The Little Mermaid review: Halle Bailey soars in the Disney live-action adaptation

The Little Mermaid Review

Disney continues the live-action reboot of their classic animated films with The Little Mermaid, a new reimagining of the beloved 1989 animated film based on the Hans Christian Andersen fable.

Directed by Rob Marshall (Chicago) and starring Halle Bailey (Grown-ish) as the restless mermaid Ariel, this updated version of The Little Mermaid is a star vehicle for Bailey’s incredible voice but doesn’t come close to matching the charm of the fan-favourite animated film.

Halle Bailey Steals the Show

Bailey brings a sense of innocence and curiosity to the role, along with her jaw-dropping vocal skill. It doesn’t take long before she puts her unique stamp on the film; the first song, “Part of the World,” is the rare vocal performance in the film that equals or even betters the original. The song also takes on a deeper significance given the online troll backlash that greeted the casting of a Black performer in Ariel’s role, adding a layer of real-world pain to the disconnection Ariel feels from her surroundings.

The story beats from the animated film remain the same; Ariel wants to explore the human world she’s been forbidden from visiting by her strict father, King Tritan (Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men). That doesn’t stop Ariel from interfering in a shipwreck and rescuing Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King, A Dog’s Way Home). As her infatuation with Prince Eric and the topside world grows, Ariel makes a pact with the devious witch Ursula (Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids) to become human, a plan which forces Ariel to decide what she really wants from her life.

The Rappin’ Crab and Bird Duo

While some of the previous Disney live-action films have essentially been shot-for-shot remakes of the animated originals, director Rob Marshall has expanded this film considerably, adding in new songs and stretching the original’s run time by almost an hour. In addition to the Oscar-winning songs from the original film by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, the new version of The Little Mermaid features a mandatory Hamilton-style rap sequence penned by Lin Manuel-Miranda, which feels beamed in from a completely different film.

Daveed Diggs (Blindspotting) does an admirable job voicing the Caribbean-tinged crab Sebastian and Awkwafina (Raya and the Last Dragon) brings her loudest yelling voice to the role of the dim-witted bird Scuttle, both of whom are tasked with performing the film’s cringey hip hop number.

Under the Sea

While it’s clear The Little Mermaid was put together with a love for the source material and the desire to expand (and update) the film’s tone and tropes, the new additions make the film feel sluggish, especially towards the latter half of its needlessly epic 135-minute running time. Halle Bailey alone is worth the price of admission, but otherwise, this remake should’ve remained under the sea.

The Little Mermaid is in theatres now.