little mermaid movie review 2023

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Disney’s live-action remakes of their beloved, animated classics have seemed like a shameless cash grab with uneven results. Rather than produce original content, the thinking appears to have been: “Here’s a thing people like already. Let’s just give it to them again in a slightly different form.” Some have been legitimately magical ( David Lowery ’s “Pete’s Dragon,” Kenneth Branagh ’s “Cinderella”), while others have been empty exercises in glossy, computer-generated imagery (“ Dumbo ,” last year’s atrocious “Pinocchio”).

“The Little Mermaid” is better than the vast majority of these movies, in that it stays true to the core of what people loved about the 1989 original while also expanding the story and characters in necessary ways. The literal fish-out-of-water tale of a mermaid who makes a Faustian bargain to explore the human world and pursue true love feels a little archaic in retrospect. Ariel is an inquisitive and rebellious teenager, but she basically goes from being a king’s daughter to being a prince’s wife. The classic Howard Ashman and Alan Menken tunes, which provide the heart and the backbone of the film, mostly remain intact here, including the insanely catchy, Oscar-winning “Under the Sea.” But in director Rob Marshall ’s version, Ariel has greater depth and complexity, and the young woman chosen to play her more than rises to the challenge.

Halle Bailey is radiant in the title role: Expressive, energetic and infinitely likable, with a mixture of girlish sweetness and womanly spine. She finds refreshing new avenues into songs, story beats and even specific lines of dialogue that longtime fans have cherished from the original. And her rendition of “Part of Your World,” a tune we’ve all heard countless times, is unexpectedly stirring. Bailey is up for everything this role demands of her, both physically and emotionally, and she deserves to be a major star.

She benefits greatly from the fact that this “Little Mermaid” offers deeper character development for both Ariel and Prince Eric, which makes their relationship make actual sense beyond a quick, superficial attraction. (This expansion also results in a film that’s nearly an hour longer than the original, but it moves at a decent clip.) David Magee ’s script provides parallels in how they’re both trying to break free of their protective parents’ expectations and assert their own identities and ambitions. As Eric, Jonah Hauer-King even gets his own “I Want” song, and there’s more to him than the typically blandly handsome Disney prince.

A quick recap in case it’s been a while: Ariel, the youngest of King Triton's seven daughters, longs to visit the surface world and learn about the wonders of humanity. Her father forbids this, believing people to be violent predators. She dares to defy him with the help of her fish friend, Flounder, and ends up rescuing the daring adventurer Prince Eric from a storm. Smitten, she agrees to a deal with the sea witch Ursula to trade in her transcendent voice for a pair of legs and a trip to the human world. If she can’t secure true love’s kiss by sundown on the third day, she’ll be beholden to Ursula forever.

This version of the fairy tale elaborates on Ariel’s bravery and big-heartedness. It also allows her to spend more time with Eric—who thinks she’s a stunned shipwreck victim and doesn’t realize she’s actually the one who saved him—and enjoy a more substantial connection. Having Ariel explain things about the ocean to the more experienced Eric, even wordlessly, is an inspired touch. So is the fact that she gets to exchange the uncomfortable, high-heeled boots she received at the castle for a pair of comfortable sandals. One of the clever touches allows Ariel to continue singing in her mind, so she’s not completely mute during her time in the surface world. And the way she gets Eric to figure out her name provides one of the movie’s many solid laughs.

The supporting players all step (or swim) into their parts in lively fashion. As always, Daveed Diggs has great timing and delivery as the crab Sebastian, who’s on assignment from King Triton to keep an eye on his daughter. Javier Bardem provides gravitas and tenderness to the role of the king. Awkwafina had big shoes to fill in taking over the Buddy Hackett role of the wisecracking seagull Scuttle and she brings her signature smart-ass persona. Along those lines, Melissa McCarthy tears it up as Ursula, taking over for the legendary voice actress Pat Carroll and putting her own spiky spin on the role.

But the visual effects are the film’s main weakness. Marshall certainly knows his way around a splashy musical, if you’ll pardon the pun. He was nominated for an Academy Award for “ Chicago ,” after all. But the underwater motion often looks flat and artificial in a way that’s distancing. This is especially true in trying to create the sensation of the mermaids’ long, lustrous hair billowing around them. The “Under the Sea” production number is bursting with vibrant colors, and the sea creatures’ elaborate choreography is a delight. But it doesn’t truly capture the feeling of being  under  the sea. Flounder, voiced by Jacob Tremblay , makes an especially awkward fit within the live-action setting, especially above the water’s surface.

In terms of underwater worlds, once you’ve been to Pandora, you can never go anywhere else. But the fictional Caribbean island where “The Little Mermaid” takes place is certainly a pleasant escape.

Available in theaters on May 26th. 

Christy Lemire

Christy Lemire is a longtime film critic who has written for RogerEbert.com since 2013. Before that, she was the film critic for The Associated Press for nearly 15 years and co-hosted the public television series "Ebert Presents At the Movies" opposite Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, with Roger Ebert serving as managing editor. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

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Film credits.

