Hasaan Qureshi

I cannot believe in good faith that the 1 star reviews are a result of anything other than racism. As someone who loved the animated version before I could even write, this movie met all my expectations and might have even surpassed my love for the original movie. I loved how much more attention to detail was given to each character, ESPECIALLY the sisters. Each of their designs was so unique and felt so thoughtful compared to the original sisters, who I almost forgot even existed in the original. I loved the small tweaks in the story, they made it much less infuriating- for instance, Ariel using a scale for Ursula’s spell instead of signing a scroll- I no longer have to throw popcorn at the screen thinking to myself “why doesn’t she just write to him?!”. Guys- Live action Ariel & Eric may have just put Tiana & Naveen and Rapunzel & Flynn to shame. Their chemistry felt so real- the scene where Ariel uses constellation names to help Eric figure out her own name was so adorable, I couldn’t help but smile. I loved how they rewrote Eric’s interests slightly to make Ariel and him be more alike- giving Eric his own trove of treasures. I loved watching Ariel explore the island, not just with Eric, but by herself and with the other residents. It truly felt like this Ariel wanted to be human rather than just be with Eric, something which I think the original tried to communicate as well but fell flat. Sebastian was incredibly funny, absolutely putting original Sebastian to shame. My favorite of his lines had to be when Ariel was showing Eric how to blow into a conch shell by pouting her lips and he went “Okay girl, get it! I see you…”- had the entire theater giggling. My one gripe with the movie was certain scenes not feeling/looking as magical, but that was honestly expected considering live actions are confined by reality, while animation is not. Despite this, the movie still delivered for me visually. I have so many more positive things to say about this movie, but I’m tired… Go watch it! Whether it’s still in theaters near you or you have to wait for it to come out on Disney+, watch it! Definitely the best live action Disney’s made so far.