Review: 'The Little Mermaid' live-action drowns racial politics with superb cast
MANILA, Philippines — Disney tests the waters once more with a live-action remake of "The Little Mermaid" starring singer Halle Bailey as the titular character Ariel in her first leading role in a feature film.
For anyone still not familiar with the original 1989 animated film or the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale it is based on, the film follows the curious titular mermaid who longs to see what life is like on the surface where the people walk on streets with their feet.
Such an ambition is against the law of Ariel's father King Triton (Javier Bardem), so she strikes a bargain with the sea witch Ursula (Melissa McCarthy) for three days above water with feet of her own.
The price for getting legs of her own is giving up her siren voice, the only thing that could allow Jonah Hauer-King's Prince Eric to remember it was Ariel who saved his life, and time slowly ticks before Ursula's evil plan muddies the waters.
The first thing to get out of the way is that Bailey is excellent as Ariel. All the hateful comments and assumptions about her casting should be flushed down the drain after the brilliant performance she phones in.
Thanks in part to script reworks by David Magee, Bailey lets Ariel become more than the young mermaid she was in 1989: wiser, more intuitive, and rebellious even which is more believable of someone wanting to explore a different part of the world.
And speaking of which, no matter how many times one has heard Bailey perform the movie's famous song "Part of Your World," she continues to amaze with just how good her voice is and give the iconic words new life.
It was a good choice for director Rob Marshall to utilize Bailey's voice throughout the movie, including the scenes where Ariel is silent, and even in those moments Halle still has acting chops worthy of a rising star.
In the same corner is Hauer-King's Eric, given more depth and songs to grow his character and not simply a prince to be adored. Every additional part to Eric's story and how Ariel connects to him is a massive step forward.
Disney and Marshall could have done a lot more with Bardem as Triton, but also stepping it up is McCarthy whose villanous take teeters between campy fun and theatrical flamboyance, the exact aspects of Ursula that made her such an icon among Disney's villains.
The beautiful music by a returning Alan Menken help ease back into the original film's belovedness. "Under the Sea" and "Kiss the Girl" are memorable segments and McCarthy does some hellish fun with "Poor Unfortunate Souls."
And then there's Lin-Manuel Miranda helping the composer spice things up through new tunes whether so obviously like in "The Scuttlebutt" or emotionally as in "Wild Uncharted Waters," "For The First Time," and "Fathoms Below."
Related: How Halle Bailey became The Little Mermaid’s Ariel
The big dent in all of this is Disney again resorting to a live-action remake for another beloved property of theirs. Past similar endeavors have only landed on one side of a coin, and it isn't looking too well for "The Little Mermaid."
Perhaps the fact that "Avatar: The Way of Water" has set such a high bar for shooting underwater scenes that it either diminishes or disregards this film's attempts, but the overreliance of computer-generated imagery may be what brings "The Little Mermaid" down deeper.
This is not at all discouragement for the voice cast consisting of Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina, and Jacob Tremblay — the former in particular nailing Sebastian's stress — but one look at Tremblay's Flounder and most underwater scenes says it all.
The climax in particular goes by very quick and one can tell that something is lacking visually. At least the town and market scenes are enjoyable watches; hardcore fans should keep an eye out for Ariel's original voice actress Jodi Benson.
Whatever shipwreck brought about by visual effects and beat-for-beat sections in the film is salvaged by an excellent, most of all by Bailey and her wonderful voice.
Disney should really reconsider having to resort to live-action remakes especially as it celebrates its 100th year. But if it can find gems in the likes of newcomers such as Bailey or a towering presence such as McCarthy, then strong winds will carry their sails through another century.
RELATED: Disney reintroduces The Little Mermaid to a whole new generation
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