Okay, I’m diving right into this review and I’m not going to bother to try and avoid spoilers since we all already know how this movie goes. This remake was really good, a perfectly fine addition to the list of live actions. The CGI and character designs were perfect, yes even Sebastian, Flounder, and Scuttle(WTF did people this a “live-action” fish and crab was going to look like!!!). My favorite part was how each of the merpeople had their own distinct pattern, I do have to admit I loved some of Ariel’s sister’s colors more than hers. Not only did the movie look great but Halle Bailey’s singing was on point. I can also appreciate that besides adding a few scenes/songs the overall story didn’t change, it’s basically the classic Little Mermaid story with some bonuses.
While as a whole I enjoyed this remake there are two things that I had issues with. The first and definitely the lesser issue was that besides Sebastian, Flounder, and Scuttle no other sea creatures talked. Not even Flotsam and Jetsam talk which I was pretty disappointed about. I kept expecting the other sea creatures to be shown talking, especially during the songs where there are other singers, but that didn’t happen. As much as I didn’t want to think it, I just kept thinking “If the main three can talk why aren’t the rest?”. Now, my second issue is the much bigger one: I can’t decide if I like the new songs they added. In the other live-action remakes like Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin where they add new songs I really really liked those songs. But with the new ones for The Little Mermaid, I can’t decide if they were worth the added time. Though I think they might grow on me after some time so lets see if my opinion of them change.
Before I finish this review I do have to say that even though I liked it I didn’t leave the theater super hyped. And that’s probably due to the fact that The Little Mermaid as a whole has never really been one of my favorite Disney classics. So, it’s no surprise that I wouldn’t be super excited for its remake. But even still I would give this movie a solid 7 out of 10.