I’m pretty ambivalent about Disney remaking their animated films and calling them live action when the majority of the new film is CGI, but that didn’t stop me from showing up for the new “live action” The Little Mermaid.
The story is the same. Ariel dreams of life on land. She falls in love with Prince Eric after only seeing him once and allows herself to be manipulated by Ursula so she can finally live out her dream, sans voice. The catch? She must get Eric to kiss her in three days or become Ursula’s slave. Forever.
My main beef with the original was that Ariel was so desperate she felt forced into giving up her voice for a guy. In modern day feminism, that sums up how far women still have to go to be heard. The best thing that the live action film corrects is that misstep. At the end, Triton tells his daughter that she should never have had to give up her voice to be heard. And holy crap, truer words have never been spoken.
I also wonder why we aren’t discussing how Triton and Ursula are brother and sister in this version. What act of nature allowed that to happen? But, it is a fantasy film that requires a lot of suspension of disbelief so why am I even thinking about it?
The cast is what really sells this and the music is still wonderful. I had a hard time not singing along in the theater. The imagery is beautiful until it isn’t. The whimsy of the original is lost in darker scenes, especially when Eric and Ariel are boating along on the pond at night. The original had a romantic setting. The live action version is dark and void of detail, ruined more by Awqwafina’s horrible singing.
I was hoping when they announced this that it would be told from Ursula’s perspective, especially when the cast Melissa McCarthy – who is brilliant in this. Instead, it’s just another remake. Better than Cinderella and The Lion King remakes but not as good as Maleficent.
Discover more from Becky Tyler Art and Photography
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Becky Tyler Art and Photography 
I’m pretty ambivalent about Disney remaking their animated films and calling them live action when the majority of the new film is CGI, but that didn’t stop me from showing up for the new “live action” The Little Mermaid.
The story is the same. Ariel dreams of life on land. She falls in love with Prince Eric after only seeing him once and allows herself to be manipulated by Ursula so she can finally live out her dream, sans voice. The catch? She must get Eric to kiss her in three days or become Ursula’s slave. Forever.
My main beef with the original was that Ariel was so desperate she felt forced into giving up her voice for a guy. In modern day feminism, that sums up how far women still have to go to be heard. The best thing that the live action film corrects is that misstep. At the end, Triton tells his daughter that she should never have had to give up her voice to be heard. And holy crap, truer words have never been spoken.
I also wonder why we aren’t discussing how Triton and Ursula are brother and sister in this version. What act of nature allowed that to happen? But, it is a fantasy film that requires a lot of suspension of disbelief so why am I even thinking about it?
The cast is what really sells this and the music is still wonderful. I had a hard time not singing along in the theater. The imagery is beautiful until it isn’t. The whimsy of the original is lost in darker scenes, especially when Eric and Ariel are boating along on the pond at night. The original had a romantic setting. The live action version is dark and void of detail, ruined more by Awqwafina’s horrible singing.
I was hoping when they announced this that it would be told from Ursula’s perspective, especially when the cast Melissa McCarthy – who is brilliant in this. Instead, it’s just another remake. Better than Cinderella and The Lion King remakes but not as good as Maleficent.
Discover more from Becky Tyler Art and Photography
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Share this: