Little Mermaid is a reimagined update on the much-loved children’s film.
Ariel lives with her mermaid family underwater and is curious about the human world. But her father King Triton has forbidden her to venture onto land. Humans are dangerous creatures.
A storm appears and Eric falls off his ship into the sea. Ariel saves his life and drags him to the beach. After this chance encounter, the couple are in lust.
Ursula, the sea witch, lures Ariel into a deal. To trade her mermaid scales for legs so she can visit the land. However, she has three days to kiss the prince before she’s doomed. Her ability to speak is taken away, so her offsiders must remind her of her task.
Prince Eric has a nice collection of artefacts, and he offers to show Ariel around his mainland.
You might hear many familiar tunes, and there are some fresh new songs as well. There is no chef Louie and as a result, there isn’t the Le Poissons song (French for the fishes). Halle Bailey is an RnB singer from Chloe x Halle, ‘just two girls who love making music in our living room.’ Melissa McCarthy also hits the right notes.
There was an opportunity to do more with the storyline, but it’s faithful to the original. Ariel is now aged 18 and the prince is adopted. It was never going to pass The Bechdel test. It perpetuates an irrational fear of sharks.
Some scenes feature a subdued brown seabed to allow the characters to be the focal point. Ariel’s mermaid tail glitters beautifully and Ursula’s octopus tentacles pop. Sometimes this works well but other times it is jarring. It’s missing the consistent vibrant colours of the animated film.
Did you know that less than 2% of the world’s population has naturally red hair? Princess Ariel is considered one of the most iconic redheads in animation. The original film decided to go with red hair as it contrasted nicely with her green mermaid tail.
Don’t forget Little Mermaid is based on a Hans Christian Anderson fable.
The Little Mermaid continues to be a sweet romance story that will supplement the original beloved animated version.
Release date in Australia of 25 May 2023.
About The Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid is the beloved story of Ariel, a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. The youngest of King Triton’s daughters and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea and, while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric. While mermaids are forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel must follow her heart. She makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, which gives her a chance to experience life on land but ultimately places her life – and her father’s crown – in jeopardy. #TheLittleMermaid
The film stars singer and actress Halle Bailey (“grown-ish”) as Ariel; Jonah Hauer-King (“A Dog’s Way Home”) as Prince Eric; Tony Award® winner Daveed Diggs (“Hamilton,” “Snowpiercer”) as the voice of Sebastian; Awkwafina (“Raya and the Last Dragon”) as the voice of Scuttle; Jacob Tremblay (“Luca,” “Room”) as the voice of Flounder; Noma Dumezweni (“Mary Poppins Returns”) as Queen Selina; Art Malik (“Homeland”) as Sir Grimsby; with Oscar® winner Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men,” “Being the Ricardos”) as King Triton; and two-time Academy Award® nominee Melissa McCarthy (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?” “Bridesmaids”) as Ursula. The Little Mermaid is directed by Oscar® nominee Rob Marshall (“Chicago,” “Mary Poppins Returns”), and produced by two-time Emmy® winner Marc Platt (“Jesus Christ Superstar Live in 2 Concert,” “Grease Live!”), three-time Tony Award® winner Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Hamilton,” “In the Heights”), Emmy winner John DeLuca (“Tony Bennett: An American Classic”), and Rob Marshall, with Jeffrey Silver (“The Lion King”) serving as executive producer. The songs feature music from multiple Academy Award® winner Alan Menken (“Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin”) and lyrics by Howard Ashman, who together won two Oscars for the music in the animated “The Little Mermaid,” and new lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The score is by Alan Menken, with music supervised and produced by Mike Higham (“Mary Poppins Returns,” “Into the Woods”).
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