Who was going to tell us that, after wearing out our videotape playing over and over again the film of The little Mermaid, we would enjoy his story and his songs on the big screen again. With some famous faces and brilliant new talents, yes, but with the same essence and enthusiasm to give us back a story that has meant so much to our generation.

Needless to repeat the controversy that has unleashed this new live action starring halle bailey and directed by Rob Marshall (who has not heard, must live under the sea). What if the choice of the leading actress, what if the somewhat horrifying realism of the animals, what if the change of the lyrics of some songs…

We didn’t know what we would find, but the result has been what we expected: a perhaps unnecessary revision, but with interpretative successes and musical respect for the original 1989 film. A new way of uniting generations and restoring the illusion to the little ones .

‘The Little Mermaid’: review

Assessment:

The little Mermaid

Remakes, in general, and live action (or converting animated films into films with live-action actors), in particular, are justified for various reasons in Hollywood.

Although they tend to avoid the most obvious, the economic one, they talk about the technological challenge, of taking advantage of the development of all those techniques that now make it possible to make an underwater film with real actors (hello, James Cameron). And then there is the most common justification, that of bringing the film to new generations and, incidentally, updating it.

The little Mermaidof Rob Marshall, is based on all three. And it is also based on the previous successes of Beauty and the Beast (2017) or Marshall himself, The return of Mary Poppinsapart from stretching the gum of the momentary (and cyclical) revival of the musical.

The little Mermaid perhaps it does not reach the level of those mentioned, but it is true that his task was even more complicated, it not only consisted of messing with one of the most beloved Disney classics (the one that opened a new golden age of the mouse house and also of the musical), but it was perhaps among the least questioned from today’s perspective, despite the fact that, like almost all, it focused on that tale of princesses and princes.

And it is true that there they have made a very clear effort from the cast: the supposed (and absurd) controversy surrounding the choice of halle bailey it ends when you see it. The singer, and now an actress, is a dignified mermaid, with a spectacular voice and a transparent innocence.

Afterwards, the rest of the updates in the story are a bit more shoehorned in. For example, the preservation of the oceans. It more or less runs through the film on that ancient journey of enmity between men and humans and is less subtly shoehorned into a scene with all the mermaid sisters cleaning up the coral reef.

The empowerment of the protagonist, finding her voice, her path may be somewhat more highlighted, but not much more than what we saw in the classic film. That reckless father who does not let her choose her particular path, the fear of losing her daughter, her rebellion… The reasons for escaping from her are still her love and perhaps satisfying her curiosity more. her to see the world

The problem with The little Mermaid It is precisely that technology that is not good for a film as colorful as that of 1989. The darkness of the screen will be justified by being at the bottom of the sea, but it is already tiring. And, on the other hand, marine animals give a certain grimness, and I suppose that is why Flounder the little fish loses prominence, with how cute he was animated, here he has terrifying eyes.

With Sebastian, the crab, and Scuttle, the seagull, more are saved and the original voices of daveed diggs and Awkwafina respectively. Both star in one of the new songs composed by Allan Menken and lin manuel mirandaanother way to update the classic, by the way.

This compensates for the wise choice of the real actors, the aforementioned Halle and also Melissa McCarthy like Ursula or Javier Bardem like Triton. And all in all, this version is likely to win over a new generation because Menken’s great music is still there.

‘The Little Mermaid’: synopsis

What to tell that is not already known about the synopsis of The little Mermaid. We’ve been watching it since the original premiered in 1989, when Disney introduced us to this red-haired mermaid who, in love with the human world, dreamed of having feet so she could run and discover what lies beyond the depths of the sea ( no matter how much his friend Sebastián, the crab, tried to convince him how much fun it is to be a mermaid).

The film tells the story of how Ariel decides to disobey her father, King Triton, and make a pact with the evil Ursula, giving up her beautiful voice in exchange for legs that allow her to rise to the surface and explore the world that loved her so much. fascinates. There she meets a prince who must kiss her before she loses her voice forever.

‘The Little Mermaid’: release date and duration

The little Mermaid comes to theaters May 26, 2023. The movie lasts for 135 minutes.

‘The Little Mermaid’: director

Annie (1999), Chicago (2002), Memories of a Geisha (2005), Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011), The return of Mary Poppins (2018)… We owe all of them to Rob Marshallwho this year adds to his filmography the return of The little Mermaid to our lives.

A stage, screen and choreographer director, Marshall won Best Director at the Oscars and Golden Globes for his work with Chicago and has been nominated numerous times for BAFTA, Emmy, Annie and Critics Choice Awards, among others.

The little Mermaid supposes his return to the world of Disney since he had Emily Blunt to reincarnate the world’s most famous magical nanny. On the controversy that sparked her casting for the role of Ariel, Marshall has been blunt: “We were looking for the best actress for the role, period”.

‘The Little Mermaid’: cast

It has little to envy the distribution of The little Mermaid to the live action of Beauty and the Beast of 2017. If at that time the director Bill Condom had Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Emma Thompson and Ewan McGregor To bring that tale of inner beauty to life, Marshall has an equally compelling cast to tell our favorite story under the sea.

To the magnificent Ariel of halle bailey they join him Javier Bardem like his father, King Triton, and Melissa McCarthy like the evil Úrsula. Her friends, Flounder the fish and Sebastian the crab, feature the voices of Jacob Trembley and daveed diggswhile Scuttle the seagull comes to life with the voice of Awkwafina.

They are added Karolina Conchet, Lorena Andrea, Kajsa Mohammar, Simone Ashley, Sienna Who and nathalie sorrell like Ariel’s 6 sisters.

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