The Little Mermaid review: Disney's live-action film is mediocre at best


Maan Jalal
  • English
  • Arabic

Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid is one of the company's most anticipated reboots.

As a lifelong animation and Disney fan, I was excited to see the film that reimagines Halle Bailey in the lead role of mermaid princess Ariel. The casting of the black actress has brought divisive attention to the film, with traditionalists arguing that a white actress should have played the role to more closer resemble the original character in the 1989 animated classic.

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However, on screen Bailey proves her doubters wrong. Her voice is incredible and her acting as the adventurous, opinionated and naive Ariel is superb. She is a joy to watch.

The music is excellent, as well, thanks to lyricist Howard Ashman’s genius work with composer Alan Menken. Together they made the original a huge hit and they are also what saves this film from being completely pointless.

However, the script, dialogue and editing of the film is another story. The live-action remake doesn't give Bailey room to truly show off the full emotional spectrum of the mermaid princess. Unfortunately, those weren't the only issues. The script also did a fine job of confusing me.

In the animated film, Ariel falls in love with a human named Prince Eric. Her father King Triton forbids her from visiting the surface and so Ariel makes a deal with Ursula, an evil sea witch, to exchange her voice for a pair of legs with three days to make Prince Eric fall in love with her.

Warning: plot details ahead.

Over the years the film has been criticised for Ariel’s choice to give up her agency for a man she doesn’t know. It was clear in this remake that Disney wanted to avoid this notion.

In theory, this is great, but in practice, it is clunky and just doesn't work.

The original animated film made the stakes of Ariel’s choices very clear — she has to give up a part of herself in order to be part of the human world. The live-action film diminishes these very clear plot points.

There is also an odd addition to Ursula’s spell — Ariel forgets that she needs to kiss Prince Eric in order to remain human. This makes no logical sense within the framework and spoils the magic of the story.

In the film, when Ariel is turned into a human she is in a constant state of urgency, determined to spend time with Prince Eric but has no idea why. We never see her confused about this dichotomy of feelings and the whole thing is resolved in a few lines, added like an afterthought.

There are plenty of other creative ways to give Ariel urgency and agency. It was, however, enjoyable to see Ariel and Prince Eric’s relationship be given more substance compared to the animated original.

Prince Eric is positioned as a young man, who much like Ariel, feels stifled by the expectations of his mother — mirroring Ariel’s own relationship with her father. The film depicts them as equals in authentic and fun ways.

However, everything is thrown off balance when it is Ariel who saves Eric from Ursula instead of the reverse. This direct commentary on traditional gender roles feels forced. It might have made sense, given the trajectory of their relationship, for Ariel and Eric to save each other — defeat Ursula together.

I can only assume though that Ursula was killed. I have no idea, as the battle scene and every scene underwater was so dark it was impossible to see what was going on.

This is the most infuriating part of the live-action film. The animated characters and visual effects were truly abysmal. The underwater world looks like floating moss and seaweed. Everything is dark or lifeless, and the live-action sea creatures are horrifying.

With films such as Guardians of the Galaxy capable of creating creatures with spirit and life, or Avatar: The Way of Water imagining stunning underwater scenes, it’s mind-boggling that with Disney’s budget, The Little Mermaid’s visual effects, hair and make-up are so poorly done.

Disney and director Rob Marshall have reinterpreted a masterpiece of storytelling (which had a few faults of its own) and created a piece of redundant cinema.

If it weren't for the legacy of the original animated film, the live-action version wouldn’t have two legs to stand on — or a fin, to swim with.

The Little Mermaid is released in UAE cinemas on Thursday

ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

Sarfira

Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal 

Rating: 2/5

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SPAIN SQUAD

Goalkeepers Simon (Athletic Bilbao), De Gea (Manchester United), Sanchez (Brighton)

Defenders Gaya (Valencia), Alba (Barcelona), P Torres (Villarreal), Laporte (Manchester City), Garcia (Manchester City), D Llorente (Leeds), Azpilicueta (Chelsea)

Midfielders Busquets (Barcelona), Rodri (Manchester City), Pedri (Barcelona), Thiago (Liverpool), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Ruiz (Napoli), M Llorente (Atletico Madrid)

Forwards: Olmo (RB Leipzig), Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Morata (Juventus), Moreno (Villarreal), F Torres (Manchester City), Traore (Wolves), Sarabia (PSG)

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The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo

Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm

Transmission: eight-speed auto

Price: from Dh122,745

On sale: now

APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)

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UK's plans to cut net migration

Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.

Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.

But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.

Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.

Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.

The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.

Dubai Rugby Sevens

November 30-December 2, at The Sevens, Dubai

Gulf Under 19

Pool A – Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jumeirah College Tigers, Dubai English Speaking School 1, Gems World Academy

Pool B – British School Al Khubairat, Bahrain Colts, Jumeirah College Lions, Dubai English Speaking School 2

Pool C - Dubai College A, Dubai Sharks, Jumeirah English Speaking School, Al Yasmina

Pool D – Dubai Exiles, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Ain Amblers, Deira International School

The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index

The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index

Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.

The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.

“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.

“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”

Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.

Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.

“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.

Gulf rugby

Who’s won what so far in 2018/19

Western Clubs Champions League: Bahrain
Dubai Rugby Sevens: Dubai Hurricanes
West Asia Premiership: Bahrain

What’s left

UAE Conference

March 22, play-offs:
Dubai Hurricanes II v Al Ain Amblers, Jebel Ali Dragons II v Dubai Tigers

March 29, final

UAE Premiership

March 22, play-offs: 
Dubai Exiles v Jebel Ali Dragons, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Dubai Hurricanes

March 29, final

UJDA CHAMAN

Produced: Panorama Studios International

Directed: Abhishek Pathak

Cast: Sunny Singh, Maanvi Gagroo, Grusha Kapoor, Saurabh Shukla

Rating: 3.5 /5 stars

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
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Innotech Profile

Date started: 2013

Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari

Based: Muscat, Oman

Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies

Size: 15 full-time employees

Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing 

Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now. 

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Updated: May 23, 2023, 7:59 AM`