The Little Mermaid (2023)

135 minutes

Halle Bailey as Ariel

Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric

Daveed Diggs as Sebastian (voice)

Awkwafina as Scuttle (voice)

Jacob Tremblay as Flounder (voice)

Noma Dumezweni as Queen Selina

Javier Bardem as King Triton

Melissa McCarthy as Ursula

Art Malik as Sir Grimsby

Jessica Alexander as Vanessa

Emily Coates as Rosa

Lin-Manuel Miranda as Chef Louis

• Rob Marshall
• David Magee
• Wyatt Smith

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‘The Little Mermaid’ Review: The Renovations Are Only Skin Deep

Disney’s live-action remake, with Halle Bailey starring as Ariel and a diverse cast, is a dutiful corrective with noble intentions and little fun.

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‘The Little Mermaid’ | Anatomy of a Scene

Rob marshall narrates the “under the sea” sequence from his film, featuring halle bailey and daveed diggs..

Hi, I’m Rob Marshall, and I’m the director of ‘The Little Mermaid.’ So this is about two minutes into the musical number ‘Under the Sea,’ which was the most challenging musical number I’ve ever created because you have one live actor — I mean, there she is Ariel, played by Halle Bailey. And introducing dance into a sequence is so complicated because it has to feel seamless. It has to feel organic. It can’t feel applied. So right about here, as the turtles start to move, then you see, O.K., there’s a little bit of dance starting to happen. The tricky part about this was because I only had one live actor, I needed some dancers or something to work from. And I took a page out of Walt Disney’s playbook, and I worked with the Alvin Ailey Company. He had worked with the Ballet Russe Company when he created ‘Fantasia.’ And I thought that was such a brilliant idea. So I worked with the Alvin Ailey Company, brought them to London so we could create all these sea creature moves on something so our artists, our CGI artists, could actually use them as a template, which was incredible. And then we found all these sea creatures that actually lent themselves to dance naturally. These are all real sea creatures. So right there you have mimic octopus and flatworms. Here we’re moving into a bioluminescent world. We had the Alvin Ailey Company using umbrellas and, literally, ribbons, streamers hanging from them so that they could literally create this idea of jellyfish. But all of this, every moment of this was choreographed. And it was so complicated because everything was done on counts. It wasn’t sort of just like, well, let’s just let them do whatever they want. Every moment of it was strategically choreographed by myself, John DeLuca, and our choreographers. [‘UNDER THE SEA’]: — music to me. Music is to me — There’s one moment actually coming up here right here — [‘UNDER THE SEA’]: — hot crustacean band — — that, literally, the CGI artist said it’s the most creatures they’ve ever had ever onscreen. But it was really about protecting and celebrating this beautiful number. Here’s a nautilus shell that we tried to create a la Busby Berkeley. But I really just wanted to make sure that we were doing justice to this incredible number but also bringing a photoreal, exciting world to life.

By Wesley Morris

The new, live-action “The Little Mermaid” is everything nobody should want in a movie: dutiful and defensive, yet desperate for approval. It reeks of obligation and noble intentions. Joy, fun, mystery, risk, flavor, kink — they’re missing. The movie is saying, “We tried!” Tried not to offend, appall, challenge, imagine . A crab croons, a gull raps, a sea witch swells to Stay Puft proportions: This is not supposed to be a serious event. But it feels made in anticipation of being taken too seriously. Now, you can’t even laugh at it.

The story comes from Hans Christian Andersen, and when Disney made a cartoon musical of it in 1989, the tale’s tragedy and existential wonder got swapped for Disney Princess Syndrome, wherein one subjugation is replaced with another, an even exchange redrawn as liberating love. But the people who drew it had a ball with the hooey.

In both movies, the mermaid Ariel wants out of her widowed father’s underwater kingdom and into the arms of the earthbound merchant prince whom she rescues in a shipwreck. Her father forbids, but that sea-witch, Ursula, fulfills Ariel’s wish, giving her three days to procure a kiss from that prince and remain human or spend the rest of her life enslaved to Ursula. Somehow mirth and music ensue. In the original, that’s thanks mostly to Ariel’s talking Caribbean crab guardian, Sebastian, and her Noo Yawky dingbat sea gull pal, Scuttle.

This remake injects some contemporary misfortune (humans despoil the water, we’re told). It also packs on another 52 minutes and three new songs, trades zany for demure and swaps vast animated land- and seascapes for soundstagey sets and screensavery imagery. They’re calling it “live-action,” but the action is mostly CGI. There’s no organic buoyancy. On land, Ariel can walk but can’t speak, which means whoever’s playing her needs a face that can. Achieving that was a piece of cake in the cartoon. Ariel could seem bemused, enchanted, bereft, coquettish, alarmed, aghast, elated. And her scarlet mane was practically a movie unto itself.

