Star-turns from Halle Bailey &
​Melissa McCarthy make this Mermaid swim with glee

​FILM REVIEW
Disney's
​The Little Mermaid
​​​​Rudy S.
Headliner Chicago

3.5/4 stars for the re-imagined version of The Little Mermaid 
​
The movie is a delight for young kids and those young-at-heart hoping to recapture a moment of their childhood.​

Ask any kid who grew up in the early 90's and they'll tell you a fond memory of Disney's The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty & the Beast and/or The Lion King. A big part of the success of these films were the soundtracks. I'll be the first to admit, Under the Sea, Part of Your World & Poor Unfortunate Souls are still bangers some 30+ years later.  Now it's time for a new generation to experience Hans Christian Andersen's story in a live-action film.

Having watched the original Disney's 1989 film countless times that clocks in at 83 minutes, I wonder how the 2023 version that's over 2 hours long would resonate with kids, especially the younger ones. For the test, I brought our 3-year old. I went into the screening expecting not to stay for the whole film. She sat there mesmerized the entire film.  I'd also like to apologize to other film critics in the room for the two times she wasn't silent (the first was to say 'Ahhh It's Ariel' and when we see Ursula for the first time and said 'Ohh scary octopus').

Overall, this is a fantastic reimagination of Ariel and Halle Bailey knocks it out of the water (dad joke). Moviegoers become Part of (Halle's) World from the moment we see her and she gives us Ariel's truth on finding love and having a mind full of wonder. Melissa McCarthy's performance is truly iconic and brings Ursula to life the way no one else could and can't wait to see audiences react to her embodiment of Ursula. Much was said online also when we saw the photos of Sebastian, Flounder and Scuttle because they didn't resemble the animated versions. Let's just say from the moment you first see them on screen any preconceived notion of what they should resemble is thrown out the door. Also big props to Daveed Diggs on role of Sebastian and nailing Under The Sea and Kiss the Girl, along with the jokes and punchlines in the film. 

In this version Eric gets his own song and a bigger backstory, which becomes a better part of the second half of the film. Fans wanting to see more of Eric, will definately be pleased with those scenes and getting to know more of his spirit. Three new songs are part of the movie, but two iconic tracks do not make the cut in the 2023 film including Daughters of Triton and Les Poissons, but don't let that influence your view of the film. The movie is a delight for young kids and those young-at-heart hoping to recapture a moment of their childhood.

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Disney's
​The Little Mermaid
​​in theatres on May 26