Disney's new live-action remake of the classic Little Mermaid film adds new depth to the story through a feeling of scale, additional character backstory, and new songs.
Though some fairly critique the project as an unneeded retelling the movie delivers a fun theatrical experience for the entire family as we head into summer. The film is uneven at times but overall delivers a worthwhile experience.
Here are my ten key surprising moments from the new film. There will be spoilers for the new Little Mermaid film below, but for anyone who has already seen the original film, there isn't much to spoil.
In this article:
There Was No Earworm New Song
Though Hamilton's Lin Manuel Miranda joined the writing team for the film, none of the new songs stand out to me a day after seeing the new film. Alan Menken and Howard Ashman's original soundtrack still delivers, but the new songs just don't quite send you home belting them out.
The first new song is a solo for Prince Eric called “Wild Uncharted Waters” which feels reminiscent of “Evermore” from the live-action Beauty and the Beast film, the next is “The Scuttlebutt” between Sebastian and Scuttle which features Hamilton-style rap Miranda is famous for, and the final song is from Ariel called “For The First Time.” My favorite of these new songs was “The Scuttlebutt”.
Some Favorites Were Missing
Chef Louis who traumatized Sebastian the crab in the kitchen while singing “Les Poissons” during the animated film is cut completely. The song “Daughters of Triton” is also missing in favor of a speaking scene introducing the daughters and sets Triton up as the ruler of the entire ocean.
Watch Out for the Cameo from Jodi Benson
The original voice of Ariel, Jodi Benson, remains a major Disney fan. We'll often see her at Disney fan events and she is a Disney celebrity always at the theme parks. I even ran into her at the opening event for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at Walt Disney World. So, it made perfect sense that she would appear in the new film. Keep your eyes peeled in the market scene when Ariel and Prince Eric are exploring the island.
Halle Bailey Delivered As Ariel
The lead role of Ariel is played by rising singer-songwriter, Halle Bailey. She delivers a masterful performance that weaves together impressive vocal work and dialogue that makes you love the character. Her poise in the role is impressive. In any places that the story dragged, Bailey carried things along and kept me engaged with the movie.
The Film is Over 2 Hours Long
Perhaps the runtime shouldn't surprise me, but the new film is 135 minutes while the original film is 83 minutes. The extra time is used for further backstory and the additional songs. While I enjoyed the adaption, there were moments where I thought about how if we were at home we could fast forward through a couple of scenes.
Lyric Changes Were Completely Unnoticed
Disney shared in recent months that some lyrics of “Kiss the Girl” and “Poor Unfortunate Souls” would be changed to be more inclusive and get rid of any ambiguity that there is a preference for women to be seen and not heard. Some were concerned that this would impact the power of the songs. Even as a big fan of the original film, I would not have noticed the changes to the lyrics if they hadn't been called out to me. These changes do not at all change the fun of the songs. If they help even one person to feel better about the message, then they were worth it.
New Backstory for Ariel and Prince Eric
There is a new backstory for Prince Eric and Ariel in the new film that is meant to inform their broader motivations. Prince Eric wants to restore this kingdom as a center of international trade and Ariel wants to find freedom beyond her father's stifling protection rather than just be with Prince Eric.
Eric's backstory also features an overprotective adopted queen mother who is predisposed to fear the ocean. His mother protects Prince Eric and wants what is best for him. Though far more endearing than King Triton, the queen matches the Triton's protective parent energy.
Melissa McCarthy as Ursula Was the Star
Melissa McCarthy had large shoes to fill in her performance of Ursula. The original voice of the character, Pat Carroll, delivered a knock-out performance that is iconic. I didn't know if anyone could match her whit, presence, and delivery of songs. Comic Melissa McCarthy was almost unrecognizable in her Ursula role. She delivered an incredible performance as the villain in the film that brought together a great delivery of the songs, poise, and humor.
The Film Is Not Nearly as Poorly Lit as the Marketing Suggests
The marketing materials were criticized as poorly lit and moody early on. Some even recolored the film posters to illustrate how much better more colorful photos would look. Pulling stills for this article I am also running into the same issue that the materials released are dark. The film did not feel that way at all. In a theater, I felt totally immersed in the bright, colorful, undersea world.
Awkwafina as Scuttle is Great Comic Relief!
In addition to Ursula, Awkwafina's portrayal of Scuttle is a great addition. Her take on the bird-brained character is tons of fun and a great addition to the movie. In the same character type as her sidekick in “Crazy Rich Asians,” Awkwafina delivers comic relief. Scuttle is notably not a seagull here and is instead a northern gannet bird that can spend time underwater. This change allows Awkwafina to join in underwater scenes at times in the film too.
If You Like the Original, You'll Like This
You can argue that Disney's live-action remakes aren't necessary but that argument and get philosophical very quickly. What movies do we ever need? Isn't everything some form of remake? This new telling of the Little Mermaid is a great performance of the Little Mermaid movie and one that brings the story to new audiences. The film is not as good as other Disney remakes like The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast, but that preference is likely tied to me being a bigger fan of those stories, to begin with. If you are a fan of the original Little Mermaid this movie will get you an excuse to once again tap your feet to your favorite songs in a theater.
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