Now Ariel is in the singer Halle Bailey’s hands. And it’s not that she can’t keep par with the original’s illustrators. It’s that this movie isn’t asking her to. It takes the better part of an hour for the flesh-and-blood Ariel to go mute. And when she does, whatever carbonation Bailey had to begin with goes flat. This Ariel has amnesia about needing that kiss, taking “cunning” off the table for Bailey, too.

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The Little Mermaid First Reviews: Star Halle Bailey Animates This Live-Action Remake

Turns out ariel is in great hands with the film's star, but some critics call this remake of the animated classic "murky.".

TAGGED AS: Disney , Film , movies , Walt Disney Pictures

Walt Disney caught some flak over its decision to pursue a live-action remake of 1989 animated classic The Little Mermaid (Certified Fresh at 92%), and sentiment from some corners of the internet turned positively ugly when the company revealed that the film’s scaled star Ariel would be played by black actress Halle Bailey .

With the embargo lifting, we finally get to see how critics are responding to the final product, and it turns out Bailey is the best thing about the film.

The Little Mermaid also stars Melissa McCarthy as villain Ursula, Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Daveed Digg s voicing Sebastian, Jacob Tremblay voicing Flounder, and Awkwafina voicing Scuttle.

Here’s what critics are saying about 2023’s The Little Mermaid :

How is Halle Bailey’s performance?

“Halle Bailey is all the reason that any audience should need to justify Disney revisiting this classic.” – Peter Debruge, Variety

“While not everything goes swimmingly, Halle Bailey splendidly buoys this ‘Mermaid’ as the naive underwater youngster with dreams of exploring the surface.” – Brian Truitt, USA Today

“Bailey gives a glowing performance of effortless starshine; her singing voice has both sweetness and power, and her smile is the sort on which dreams dance.” – Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times

“There’s such a luminous quality to her desires, and an intensity to her desperation, that she digs down deeper into Ariel than anyone ever has before. And that voice! Her version of original Ariel voice actor Jodi Benson’s classic ‘Part of Your World’ features a spectacular key change – it’ll soon be butchered at every karaoke joint in the land.” – Clarisse Loughrey, Independent (UK)

“Bailey is both the finished film’s only unmitigated triumph and the best argument for this whole live action remake enterprise in one shimmering mermaidcore package.” – Ellen E Jones, Guardian

“In the end I loved Bailey so much as Ariel and her singing voice is so beautiful it allowed me to forgive much of the movies flaws. She really is that good.” – Rachel Wagner, rachelsreviews.net

“As Ariel, Halle Bailey shines brighter than the sun. She’ll silence the haters easily.” – Sarah Musnicky, VitalThrills.com

How are the other performances?

“A mixed bag overall, but still a must-see for Halle Bailey’s breathtaking work as Ariel and Melissa McCarthy’s deliciously devilish Ursula.” – Perri Nemiroff, Perri Nemiroff (YouTube)

It’s saved by Bailey’s charming performance, McCarthy’s sass and the story’s own eternal magic.” – Helen O’Hara, Empire Magazine

“Disney’s latest live-action ‘reimagining’ of one of its animated musical classics, The Little Mermaid , succeeds largely because of three folks: leads Halle Bailey and Jonah Hauer-King and director Rob Marshall.” – Mark Meszoros, The News-Herald (Willoughby, OH)

“[Director Rob] Marshall and his terrific ensemble manage to navigate the spotty squalls and bring this one home.” – Hope Madden, MaddWolf

“Halle Bailey is tremendous as Ariel, providing powerful, emotion-stirring vocals & a wonderful sense of curiosity. New musical numbers, a slightly updated setting, and Daveed Diggs as Sebastian are other highlights in one of Disney’s best remakes yet.” – Aaron White, Feelin’ Film Podcast

“Bailey has a beautiful singing voice, one which transports familiar Menken songs…into new heights…one of McCarthy’s all time best performances, the actress commanding her scenes, singing in a husky voice and vamping like a Broadway diva.” – Laura Clifford, Reeling Reviews

How does it compare to the animated classic?

“Another ‘live-action’ remake that’s darker and less compelling than the animated original.” – Helen O’Hara, Empire Magazine

“My nostalgia for the 1989 Little Mermaid , a movie I can quote by heart, has probably never been stronger than it is now. Neither has my wearied sense of déjà vu.” – Aisha Harris, NPR

“For now, ‘The Little Mermaid’ exists outside of the very world it so wants to be a part of, one already so lovingly rendered in its predecessor, “real” or not.” – Kate Erbland, indieWire

“Thanks largely to star Halle Bailey, the lavish musical holds up nicely under the weight of those expectations, preserving the original’s essence while updating undernourished aspects of it and riding a warm, hard-to-resist wave of nostalgia.” – Brian Lowry, CNN.com

How does it compare to other live-action remakes?

