The Little Mermaid movie review: Halle Bailey is a star

Over 30 years after the release of the animated movie, Disney is presents the live-action The Little Mermaid. Will the movie strike gold like Disney’s remakes of Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, or will the film fall short like The Lion King? Below, I share my review and give you my thoughts.

The Little Mermaid follows Ariel, a mermaid who makes a deal to trade her voice for legs so she can discover what the world is like above water (and to impress a prince). The film stars Halle Bailey as Ariel, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, and Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric.

We all know the story of The Little Mermaid, Ariel wants out of the sea, her father tells her no a million times, and Ursula takes advantage of her wish, forcing Ariel to give up her voice in exchange for human legs, but with the ground rules of she has to kiss the Prince in two days. How this all plays out aligns with the original with a few changes that flesh out perfectly.

The Little Mermaid is full of charm, laughs and will be fun for the whole family

Let’s talk about the film’s star, Halle Bailey, who, from the moment she opened her mouth with her first song, sent goosebumps down my arms, and you are immersed in her world for the next two hours. No matter what anyone could potentially say about this movie, NOBODY can take away from what Bailey did in this role. This isn’t just a star-making turn, it’s a revelation in the world of Disney Princess that will impact generations to come. Bailey has a voice of an angel and truly took this role to heart and poured it out onto the screen.

The supporting pieces in the movie all play roles to perfection. First, Daveed Diggs is quite the scene stealer as Sebastian, who provides the comedy relief. His sidekick, Scuttle (Awkafina), and Flounder (Jacob Tremblay), are both fun. And Melissa McCarthy is fantastic as the villain Ursula. She had this perfect balance of intimidation and brilliant charisma. Last, Jonah Hauer-King was the perfect Prince Eric. The cast was great from top to bottom.

I was a massive fan of the use of the classic songs, but the addition of “Wild Uncharted Waters,” “Scuttlebutt,” and “For The First Time,” made the film stand out on its own. Funny enough, each song will stand out to audiences, and one will be in your head for days.

Much chatter has been about the darkness of the colors within the film and the CGI. While the darkness didn’t bother me or even was a distraction, the CGI is wonky at times. It doesn’t take away from the overall film, but it can be distracting. My only other bone to pick is the run time as the movie dragged a hair too long. The team could’ve easily shaved off 15 minutes and missed nothing.

Overall, the groundbreaking performance by Halle Bailey elevates The Little Mermaid to become one of/if not the best live-action movies that Disney has put out. It’s full of charm, laughs and will be fun for the whole family. You don’t want to miss this one in theaters.

The Little Mermaid hits theaters on May 26, 2023.