The Little Mermaid
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | Release Date: May 26, 2023 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
59
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 54 Critic Reviews
Positive:
26
Mixed:
24
Negative:
4
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
BBCCaryn JamesMay 30, 2023
It remains what it always was: a charming, escapist fairy tale. Read full review
60
The Observer (UK)Mark KermodeMay 27, 2023
It’s functionally good-natured rehash fare, bogged down by some watery CG and a few uncomfortable dips into “uncanny valley”, yet buoyed up by Bailey’s winning titular performance. Read full review
60
The Irish TimesDonald ClarkeMay 25, 2023
It helps that the 1989 flick had a score to equal that of any contemporaneous Broadway hit. And, Bailey, who will surely profit from this opportunity, knows how to build the blowsier numbers through show-stopping crescendos. All that should be enough to satisfy indulgent fans. Read full review
60
Time OutShaye WeaverMay 22, 2023
Like Disney’s other recent reboots, this version of The Little Mermaid fails to live up to its Oscar-winning predecessor (how could it?). But it adds just enough to be an enjoyable, though hardly groundbreaking, return to that magical world. Read full review
60
EmpireHelen O'HaraMay 22, 2023
Another ‘live-action’ remake that’s darker and less compelling than the animated original, but it’s saved by Bailey’s charming performance, McCarthy’s sass and the story’s own eternal magic. Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubLeigh MonsonMay 22, 2023
But when it comes to picking out what parts of Ariel’s story to tweak for the new medium, the remake still emphasizes the wrong pieces, consequentially bloating a previously brisk story into a meandering pile of producers’ script notes. Read full review
58
IndieWireKate ErblandMay 22, 2023
That problem: Does it feel real? Not yet, and not even movie star turns and rapping birds and the very best of intentions can bridge that divide. For now, “The Little Mermaid” exists outside of the very world it so wants to be a part of, one already so lovingly rendered in its predecessor, “real” or not. Read full review
50
LarsenOnFilmJosh LarsenAug 21, 2023
The Little Mermaid mostly takes place in an uncanny valley between imaginative invention and relatable live action. When we can see what’s on the screen, it tends to look like a cheapie commercial for Royal Caribbean Cruises. Read full review
50
Vanity FairHillary BusisMay 25, 2023
McCarthy’s sly, amoral performance is far and away the best part of the film. Every time she’s onscreen, the movie finally seems, well, animated. Read full review
50
New York PostJohnny OleksinskiMay 23, 2023
Despite real actors, CGI and brand-new material, “Mermaid” is the studio’s latest flesh-and-blood cash grab that’s more lifeless than far better two-dimensional painted drawings. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleCarla MeyerMay 22, 2023
The Little Mermaid origin story lacks room for this more feminist take. It simply is not deep enough. Read full review
50
Austin ChronicleRichard WhittakerMay 22, 2023
At the end of the day, people won't be lining up at a Disney park to ride a clamshell into a ride based on this live-action version. And that tells you everything you need to know. Next time, maybe just give this kind of money to the ink and paint department. Read full review
50
The Associated PressLindsey BahrMay 22, 2023
For all its pizazz, everything about this Little Mermaid is just more muted. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesJustin ChangMay 22, 2023
What’s on-screen too often feels like wan, second-rate imitation, and the few differences seem motivated less by a spirit of imagination than one of joyless anxiety. Read full review
50
Movie NationRoger MooreMay 22, 2023
This “Mermaid,” weighted down with expectations, responsibility to the corporate bottom line and what feels like fear that “We’re going to screw this ‘sure thing’ up,” sinks and rarely swims, an epic that impresses when it’s under the sea, but never really moves us. And when it’s on dry land, it could not be more bland. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterLovia GyarkyeMay 22, 2023
Like other live-action remakes, The Little Mermaid is a neatly packaged story ribboned with representational awareness. There’s enough in it to fill an evening, but it doesn’t inspire much more than a passing sense of déjà vu. Read full review
50
Screen DailyNikki BaughanMay 22, 2023
While this story of a mermaid who gives up her enchanted life to follow her heart onto the land has been given the full cutting-edge CGI treatment, the slow pacing, often-overwrought emotion and undeniably outdated story mean that it fails to make much of a splash. Read full review
40
SlashfilmJosh SpiegelMay 30, 2023
Giving a movie marks for not being as bad as possible is the same as giving someone a participation award. Could this have been worse? Of course, which also means it could have been a hell of a lot better. Maybe with a different director. Maybe with faster pacing. Read full review
40
VoxAlex Abad-SantosMay 30, 2023
Somehow, in this fantasy of mermaids and magical spells and a world compelled by curiosity, there’s a frustratingly fastidious commitment to terrestrial dreariness. And it’s not a world I’m longing to be a part of, not even for two hours. Read full review
40
Wall Street JournalKyle SmithMay 25, 2023
Though the new Little Mermaid makes excellent use of all that digital wizardry has to offer, its heart is lost at sea. Read full review
40
Little White LiesLeila LatifMay 24, 2023
Halle Bailey is fantastic as Ariel, and Daveed Diggs delightful as Sebastian the crab, but it’s still a late-stage capitalism slog. Read full review
40
Film ThreatAlan NgMay 23, 2023
Could this version of The Little Mermaid stand alone if the original didn’t exist? Possibly. Howard Ashman and Alan Menken’s songs and story structure remain intact and are its only salvation. But, again, why watch the live-action remake when the original is so much better and suited more for kids? Read full review
40
The IndependentClarisse LoughreyMay 22, 2023
Nice casting can’t cover up the ugly visuals and lack of creative risk. Read full review
40
The GuardianEllen E JonesMay 22, 2023
Bailey is the best thing about this film but, despite a team crammed with talent, this live action reworking can’t match the magic of the 1989 classic. Read full review
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