“ The Little Mermaid , despite a few misfires, is one of Disney’s best live-action reimaginings to date.” – Emily Zemler, Observer

“If the new version isn’t quite as consistently satisfying as the cartoon, it’s easily the best of all the recent live-action Disney adaptations. The Little Mermaid is popping candy for the soul.” – Charlotte O’Sullivan, London Evening Standard

“As the studio has done with other live-action remakes, Disney betrays its own lack of imagination and an essential misreading of what made its original children’s fare such a joy to audiences in the first place.” – Angelica Jade Bastién, New York Magazine/Vulture

“With Halle Bailey, life under the sea is better than anything Disney live-action has done in nearly a decade.” – Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly

“ The Little Mermaid is arguably the best live-action Disney remake since Kenneth Branagh’s Cinderella. The splendor is there; the romance is crafted with care — but something’s still missing.” – Lyvie Scott, Inverse

Related: Disney Live-Action Remakes Ranked

How dare a movie studio make money!

“Despite real actors, CGI and brand new material, ‘Mermaid’ is the studio’s latest flesh-and-blood cash grab that’s more lifeless than far better two-dimensional painted drawings.” – Johnny Oleksinski, New York Post

“A thoroughly pointless cash grab of a thing, this new Little Mermaid is one of the most uninspired films to slither out of Disney since the company started raiding its own vault.” – Barry Hertz, Globe and Mail

How is the new material?

“While it’s still an exercise in re-branding and revenue, the results at least provide some dazzle, some romance, and a handful of pretty-good new songs with lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda.” – Alonso Duralde, The Film Verdict

“What’s on-screen too often feels like wan, second-rate imitation, and the few differences seem motivated less by a spirit of imagination than one of joyless anxiety.” – Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times

“For all its pizazz, everything about this Little Mermaid is just more muted. Miranda’s new songs are odd, too, and don’t seem to fit.” – Lindsey Bahr, Associated Press

“‘The Little Mermaid’ origin story lacks room for this more feminist take. It simply is not deep enough.” – Carla Meyer, San Francisco Chronicle

“What works best are the elements it takes from the original… While this version doesn’t always find its sea legs, there’s enough of those original ideas recreated here that it can’t go too far wrong.” – Alyssa Mora, IGN Movies

How is the production overall?

“Occasionally, the familiar pleasure of this fish-out-of-water story cuts through the murky execution, like a trinket catching a ray of moonlight while sinking to the seafloor.” – A.A. Dowd, Houston Chronicle

“This Little Mermaid feels more or less like two-hour-plus cosplay with the texture and gravitas of a Disneyland sideshow.” – Greg Nussen, Slant Magazine

“Its most iconic moments are borrowed and copied wholesale, serving as little more than a reminder of simpler days watching clamshell VHS tapes released from the Disney Vault. Maybe that’s enough for some people. But maybe, like Ariel, we should want more..” – Leigh Monson, AV ClubE

“As The Little Mermaid crawls by at a snail’s pace, the wondrous moments are weighed down by wasted opportunities for spectacle, emotion, and unapologetic bombast.” – Kristy Puchko, Mashable

Any final thoughts?

The Little Mermaid

Click image to open full poster in a new tab.

“A star-making turn from newcomer Halle Bailey and some poignant subtext about fathers and daughters elevates this latest Disney live-action remake.” – Kevin Maher, Times (UK)

“It serves as a handsome homage while persuasively making the case as its own discrete entity.” – Alex Diggins,Daily Telegraph (UK)

“A ho-hum adaptation buoyed by a lovely lead turn.” – Lovia Gyarkye, Hollywood Reporter

“‘The Little Mermaid,’ Disney’s latest live-action remake, is surprisingly good. In fact, it is the best one yet.” – Kaely Monahan, Arizona Republic

“This film is not perfect and the climax is lacking. But it is charming, funny, and sincere and it makes me want to be part of that world.” – Nicole Hill, Nerdist

“ The Little Mermaid captures the enchanting musical fantasy of the animated classic. Audiences will swoon as a beautiful mermaid falls in love with a dashing prince. Halle Bailey’s soaring vocals and radiant energy illuminates the underwater depths.” – Julian Roman, MovieWeb

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The Little Mermaid Reviews

The result is another mixed bag that may contain some rare pearls within its shell but can only dream of being part of its animated counterpart’s world.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jul 19, 2024

The film feels at once too stunted for an actual musical and too expansive to be just another movie.

Full Review | Original Score: 6.9/10 | Oct 29, 2023

The music does seem to soar for the most part, and the movie is all elevated by Halle Bailey, she's fantastic.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Oct 27, 2023

[U]nfortunately, you do gotta (slightly) hand it to them — in the disenchanting, decomposing pile of animated adaptations, The Little Mermaid at least lies somewhere in the upper half.

Full Review | Oct 16, 2023

It can go without saying but Halle Bailey as Ariel is the most perfect casting for a live-action remake Disney has ever done. The way she was able to capture Ariel’s child-like inquisitiveness, stubbornness & yearning is something that should be studied.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Oct 13, 2023

The delightful sits alongside the baffling in Marshall’s adaptation, which is so often the way it goes with these Disney live action remakes.

