REVIEW:
Let’s get this out of the way right now… obviously it’s not as great as the original animated film. There‘s only one time you can see a movie and learn a story for the very first time. And so that first version is always going to be special. But this live action version is still pretty good. They do the original animated film justice, mostly keeping the same songs, and making changes that are often for the better. The scales – contract idea, instead of signing is just one example. The acting here is great on all front, be it Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Or Halle Bailey as Ariel herself. What’s not as much fun are the new songs (three of them, while also taking Le Poisson, the Chef chasing Sebastian around the kitchen song, completely out,) or having Akwafina voice Scuttle the bird. Nothing against Akwafina, loved her in Shang Chi and Raya and the Last Dragon, but it’s enough with her and voicing animated Disney characters already. Raya was just a few years ago. Find somebody different. Other than those things, the movie is pretty solid. The visuals, under the sea, are all fantastic. And the action and atmosphere are very well done too. A solid movie and one of the better of these Disney live action remakes.