The Little Mermaid’s live action remake is right around the corner. At D23 Expo last year, Disney released the official teaser but apart from that the audiences in person also got to see glimpses of Part of Your World, the most iconic song from the original animated film. Then back in March, we got the first full length trailer for the film which opened to mostly positive reception barring the controversy regarding Disney’s casting choices. Since past 5-6 years, Disney’s live action projects have been pretty mediocre or bad so far but that might change with this upcoming Little Mermaid film. There are still over 15 days to go before The Little Mermaid hits the theatres but the early reviews for the film are already in.
Some lucky viewers and critics have already seen The Little Mermaid and have shared their short reviews and reactions for the film. They all appear to be pretty great hailing The Little Mermaid as not just a good film, but also the best Disney Live Action adaptation. However, we’ll ask you not to rely on these early reviews as these days we have seen a trend where first reviews for almost every film are great but the actual reviews and the film often turn out to be disappointing. So don’t hype yourself too much and manage your expectations. Anyways, check out some of these reactions below!
Critics Laud Halle Bailey in The Little Mermaid
#TheLittleMermaid makes it pretty close to being the best live action Disney movie, however it still struggles in the villain department. Halle Bailey IS Ariel and I had literal chills throughout her performance. This is a little mermaid retelling like you’ve never seen before. pic.twitter.com/JjtLOR61vL
— Felicia (@astoldbyfelicia) May 9, 2023
#TheLittleMermaid is filled with a few great performances from Halle Bailey and Melissa McCarthy, but it's a mostly paint-by-numbers remake that's isn't as good as the animated masterpiece. pic.twitter.com/YY4ielYXiR
— Kirsten (@KirstenAcuna) May 9, 2023
#TheLittleMermaid was a pleasant surprise! Halle Bailey's voice is unreal. I can never confidently do "Part of Your World" at karaoke again. Standouts: Daveed Diggs (no easy feat when you're voicing a "realistic" crab) and Melissa McCarthy (a safe choice but she nailed it).
— Jamie Jirak (@JamieCinematics) May 9, 2023
One of the Best Disney Live-Action Adaptation
#TheLittleMermaid is the best Disney live-action adaptation to date. Halle Bailey IS Ariel. Major props to the sound effects team. Good changes, though one new song with too much autotune. Could watch this version’s Under the Sea all day, it was the highlight of the whole thing.
— Gillian Blum (@GillianBlum) May 9, 2023
Disney’s #TheLittleMermaid is definitely one of the better live-action adaptions. Halle Bailey pours incredible emotion into Ariel and I got chills watching her, while Melissa McCarthy’s Ursula and Daveed Diggs’ Sebastian steal scenes all day. pic.twitter.com/DHhIkbIj8s
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) May 9, 2023
#TheLittleMermaid lovingly adds to the magic of the original.
In some areas too much, others too little, but unquestionably one of the better live-action adaptations Disney has crafted pic.twitter.com/b92VkkRBeF
— The Illuminerdi (@The_Illuminerdi) May 9, 2023
The Bad or Mediocre Reviews of Little Mermaid
It brings me no joy to report that The Little Mermaid is very mediocre. While the music is still great (minus two of the new songs) this live action version lacks Disney magic. The performances are fine with Melissa McCarthy being the standout. The iconic sea characters like… pic.twitter.com/T4y00uKn2d
— Scott Menzel (@ScottDMenzel) May 9, 2023
So, from the looks of it we are in for a banger and it seems like its time to put the skepticism about its casting to rest as well. But as I mentioned above, managing your expectations is really important. The final verdict about the film rests with you but its critical and general response will be clearer once the full reviews and RT ratings start popping up. The Little Mermaid is slated to release on 26th May 2023.
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