Full Review | Oct 2, 2023

Consider the lousy animation and awkward performances and highly questionable narrative and ask what, to the tune of “Under the Sea,” the hell is this?

Full Review | Original Score: D | Sep 18, 2023

To begin, Halle Bailey. Remember her name and don’t forget it. From the trailers, to the red carpet, under the sea and above it, she is charismatic, humble, and a songstress.

Full Review | Sep 7, 2023

By making a series of small changes and using his experience in adapting musicals ("Chicago"/"Into the Woods"), [director Rob] Marshall crafts a story we know and gives it an entirely different vibe, for better or worse.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 6, 2023

Halle Bailey is by far the best part of Rob Marshall’s 2023 live action movie. She is a luminous talent with an angelic voice. She is without a doubt Ariel with her wide-eyed wonder and teen rebellion.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Sep 6, 2023

Another popcorn summer film, this time inviting a dive into the cool CGI waters of Atlantica peppered with shark attacks, shipwrecks and a giant octopus sea witch. Empty calories definitely, but fun all the same

Full Review | Aug 27, 2023

All the film’s flaws and miscalculations can be forgiven by its most impressive saving grace: Bailey’s performance is as remarkable as it is enchanting.

Full Review | Aug 23, 2023

...looks like a cheapie commercial for Royal Caribbean Cruises.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Aug 19, 2023

[Bailey] is absolutely magnetic on the screen and it’s hard to imagine many others being as perfect for the role as she turns out to be.

Full Review | Original Score: C | Aug 15, 2023

The casting, new songs and overall look aren’t strong enough to promote or weak enough to disparage.

Full Review | Original Score: C | Aug 8, 2023

It’s a weird message to be sending children these days: pretend to be something you’re not, keep your trap shut and hope nobody notices the scales.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Aug 2, 2023

Nothing in recent memory feels so much like amalgamated groupthink capital-C Content like this Little Mermaid.

Full Review | Jul 26, 2023

The Little Mermaid enriches virtually every narrative aspect compared to the original, deepening Ariel and Eric's arcs while exploring the same core themes without losing any of its predecessor's essence.

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | Jul 25, 2023

The Little Mermaid (2023) is the most successful of the live-action Disney remakes. Even with its shortcomings, the heart of the animated film exists within this new version which cannot be said for many other live action remakes.

Full Review | Jul 25, 2023

Mostly thanks to the music and dramatic performances from Bailey and McCarthy, "The Little Mermaid" goes along swimmingly. And that puts it several strokes ahead of other live-action Disney remakes.

‘The Little Mermaid’ Review: Halle Bailey and Melissa McCarthy Erase Any Doubts About This Remake’s See-Worthiness

'Chicago' director Rob Marshall risks drowning audiences in visual effects, but anchors his live-action Disney remake by finding the right actors to reinvent its most iconic roles.

By Peter Debruge

Peter Debruge

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There’s nothing “little” about Marshall’s “Little Mermaid.” Running nearly an hour longer than the 1989 toon, it’s a veritable sea monster of a movie, dramatically expanding the above- and below-water realms of the Caribbean-set original, while adding songs and characters (e.g., Noma Dumezweni as the Queen) like so many barnacles to the hull of the ship. It loses some, too, shedding the “Daughters of Triton” and “Les Poissons” scenes. Personally, I’m not convinced that audiences want every blockbuster they see to feel bloated, but it certainly comes with the territory in these Disney remakes. (This one reportedly cost more than “Titanic.”)

Marshall takes a page from “Chicago” collaborator Bill Condon’s “Beauty and the Beast,” letting the fairy tale play out in ultra-stylized widescreen vistas, digitally rendered to within an inch of their life, such that we’re practically drowning in detail. Ariel’s tail alone — rainbow bright and free-flowing as a betta fish’s fins — feels like it required more computing power than it probably took for Neil Armstrong to reach the moon. Early teases shown in trailers and shoehorned into the Academy Awards telecast gave fans of the original reason to be wary, as the footage looks fairly garish when taken out of context. Heck, it’s garish in context, too, but at least there, it feels like part of Marshall’s maximalist vision.

Through it all, Bailey’s face pulls focus from her elaborate surroundings. She’s got bright Bambi eyes, long butterfly lashes and a radiant princess smile, the uncanny combination of which suggests a live-action cartoon character. While that’s hardly a prerequisite for these remakes, it’s a nice contrast with Ariel’s more naturalistic animal companions — tropical fish Flounder (voiced by Jacob Tremblay), ghost crab Sebastian (Daveed Diggs) and dim-witted northern gannet Scuttle (Awkwafina) — who look almost like the real deal.

Marshall makes the unfortunate decision to apply distracting visual effects to the deep-sea sequences, designed to fool our eyes into believing the actors did their work underwater: flowing CG hair, funny reflections and a lame “Snorks”-like filter, as if everything’s being seen through an aquarium. When the movie’s working, we don’t notice it, as for “Under the Sea,” a stunning sequence of Busby Berkeley-level complexity that suggests what a live-action “Fantasia” might look like. It’s audacious, but nowhere near as charming as “Kiss the Girl,” in which Marshall simplifies things, so we can follow how Sebastian and company are trying to bring Eric and Ariel together in this scene.

