Steven Meythaler

Wonderful beyond words! Halle and the cast breathe so much life and love into this production and helps show why we love the original as much as we do while bringing new material which helps this version stand on it’s own merits. The dynamic chemistry between Ariel and Eric is the magical core of the movie and the world above land is so vibrant you understand Ariel’s curiosity and drive to be a part of it. Of note, the scene where we see Eric and Ariel spend a rainy night together exploring the treasures in the astronomy tower laughing and celebrating being souls wanting to learn and explore together is truly beautiful. The beauty only continues as we explore the kingdom and spend a magical night on the lagoon with our engaging couple. The changes to the plot help Ariel’s motivation be one of self celebration and the pure joy Halle brings in her acting and vocal performance should be celebrated for years to come. Jonah Hauer-King as Eric gives a wonderful and warm performance. He is in all ways a kindred spirit to Ariel, experiencing many of the same feelings of not belonging as our heroine and loving any opportunity to explore the world more. Melissa McCarthy as Ursula is having the time of her life giving a fun villainous performance and gives her all to be a menace that will surely haunt younger audience member’s nightmares. While not immediately Daveed Diggs, Akwafina, and Jacob Tremblay do eventually become a powerhouse of supporting characters with fun chemistry and a joint love of their mermaid companion that help enhance our perceptions of Ariel’s journey once she gains her legs. Now for the reasons the movie doesn’t get the 5 stars. The movie feels lifeless until Ariel’s beautiful “Part of Your World” song and the lifelessness unfortunately carries over into how the undersea world is portrayed and no where is it more evident then in the mild portrayal of the “Under the Sea” song. The choice to portray the undersea world as a “lifelike” aquarium does lead to expressionless cgi movement that does not capture the energy as seen in the animated movie. I am so sorry to say the worst offender of lifelessness is Javier Bardem’s portrayal of King Triton. Triton in the original is the most complex character, a loving farther who makes terrible mistakes and grows in a way that allows his daughter to have her voice but man is he here just to collect a paycheck. This is the one aspect of the original that is most hurt in this adaptation, Triton’s love for his daughter is not shown at all and his performance unfortunately does bring down the overall production. That being said, our new Ariel is worthy to stand alongside the iconic Jodi Benson as a true princess charming and lovely in every frame. I can’t wait to revisit this one time again. Disney live action adaptations often leave a lot to be desired but this is such a step in the right direction I am honestly hoping that this is the standard moving forward rather than the exception. To Disney please take note: Take the source material and make changes that help make our characters more dynamic, alive, and layered. This is the secret for adapting these timeless tales for a new generation and I am happy to report this version is worthy to stand alongside the original version.