For years now, Disney has made a habit out of adapting their beloved animated blockbusters into live-action movies. This largely started with Maleficent, and then inspired the release of projects like Beauty and the Beast, Mulan, The Jungle Book, and The Lion King. That tradition continues with the upcoming live-action Disney flick The Little Mermaid, starring Halle Bailey as the title character and directed by the great Rob Marshall. That movie musical has screened, see what fans are saying about the new version of The Little Mermaid.
There's been a ton of chatter online about The Little Mermaid, especially regarding the racist backlash received by Halle Bailey herself. But the movie is nearly upon us, and the early screenings have resulted in plenty of rave reviews. That includes my very own tweet, which reads:
#TheLittleMermaid is one of the best Disney live-action adaptations yet. Halle Bailey is a STAR and Daveed Diggs steals the show as Sebastian. Rob Marshall does it again.May 9, 2023
I said what I said. The new Little Mermaid delivers plenty of iconic moments from the original, but it also brought new songs and lines of dialogue to the table. And many of the funniest new lines came from Sebastian, voiced by Hamilton icon Daveed Diggs. And there's a ton of praise coming to both him and Halle Bailey.
Indeed, Bailey seems to be receiving universal acclaim from those lucky enough to see early screenings of The Little Mermaid. Despite the hate that Halle Bailey got online, her performance speaks for itself. Check out another tweet below:
#TheLittleMermaid makes it pretty close to being the best live action Disney movie, however it still struggles in the villain department. Halle Bailey IS Ariel and I had literal chills throughout her performance. This is a little mermaid retelling like you’ve never seen before. pic.twitter.com/JjtLOR61vLMay 9, 2023
Points were made. Apart from her outstanding singing voice which was on display in the Little Mermaid trailer, she's also been getting props for the way she embodied Ariel as a character. Some folks who saw early screenings went so far as to call her "flawless."
Of course, there are plenty of other A-list talent involved in Disney's latest live-action flick. Chief among them is Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, who had big shoes after the voice performance of late actress Pat Carroll. A tweet from journalist Perri Nemiroff gave her props, saying:
Halle Bailey IS #TheLittleMermaid. An angelic voice, the longing in her eyes, the chemistry with Jonah Hauer-King. She’s flawless. The movie overall isn’t but there’s more than enough charm, heart and adventure there to power it forward.Melissa McCarthy is a deliciously… pic.twitter.com/l5EITXf9f1May 9, 2023
Two others actors getting a ton of early acclaimed for their work in The Little Mermaid are Daveed Diggs and Jonah Hauer-King. The latter actor plays Prince Eric, after Harry Styles passed on the opportunity. One tweet praised both actors for their work on the movie musical, as you can see:
#TheLittleMermaid captures the magic of the original animated movie. Halle Bailey makes Ariel her own. Her chemistry with Jonah Hauer-King makes this movie soar. Daveed Diggs’ Sebastian is a scene stealer! pic.twitter.com/9Shc1VAVD3May 9, 2023
Another sentiment that seems to be shared on the internet by those who have seen The Little Mermaid ahead of its wide theatrical release is that it ranks high among the rest of the live-action adaptions. Although it was recently announced that Moana is getting it's own live-action movie. But previously there was some criticism thrown at projects like Mulan and The Lion King, with the latter being an almost shot-for-shot recreation of the animated blockbuster. A tweet compared this new underwater spectacle to its predecessors, reading:
Disney’s #TheLittleMermaid is definitely one of the better live-action adaptions. Halle Bailey pours incredible emotion into Ariel and I got chills watching her, while Melissa McCarthy’s Ursula and Daveed Diggs’ Sebastian steal scenes all day. pic.twitter.com/DHhIkbIj8sMay 9, 2023
Rob Marshall assembled a great cast for The Little Mermaid, and it certainly seems like the A-list actors are delivering for the latest Disney flick. Other well-known talent that gets in on the fun include Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay, and Javier Bardem. And they all had big shoes (or fins) to fill in order to play their beloved characters.
The Little Mermaid will hit theaters on May 26th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