If Bailey is the film’s big discovery, then McCarthy is its no-brainer. Dolled up to look like Divine’s evil-stepsister in her glowing green lair, the comic star’s just delicious as the movie’s deep-sea villain. Her timing is impeccable, and though the part is virtually identical to the one Pat Carroll originated, she aces what’s demanded of these tricky remakes: Basically, McCarthy manages to hit every beat the super fans expect, while surprising with every pause and inflection. Between Bailey’s wide-eyed urchin and McCarthy’s over-the-top octo-hussy, the movie comes alive — not in some zombified form, like re-animated Disney debacles “Dumbo” and “Pinocchio,” but in a way that gives young audiences something magical to identify with, and fresh mermaid dreams to aspire to.

Reviewed at Dolby Theatre, Los Angeles, May 8, 2023. MPA Rating: PG. Running time: 135 MIN.

• Production: A Disney release and presentation of a Walt Disney Pictures, Lucamar Prods., Marc Platt Prods. production. Producers: Marc Platt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, John DeLuca, Rob Marshall. Executive producer: Jeffrey Silver.
• Crew: Director: Rob Marshall. Screenplay: David Magee. Camera: Dion Beebe. Editor: Wyatt Smith. Music: Alan Menken; lyrics; Howard Ashman, Lin-Manuel Miranda.
• With: Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay, Noma Dumezweni, Art Malik, Javier Bardem, Melissa McCarthy.

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The Little Mermaid

A young mermaid makes a deal with a sea witch to trade her beautiful voice for human legs so she can discover the world above water and impress a prince. A young mermaid makes a deal with a sea witch to trade her beautiful voice for human legs so she can discover the world above water and impress a prince. A young mermaid makes a deal with a sea witch to trade her beautiful voice for human legs so she can discover the world above water and impress a prince.

• Rob Marshall
• David Magee
• Hans Christian Andersen
• John Musker
• Halle Bailey
• Jonah Hauer-King
• Melissa McCarthy
• 1.4K User reviews
• 241 Critic reviews
• 59 Metascore
• 2 wins & 30 nominations

Top cast 99+

• King Triton

• Sir Grimsby

• (as Matthew Carver)

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Trivia Jodi Benson : the original voice of Ariel in The Little Mermaid (1989) , appears as the person who gives Ariel a "dinglehopper" (fork) during her and Prince Eric's tour of the market.
• Goofs When Ariel jumps into the water to go back to the castle to stop Eric and Vanessa's engagement party, it's obvious that she should be soaking wet; however she is completely dry.

Sir Grimsby : Don't be held back by what you think should be. Think of only what is.

• Crazy credits The film opens with a quote by "The Little Mermaid" writer Hans Christian Andersen : "But a mermaid has no tears, and therefore she suffers so much more."
• Connections Featured in AniMat's Crazy Cartoon Cast: Purple Octopus Melissa McCarthy (2019)
• Soundtracks Part of Your World Music by Alan Menken Lyrics by Howard Ashman Produced by Michael Higham (as Mike Higham) and Alan Menken Performed by Halle Bailey

User reviews 1.4K

• tired-sparrow
• May 30, 2023
• How long is The Little Mermaid? Powered by Alexa
• Why hasn't there been an official trailer release?
• May 26, 2023 (United States)
• United States
• Nàng Tiên Cá
• Sardinia, Italy
• Walt Disney Pictures
• Lucamar Productions
• Marc Platt Productions
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $250,000,000 (estimated)
• $298,172,056
• $95,578,040
• May 28, 2023
• $569,626,289

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 15 minutes
• Dolby Atmos
• Dolby Digital
• IMAX 6-Track
• Dolby Surround 7.1
• 12-Track Digital Sound

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The Little Mermaid review: Halle Bailey swims (and sings) her way to stardom

The seaweed is actually greener this time.

Maureen Lee Lenker is a senior writer at Entertainment Weekly with over seven years of experience in the entertainment industry. An award-winning journalist, she's written for Turner Classic Movies, Ms. Magazine , The Hollywood Reporter , and more. She's worked at EW for six years covering film, TV, theater, music, and books. The author of EW's quarterly romance review column, "Hot Stuff," Maureen holds Master's degrees from both the University of Southern California and the University of Oxford. Her debut novel, It Happened One Fight , is now available. Follow her for all things related to classic Hollywood, musicals, the romance genre, and Bruce Springsteen.

When it comes to thingamabobs, Disney 's got plenty, but as far as saving graces go, one tale rises to the surface.

In 1989, when The Little Mermaid made its initial box office bow, it reinvigorated Disney animation and launched what has been dubbed the Disney Renaissance. It marked the studio's first animated feature-length hit since 1977's The Rescuers and their first animated fairy tale since 1959's Sleeping Beauty, helping the floundering studio reestablish itself as a leader in the space. What's more, the music and lyrics by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman brought Broadway-style structure to the animated film, evolving the movie musical.

