist, I'll keep watching them. We have a new "Snow White" with Rachel Zegler and a "Lion King" prequel directed by Barry Jenkins up next. Fingers crossed.
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