Movie Review: Disenchantment Under The Seas In Live Action "The Little Mermaid"

[Elmira Telegram 243]

 

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Anyone who has gone through the recent Disney’s live-action library would be right to approach “The Little Mermaid” with caution. Still, there’s excitement as the camera takes us underwater to give us our first glimpse of the mermaids — even after a somewhat ominous quote from Hans Christian Anderson that begins the movie (“But a mermaid has no tears, and therefore she suffers much more”). You can’t help but be hopeful. But the first mermaid that comes into focus doesn’t so much evoke wonder as it does a flashback of Ben Stiller’s merman in “Zoolander.” The technology is better, sure, but the result is about the same. Worse, as we spend more time with them, following Ariel’s multicultural sisters as they gather around their father King Triton (Javier Bardem), it’s hard to shake a distinctly uncanny valley feeling. It’s like gazing in on a roundtable of AI supermodels with fins.

 

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[Chris 1,539]

I don’t understand the need for all the live action remakes to begin with, other than they already own the rights and want to cash in again. There’s new stories being told all the time, yet this is what we’re given. This and Fast and the Furious 10. 

Although I have to admit, The Jungle Book live action remake was pretty good. 

[Adam 262]

ive read that two songs from the cartoon version; "poor unfortunate soul" and "kiss the girl" have been re-written to be less offensive...yet to see actual lyric differences though. there does have to be some original stories yet to be told

so https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/07/entertainment/little-mermaid-lyrics-rewritten-consent-intl-scli/index.html

indicates that for "kiss the Girl" there were concerns over sensitivity towards consent

"for poor unfortunate souls" :“Poor Unfortunate Souls” has also been revised, Menken said, because the original contained “lines that might make young girls somehow feel that they shouldn’t speak out of turn, even though Ursula is clearly manipulating Ariel to give up her voice.”

no problems with the overall theme of the movie being that one person must give up all they know, their heritage, as it were along with a physical change to get someone to love them....but heaven forbid a message of "dont be a blabber mouth" be portrayed

Edited May 23 by Adam
confirmation

[MsKreed 885]

1 hour ago, Chris said:

other than they already own the rights and want to cash in again.

Disney doesn’t even own the rights to most of its "original" movies.

From the 1920s or 30s......Walt’s blueprint was to cash in on uncopyrighted old Classics, Fairy Tales & Folklore that were Public Domain. 

Snow White, Cinderella, Robin Hood, Hans Christian Andersen (Little Mermaid), Kipling (Jungle Book) 

[LocalSportsGuy 8]

These Disney remakes haven't done much for me at all. Granted I know i'm not the main audience but they make money. Look at The Lion King. All the theaters had to do was play The Circle Of Life and people flocked to that. Now when they do Atlantis The Lost Empire, let me know. 

[Chris 1,539]

4 hours ago, LocalSportsGuy said:

Now when they do Atlantis The Lost Empire, let me know. 

I’d love to see another John Carter movie, but have a better chance of going to Mars myself!! 😄

[LocalSportsGuy 8]

 

19 hours ago, Chris said:

I’d love to see another John Carter movie, but have a better chance of going to Mars myself!! 😄

Honestly that John Carter film they did wasn't bad. The problem was the budget was so massive, and that super bowl ad that kicked off the advertising campaign was so awful. 

[Chris 1,539]

1 hour ago, LocalSportsGuy said:

 

Honestly that John Carter film they did wasn't bad. The problem was the budget was so massive, and that super bowl ad that kicked off the advertising campaign was so awful. 

You and I are gonna get along well.

I loved it, and have long said it was bad marketing that doomed it. And, it should have been John Carter of Mars. It would have gotten more attention.