Nowadays, Disney is once again at a crossroads. The streaming bubble is bursting, the theatrical model remains in flux after the pandemic disruption, and an un-slaked thirst for quarterly profit growth is pushing the company to rely ever more heavily on provable IP. Disney has come under fire for a reliance on its own properties, the regurgitation of its animated hits in live-action remakes and lackluster churn of Marvel and Star Wars product. But a red-headed mermaid is here to save the day once more with a new take on Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale.

This iteration of The Little Mermaid is the studio's freshest catch since it kicked off this live-action trend with 2015's Cinderella, featuring refreshing storytelling that captures the magic of the original. Director Rob Marshall at last has found material that fits him as well as 2002's Chicago, his splashy theatrical style merging with the tropes of musical comedy and something darker around the edges. He even finds a spot for his "they're happening in someone's head" approach to numbers in new track "For the First Time," giving a voiceless Ariel a musical inner monologue.

As the titular mermaid yearning for a life beyond the sea, Ariel is at the heart of this. In Halle Bailey , Disney and Marshall mint a new star. Bailey is breathtaking as Ariel. Her rendition of "Part of Your World" (the best "I want" song ever written) transmogrifies the already classic tune into something as otherworldly as undiscovered sea life. But it's her altogether human performance that makes it impossible not to fall in love with her. Her Ariel is less a tempestuous teenager with a crush than she is a blossoming and curious young woman.

While Ariel's interest in the human world beyond Prince Eric was always implicit in the story, David Magee's screenplay and Bailey's visible hunger for a world beyond her gilded net makes it abundantly clear that Ariel's fascination with life on land isn't driven purely by interest in a man. Instead, she and Eric (a dashing Jonah Hauer-King ) are drawn to each other because of their mutual curiosity for worlds beyond their own. A new, quietly drawn scene where Eric shows the voiceless Ariel the wonders of his own trove of treasures untold fills in this point of connection between them with subtlety and beauty.

Much has been made of the film's attempts to erase any potentially problematic content, changing a lyric in "Kiss the Girl" to address consent concerns and eliminating the "body language" section of "Poor Unfortunate Souls." While they are unnecessary edits, they're not glaring and pass so quickly that unless you have sung this soundtrack from start to finish in the shower for most of your life, you will scarcely notice them.

What is marvelous is this more diverse world of characters and a new Disney princess in Bailey. Her Ariel is so radiant that she seems to possess the properties of bioluminescence, absolutely glowing in every scene. Like the screen actors of the past who began as silent creatures, conveying the panoply of human emotion with looks and gestures rather than dialogue, Bailey has a similar task for a portion of the film when Ariel gives up her voice. It's engrossing to watch how much story she can tell with only her eyes or the tilt of her head. It's a type of performance and incumbent stardom we rarely see anymore.

Eric is given more depth here, as well, his status as a shipwrecked orphan and interest in the world beyond sturdily grounded in Hauer-King's performance. His new song "Wild Uncharted Waters" — from Menken and lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda — puts Eric's journey in parallel to Ariel's. Hauer-King elevates the character beyond a bland handsome face, while never pulling focus from Bailey's star turn.

Besides, Bailey's true foil isn't Hauer-King, it's Daveed Diggs as the voice of Sebastian, the put-upon crab tasked with watching over her. Diggs rose to fame as the original Lafayette and Jefferson in Broadway's Hamilton , but he's parlayed that breakout into a range of roles. Where Lafayette and Jefferson were egotistical bombasts, Diggs' Sebastian is a neurotic crustacean with a heart far softer than his shell. His vocal performance is both funny and tender, lending the overwhelmed crab more dignity and humanity than his animated predecessor. He delivers his feature number, "Under the Sea," with glee and precision, resulting in a riotous air of celebration.

"Under the Sea" is the film's high-water mark — featuring choreography from more realistic sea life, including schools of fish, sea stars, and jellyfish, executing Broadway-level dance moves. The film credits the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and the number evokes the Black joy and culture of the legendary dance company in a visual expression of the Caribbean timbre of the tune. It's a visual feast for the eyes, a veritable seafood buffet with swirling tableaus rife with vibrant coral and flashy fins. This chromatic kaleidoscope of sea life is a work of art unto itself, an irresistible backdrop for the film's iconic score and dazzling performances.

As sea witch Ursula, Melissa McCarthy is as enrapturing as her tentacles. She reels back some of her signature gross-out schtick and instead goes full drag-queen fabulous in a performance that feels like Drag Race by way of Norma Desmond. Marshall contains McCarthy's chaotic energy, allowing it to burst out in measured moments. Her Ursula is equal parts villainy and glamor, becoming something truly terrifying in her climactic transformation.

Magee's screenplay gives Ursula a more fleshed-out backstory as Triton's sister, but it could go further, as we never fully understand the tension and relationship between the two. That is partly the fault of Javier Bardem, who is the film's weakest link as a rather one-note King of the Sea, relying on his general air of menace. It's a disappointing turn from him, particularly given that Triton's arc should be one of the story's most compelling.

