The Little Mermaid

Halle Bailey is doing her damndest, in spite of underwater CGI effects that frankly make her look like a waxwork.

The delightful sits alongside the baffling in Marshall’s adaptation, which is so often the way it goes with these Disney live action remakes.

Parts of this movie are truly enchanting, especially the underwater scenes. The opening moments on Prince Eric’s ship are thrillingly filmed and the “Under the Sea” number is a glorious Busby Berkeley underwater fantasia.

It’s trying so hard to not upset fans of the original that it often feels like imitation with a couple of adjustments. And that’s about as flat as Flounder’s new-found photorealism.

It's pretty hard to come close to perfection... This is definitely not better than the original, but it doesn't tarnish it, either.

Overall, it’s a visually gorgeous film, buoyed by a strong ingenue in Bailey with enough laughs for the kids and the nostalgic adults—just don’t expect anything new.

Endearing but tonally spotty, The Little Mermaid (2023) lacks the whimsy of the original but finds a star-making performance in Halle Bailey.



The result is another mixed bag that may contain some rare pearls within its shell but can only dream of being part of its animated counterpart’s world.

The film feels at once too stunted for an actual musical and too expansive to be just another movie.

The music does seem to soar for the most part, and the movie is all elevated by Halle Bailey, she's fantastic.