Smooth Waters!!!!! Adaptation of the 1989 Animated Classic is Solid Gem in Disney Live Action Portfolio!!!!!
Review By Brandon Porter
 |
| Daughter of the sea. |
Story Description
In the underwater kingdom of Atlantica, the noble King Triton (Javier Bardem) rules benevolently over the land and is incredibly protective of his people, especially regarding the dangers of the surface world. Everyone, including his many daughters, follows his instructions and logic…all except for one. For Triton’s youngest daughter Ariel (Halle Bailey), her curiosity about the world beyond her own drives her to learn more about the surface world. Her motivation becomes more pronounced when she meets a young prince named Eric (Jonah Hauer-King). Determined to seek the answers that she’s been denied for so long, Ariel makes a pact with the sinister and mysterious sea witch Ursula (Melissa McCarthy) to finally truly experience what it means to be human. After it’s all said and done, Ariel will discover what it truly means to find your voice.
 |
| Ariel makes a pact with the mysterious sea witch. |
Film Review
The latest live-action adaptation from Walt Disney Studios, Rob Marshall and Lin Manuel Miranda bring the opening film of the Disney Renaissance to life. Headlined by one half of the R&B duo Chloe X Halle, Halle Bailey takes on the iconic role of Ariel in a generation-defining motion picture event. After traveling under the sea with the newest Ariel variant, The Little Mermaid is a solid and entertaining film from start to finish. It is well known that there is a strong stigma towards Disney's live-action remakes. A cynical and jaded attitude when seeing beloved films from people's childhoods get reimagined in live action. Some do end up actually being quite good while others seem to fall under the category of unnecessary or bad. For me, The Little Mermaid ranks as one of the better live-action adaptations in recent years. The movie manages to strike a strong balance of paying homage to the original animated film while somehow establishing an identity all its own. Before we get into that, I'd be remiss if we didn't talk about performances and there is obviously no better place to start than with our leading lady Halle Bailey. I honestly don't know where to begin. Bailey's talent is well-known thanks to her musical background. But in this leading role, she definitely solidifies herself as a bonified star. She nails the essence of Ariel in every sense of the word especially when she sings. Her angelically powerful vocals and natural screen presence light up every scene she's in. She radiates charisma and her ability to convey emotion is impressive, especially at this level. Bailey gets full marks in a career and generation-defining performance. Additionally, her surrounding castmates do equally well. Jonah Hauer-King is great in the role of Eric capturing the confidence of a man who matches Ariel's need for understanding the world around him. He plays off of Bailey incredibly well making their chemistry feels natural and unforced. As for the CG characters, there is plenty to be pleased with. Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina, and Jacob Trembley do well as Sebastian, Scuttle, and Flounder. Diggs really brings comedic charisma to the role truly making Sebastian stand out just like in the animated film. Awkwafina continues to be a comedic juggernaut with her performance as Scuttle.
 |
| "She don't got a lot to say, but there something about her" |
Her performance had me laughing constantly, especially when she is interacting with Sebastian. But the secondary MVP award for this film has to go to Melissa McCarthy's Ursula. While a lot of the live-action interpretations of iconic Disney villains haven't quite hit the mark, McCarthy feels like the first one that really gets it right. It is staggering how much I truly underestimated how much of the late great Pat Carroll's essence was embedded in her performance. McCarthy strikes a great balance of honing the iconic animated version while still making it unique to the film. Kudos to McCarthy for really nailing an authentic version of this iconic Disney villain. As I mentioned before, one of the main problems that people have with the live-action remakes of these Disney classics is that they can't seem to find a balance between bringing new stuff to the table and doing things like the original. It's a frustrating experience seeing that no matter the direction, it's going to get flamed for being too much like the animated version or not much like it at all. For me, The Little Mermaid does a great job of balancing both old and new elements. Yes, the iconic songs are there with the showstopping ballad "Part of Your World", sung by Bailey, being an obvious standout sequence. But it's the changes to character motivations that set this film apart in a good way. Giving Ariel a more reasonable motivation to be human other than just blindly falling in love with Eric allows her to be more nuanced as a character. It's her desire to learn more about the world around her that drives her actions and makes this a solid modern update. I can definitely see this being a solid foundation to build on with future films that will allow them to keep the essence of their characters while updating the film for the live-action spectrum. All in all, The Little Mermaid is one of the stronger live-action Disney remakes whose changes really help make this film a solid homage to the original and a unique experience all its own. Bailey hits on all cylinders as does her supporting cast in what is sure to be her coming out party as an actress. While the stigma against these "reimaginings" is still prevalent, I'm happy to say that this trip under the sea was a fun time through and through.
Rating and Final Thoughts
.jpg) |
| Behind Bailey's incredible performance and additional elements that help make this adaptation unique, The Little Mermaid somehow strikes a good balance of honoring its animated predecessor while standing out on its own. |
 |
| Always better down where it's wetter |
No comments:
Post a Comment