Awkwafina is appropriately grating as Scuttle, but in that, she's too reliant on her acting persona to take the place of character work. The new songs, from Menken and Miranda, largely fade into the background, overshadowed by the original score's classics, but "The Scuttlebutt," a rap number for Scuttle and Sebastian, is a standout. Miranda's signature style is abundantly evident and both Awkwafina and Diggs get to showcase their chops. (Though, it would've been nice for Diggs' extraordinary prowess and speed as a rapper to receive more of a showcase throughout the song.)

On the whole, The Little Mermaid does what past live-action remakes haven't: justify its existence beyond a blatant cash grab. It's not the new songs or even the dazzling visuals breathing new life into this watery world that do it. It's Bailey, her singular performance as Ariel, and the opportunity to give the world a Disney princess for a new generation, with all of the Mouse House whimsy on one side of the scales, and a depth and humanity that feels neither preachy nor performative on the other.

The human world, it's a mess, but with Halle Bailey, life under the sea is better than anything Disney live-action has done in nearly a decade. A-

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The Little Mermaid (2023) Review – a remake that finds a bit of that Disney magic

While it may not compare to the original, Rob Marshall, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and the cast find a bit of magic and heartfelt exuberance in their live-action remake of the classic animated film The Little Mermaid , which makes it worth watching.

Here is our review of the 2023 film The Little Mermaid, which does not contain spoilers.

The story of The Little Mermaid gets the big studio Disney live-action treatment with Rob Marshall behind the camera. Halle Bailey plays Ariel (half of the duo from the singers Chloe x Halle) and more than holds her own here as the flame-haired, precocious mermaid. The remake may not have the same magic as the original, but it has an entertaining heart that’s hard to ignore.

The Littler Mermaid (2023) Review and Plot Summary

Much of that credit can come from Academy Award and Golden Globe-nominated screenwriter David Magee , who adapted the film from Disney’s 1989 animated classic.

Here, the story is fairly loyal to the source material, as Ariel is still the youngest daughter to the Nick Cannon of the sea, King Triton ( Javier Bardem ), and his half-dozen daughters.

King Triton has trouble keeping Ariel inside his safe salt-water bubble. Ariel craves adventure her current world cannot quench. Frequently visiting the surface world, she encounters a sinking ship and the gallant prince Eric ( A Dog’s Way Home’s Jonah Hauer-King ).

After saving most of the crew, Eric’s knocked out cold into the water. Ariel rescues him from drowning, carrying him to safety.

The leads are blander than expected, and most of this remake’s enjoyment comes from a villainous turn and the fun supporting voice cast. Melissa McCarthy is cackling-good here as Ursula, who revels in the role with wickedly funny quips and a menacing manic laugh.

The filmmakers hit a home run here; you cannot imagine anyone else playing this classic character.

Awkwafina induces the most laughter by lending her voice to the dimwitted gannet, Scuttle. Many may object to Flounder’s new slim physique, but Jacob Tremblay ‘s voice brings the adorable figure to life.

Along with Blindspotting’s Daveed Diggs playing the anxious crab Sebastian, the group brings live entertainment to the screen, giving the movie the levity it needs.

Is the 2023 film The Little Mermaid Good or Bad?

Much of the debate of if the live-action remake is good or bad will hinge on the film’s musical component. Lin-Manuel Miranda is a producer and wrote four new songs with legendary composer Alan Menken, who scored several animated Disney classics, including the original. And yes, changes were made to “Kiss the Girl” and ‘”Poor Unfortunate Souls” that were needed.

The best was “The Scuttlebut,” rapped by Awkwafina (and Diggs joins in). While Disney purists may hate it, let’s face it, this movie aims at kids and provides a lot of fun. The same can be said for the extravagant presentation of “Under the Sea.” Halle Bailey captures the nostalgia from the original with “Part of Your World.”

Is the 2023 film The Little Mermaid Worth Watching?

The live-action remake of Little Mermaid is worth watching. Keep this in mind. The film is aimed at children and families. I will point out that the special effects, for some reason, become muddled by the film’s big ending sequence, which is strange that McCarthy’s Ursula suddenly can no longer emote.

However, Marshall, Miranda, Menken, Bailey, and Hauer-King find that bit of Disney magic from the original with its lovely score, an updated mix of modernized and classic songs, and its heartfelt exuberant romance. Hold a grudge that classics should never be remade, I’m on that team, but you cannot argue the entertainment was delivered well enough here for its target audience.

What did you think of the film The Little Mermaid (2023)? Comment below.

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Marc Miller (also known as M.N. Miller) joined Ready Steady Cut in April 2018 as a Film and TV Critic, publishing over 1,600 articles on the website. Since a young age, Marc dreamed of becoming a legitimate critic and having that famous “Rotten Tomato” approved status – in 2023, he achieved that status.

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