November 2, 2024

THE LITTLE MERMAID (2023) – A lifeless remake of a classic animation

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Rating: ⭐⭐

Disney seems resolute in its quest to re-image all its classic animated fairy tale feature films and theme park rides into new live-action adaptations. This strategy has churned out a number of memorable live-action remakes such as The Jungle Book, Beauty & the Beast and Cruella. However, it has also had more than a fair share of duds with the likes of Aladdin, The Jungle Cruise and Maleficent. “The Little Mermaid is its latest attempt to try and garner a repeat of its animated version’s success. Sadly, it falls under the category of failed attempts.

For one thing, much of the film has the look and feal of a full-scale animated feature with its heavy reliance on CGI to depict the underwater world and the added on tails to the mermaids. That takes away the whole “live-action” feel of the premise. Then there is the matter of casting. Halle Bailey just does not have the charisma to make her Mermaid Ariel stand out. She has a competent singing voice but it never rises to the occasion in the delivery of the iconic songs. Casting Javier Bardem as her regal father, King Tritor, is a weird choice. He looked uncomfortable and frankly a little ridiculous with half his body in animated form. His usual polished performance is reduced to a very one-dimensional portrayal. At least Melissa McCarthy’s portrayal of the villain Ursula was more interesting and she her delivery of Poor Unfortunate Souls was possibly the best song in the film.

Disney continues to display their secondary agenda to promote a woke culture in most of their recent movies, and the Little Mermaid sadly, is no exception. King Tritor’s seven daughters from the seven seas looked more like members of the United Nation. Prince Eric, the subject of Ariel’s affection, has a black mother who is conveniently explained as his adoptive parent. And of course, the casting of Ariel went to a coloured actress. I have no problems seeing coloured actors in films, but I do find it unnatural when they are included simply to satisfy a woke quota. The role should be given to the actor or actress who is best suited for the part regardless of the colour of her skin. I fail to be convinced that this was the selection criteria adopted in making this film. Of course, I stand to be corrected as there will no doubt be people with differing opinions but hey, I welcome the debate! Overall, the quality of the acting here could not match the performances of the animated characters.

For me, the highlights for the film were the familiar songs from the original soundtrack written by Alan Menken. They were a delight to listen and watch and brought back sweet memories of how wonderful the original animated feature was. Sadly, none of the 3 new songs made any impression and were forgettable in not only the tune but in their delivery. They felt like something generated by a computer. Soulless and tuneless.

The Little Mermaid is not terrible. Just not great enough. A remake should thrive to improve on if not match the quality of the original. If not, why bother?

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