Ah, The Little Mermaid. Many have been waiting for Disney's lastest live-action plus CGI remake with some trepidation, and I confess that includes us. But now the movie has finally been released, could we all be proven wrong? The reviews suggest we could.
Critics have lavished praise on Halle Bailey's performance as Ariel in early comments on Twitter, while also commending the music. But what about the character design?
First, there were those terribly badly edited posters, and then there was the shock of being presented with disturbing realistic-looking Little Mermaid character designs for the supporting cast of aquatic creatures. It was all looking quite worrying.
But while the CGI is still dividing people in early reviews on Twitter, that doesn't seem to detract from praise for the film overall, thanks to the music and individual performances. It's "Disney's best live-action adaptation, in that it succeeds not just as nostalgia but as an often stunning film in its own right," YouTuber Grace Randolph wrote on Twitter after the premiere.
“The Little Mermaid is a live-action remake that retains the heart and soul of the story we know and love, and it’s elevated even further by a note-perfect, star-making performance from Halle Bailey,” the critic Zoe Rose Bryant wrote “She was born to be on the big screen and she’s why this new take is worth watching.”
Daveed Diggs’ voice work as Sebastian the crab has also been singled out for praise. and we can see in the clip above that Sebastian the crab does seem to have a lot of character. Nevertheless, I still find him a bit creepy myself, and it seems others do too.
It may look visually rough under the sea, but THE LITTLE MERMAID eventually recreates some of the original’s magic through its timeless story & cast. Daveed Diggs & Melissa McCarthy are highlights but Halle Bailey is the one astonishes with her gorgeous singing & empathetic charm pic.twitter.com/DhmmtOLaLJMay 9, 2023
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The new little mermaid looks sooooooo fucking bad. Like. Absolutley atrocious. Worst cgi I've seen sense 2010. Whoever rendered ariels hair is completely out of touch with reality and water physics. I mean there's just no excuse.May 13, 2023
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There's a little longer to wait to see for yourself. The Little Mermaid will be released on May 25. Then we'll be able to decide for sure whether it will join the most controversial character designs.
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Joe is a regular freelance journalist and editor at Creative Bloq. He writes news, features and buying guides and keeps track of the best equipment and software for creatives, from video editing programs to monitors and accessories. A veteran news writer and photographer, he now works as a project manager at the London and Buenos Aires-based design, production and branding agency Hermana Creatives. There he manages a team of designers, photographers and video editors who specialise in producing visual content and design assets for the hospitality sector. He also dances Argentine tango.
