Heather Guzman

Growing up, my big sister and I would replay this movie, Pocahontas and Mulan on VHS before bed until we learned every single word. The Little Mermaid movie and the main character's heartaches always felt like a movie that spoke to women of all backgrounds. This remake surpassed my expectations. The way that the storyline is fleshed out, makes it all the more believable. The Caribbean island setting was so realistic. As a person of color, you watch every movie wondering "where are all the Black people at?" But this movie accurately reflected real life. The extras moving in the background, were African, mixed, white, even some Spanish looking. This is what Caribbean islands looked like post-colonialsm. People who wish we could go back to the "good old days" miss the days were oppression was normal and people of color were put in their place by not being represented in TV/Film. That didn't happen here! The writers highlighted how similar Ariel and Eric's personal struggles were and it made it more relatable. Explaining the relationship between King Tritan and Ursula finally made sense. I didn't mind Eric being adopted. I'm assuming it was to show the comparisons in the King and Queen's parenting? Not sure. The animals looking realistic was weird at first. But I adjusted once I reminded myself it was a live-action remake, not a cartoon. The casting? Great overall. Ms. Halle Bailey brought tears to my eyes with the passion and commitment to this role she came on set with. I felt so proud of her. As Ariel, she was sweet, curious, innocent, headstrong and incredibly gracious. Not to mention she was gorgeous in every shot. For someone who didn't have any lines for a nice chunk of the film, she did a wonderful job at retaining everyone's attention and conveying Ariel's feelings. Excited to watch her career in the years to come. Eric was a whole person in this film. You actually understood more of who he was and how he felt. He had more depth and was nice to look at. Ursula ate that role up. Her acting was great. Her voice was awesome. Her movements were perfect. And this time around, Ursula was pretty comical. I do wish I heard from the sisters more and the Queen less. The sisters had more personality in the original. Only thing was Scuttle. I personally do not like the voice actor. But Scuttle was quirky and funny especially for young audiences it was intended for. Some of the new songs didn't really slap but I think overtime they'll grow on us. You don't need a kid to go see this. Just go check it out! <3