A Little beauty
Live-action remake is a Disney delight, ideal for young viewers to take the plunge
Disney’s decade-long initiative to duplicate its rich animation backcatalogue in the live-action realm has not been everyone’s cup of tea.
Flesh-and-blood renderings of classic cartoons such as The Lion King and Dumbo have divided as many fans as they have delighted.
So it is a pleasure to report that the latest of these rewrapped presents to roll off the assembly line is a distinct delight to unbox and explore.
To put it simply, The Little Mermaid is as fine a movie to emerge from the Disney studios as any in recent memory.
While the new version holds up quite impressively when compared to the original, it is through the eyes and in the minds of younger movie goers that The Little Mermaid will make a lasting, loving impression.
What this newbie generation of viewers will cherish above all else is the sheer casting perfection of screen newcomer Halle Bailey as the one and only Ariel.
Not only does Bailey embody that irresistible blend of independence and innocence that has already made Ariel an icon for millions of children in the past.
She also sings the hell out of Ariel’s collection of solo numbers as if her life depended on it.
Just wrap your ears around Bailey’s showstopping, heart-starting rendition of Part of Your World and challenge yourself not to be moved, inspired and uplifted by it. You will not be winning that challenge. Story-wise, the new Little Mermaid gives the foundation tale a moderately expansive, but respectful renovation (a decision which, along with a few new compositions on the soundtrack, adds nearly an hour of running time above the original version).
The important plot points remain unchanged. They all revolve around the inquisitive marine teen Ariel, and her ongoing interest in all things human that gets on the nerves of her doting dad Triton (Javier Bardem).
Ariel’s daring rescue of a regally bred shipwreck survivor named Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King) sparks a mutual love and longing destined to go unrequited.
That is until Triton’s evil sister Ursula (a wonderful Melissa McCarthy) offers Ariel a three-day deal to leave her underwater kingdom for dry land to see if she and Eric have a future together.
If they don’t, Ariel’s return home will be highly problematic. Possibly even doomed. Not just for herself, but her father, sisters and many seacreature friends as well.
The generous pacing of The Little Mermaid allows this experience to go along with a gentle, unhurried flow that its young target audience will find utterly captivating.
While not all of the new songs warrant their inclusion here – and the underwater sequences look a little wonky in the wake of the gamechanging fluidity of Avatar 2 – the bulk of the movie is a gift that keeps giving as generously as it can throughout. The Little Mermaid is in cinemas now