When the Little Mermaid live action remake was announced it was headliner news from the jump, while I wasn’t a fan of what it was making the headlines for, I was excited to see what Disney had up their sleeves. Beauty and the Beast is my favorite Disney movie, Belle was everything I would be as a young girl simply because she love books and reading. Even when Tiana was added to the princess catalog, Belle was still my favorite. Ariel battled for second place along with Tiana. So a live action remake with a twist was very promising. I only have one daughter and she’s my oldest child so when the movie was released in theaters she wasn’t jumping to see it. I brought a ticket to support Halle Bailey and the movie. The movie is currently available to own on digital, our friends at Disney sent us a code to review the movie and it was our pick for family movie night.
What I Loved About The Little Mermaid Remake
I’ve heard lots of different opinions on the remake of the movie so there were things that I knew going in but I stayed away from deep reviews about the film. Halle Bailey’s performance in the movie was simply amazing, she did a great job reprising the role of Ariel and now a new generation has a princess that can become their favorite. Bailey’s performance didn’t take away from the original version but it still added new layers and made her the role just as much hers. Melissa McCarthy’s as Ursula was simply perfect. Her version of ‘Poor Unfortunate Souls’ out of this world and the new favorite version for many fans.
The new take of the “world” Ariel was trying to enter by making it an island that Prince Eric’s family had moved to in the Caribbean was brilliant because it added new layers for people to explore and explained why Sebastian has a Jamaican accent. They added more people to the movie that made it more authentic and inclusive. The song ‘Kiss the Girl’ was my favorite in this film of all time, the setting was a little different but it did not take away the original while adding to the live action version. This version also showed that Eric still cared for Ariel even while under Ursula’s spell, while he didn’t understand what was happening you could tell he still cared. It added a more sensitive touch to their relationship.
What I Wish They Did Different
Bailey’s version of ‘Out of This World’ was probably my least favorite version of the song in the movie. I also didn’t like Sebastian’s accent, the change made it less effectively and I wish they didn’t change the voice of the actor. This movie seemed to move much faster than the animated version of the movie for some reason, even though it was longer. Some added scenes didn’t add to the story line for me at all but there were parts that were changed that people wouldn’t even realize was made to different songs and scenes of the movie.
The Little Mermaid Available on Digital Now
Relive the magic of one of Disney’s most beloved films when the “radiant and romantic live-action retelling” (Jenna Anderson, ComicBook.com) of The Little Mermaid becomes available to audiences to enjoy at home. Rob Marshall’s sparkling new take “captures the magic of the original” (Ross Bonaime, Collider) while “Halle Bailey simply soars” (Pete Hammond, Deadline) as she brings viewers into the world of Ariel and on a magical journey. Disney’s The Little Mermaid is available on Digital and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on September 19. Fans can add the film to their collection and access exclusive bonus features including a sing-along version of the film, song breakdowns, bloopers, and exclusive featurettes.
About the Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid is visionary filmmaker Rob Marshall’s live-action reimagining of Disney’s beloved animated musical classic, the story of Ariel, a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. The youngest of King Triton’s daughters and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea and, while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric. While mermaids are forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel must follow her heart. She makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, which gives her a chance to experience life on land but ultimately places her life – and her father’s crown – in jeopardy. “The Little Mermaid” is directed by Rob Marshall with a screenplay by David Magee, and is produced by Marc Platt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, John DeLuca and Rob Marshall.
Bonus Features*
- Sing Along Version – Sing along with your favorite songs while watching the movie with on-screen lyrics.
- Hotter Under The Water – Discover how director Rob Marshall and his team brought the story of The Little Mermaid to life with this documentary in five chapters:
- A Tale Of The Bottomless Blue – Join Rob Marshall on the set of one of the most ambitious and challenging films he’s ever directed.
- I Know Something’s Starting Right Now – Join cast members Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, Jonah Hauer-King and more and learn how they were cast in the film and what it was like to bring director Rob Marshall’s vision to life.
- Down Where It’s Wetter – Dip your toes into the virtual ocean and learn about how the breathtaking underwater world was created with visual effects, imagination and a lot of talented artists.
- Explore That Shore Up Above – From Prince Eric’s castle to the beach, explore the above-the-sea locations and the elaborate production design behind them.
- Do What The Music Say – Discover how legendary composer Alan Menken teamed up with Lin- Manuel Miranda to write new songs to accompany the original classics
- Song Breakdowns
- Wild Unchartered Waters – Prince Eric, played by Jonah Hauer-King, gets his own song, written by Alan Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Go behind the song, from the writing to the recording, to the filming on a practical ship.
- Under the Sea – Get a first-hand look at how professional dancers helped bring director Rob Marshall’s vision to life as they stood in for the various animated sea creatures that sing and dance in this showstopping number.
- Kiss The Girl – Float along and get a frog’s-eye view of the beautiful set built to film the live-action version of this classic song.
- Poor Unfortunate Souls – Join Melissa McCarthy (Ursula) as she takes us on the journey of making her character’s signature song.
- Featurettes
- The Scuttlebutt On Sidekicks – Dive in and meet Sebastian, Flounder and Scuttle, who not only have their own song, “The Scuttlebutt,” but also fresh looks as they work hard to make sure Ariel and Eric kiss before Ursula’s deadline.
- Passing The Dinglehopper – Ariel met Ariel when Halle Bailey worked with Jodi Benson — the voice of Ariel in the original animated movie — who appears in a clever cameo in the live-action film..
- Bloopers – Laugh along with the cast as they have the time of their lives making The Little Mermaid.
- *Bonus features vary by product and retailer
Nickida
Nickida is a first-generation Trinidadian American wife and mother of four. She enjoys sharing recipes from her childhood growing up in Trinidad with her readers. Nickida has a son with Autism and shares posts around traveling with a child with special needs to help other families like her own. She loves television, movies and is a true 80's baby.
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