Read Mixed User Reviews for The Little Mermaid (2023)

4

MatchesPeachesJun 25, 2023

Not the worst film in the world, but it’s a mess. Bad cgi, a terrible acting performance from Bailey (great voice though), asinine changes to the narrative to push an agenda, and terrible news songs to accompany the hollow imitations of theNot the worst film in the world, but it’s a mess. Bad cgi, a terrible acting performance from Bailey (great voice though), asinine changes to the narrative to push an agenda, and terrible news songs to accompany the hollow imitations of the originals. Just watch the original film and save the extra 52 minutes of this one… Expand

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

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5

random-dudeJul 26, 2023

A very bland experience, safe and soulless; vanilla with no sprinkles. Good enough while it lasts, but wont leave a joyful memory.
I honestly expected this to be worse, since even the critics aren't praising this. But in my opinion is justA very bland experience, safe and soulless; vanilla with no sprinkles. Good enough while it lasts, but wont leave a joyful memory.
I honestly expected this to be worse, since even the critics aren't praising this. But in my opinion is just the same as other Disney live-action remakes (barring Cinderella). Still a very unnecessary movie that brings nothing new or of value to the table, with no heart and nearly no emotional beats to connect to.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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5

darocaboMay 30, 2023

The underwater scenes are really bad (cringe). Halle Bailey is the only good thing about the movie, but only in the "land scenes" it seems like any of the actors don't know or care to act with green screen. The sidekicks are really plainThe underwater scenes are really bad (cringe). Halle Bailey is the only good thing about the movie, but only in the "land scenes" it seems like any of the actors don't know or care to act with green screen. The sidekicks are really plain characters. Melissa McCarthy tried to imitate a drag queen.

The new songs are Encanto 2.0, the only adition or change to the plot I loved was the "explanation" of why Ariel fell in love or got interested in Eric. that was a really nice touch. And... Why Vanessa was white? the idea of ursula becoming Vanessa to trick Eric was to imitate Ariel, therefore she should have look like Ariel.… Expand

5 of 7 users found this helpful52

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5

tsarouhasJun 1, 2023

Totally skippable. I was almost certain that it was going to be a let down from the trailer and I was right. The movie is pretty much a scene for scene recap of the original, adding almost nothing new or meaningful. The songs are all betterTotally skippable. I was almost certain that it was going to be a let down from the trailer and I was right. The movie is pretty much a scene for scene recap of the original, adding almost nothing new or meaningful. The songs are all better in the animated version, the few extra ones are boring or straight out annoying, and the acting was a bit watered down, especially for Ursula, who had a flair for the dramatic. All in all, skip this one, just watch the original, way more fun… Expand

4 of 6 users found this helpful42

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4

FelipecanonMay 27, 2023

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Well i'll be the must objetive here. Its not the best movie out there but it isnt the worst neither. The cgi is the worst part, nothing looks real except the animals that talk (flounder, sebastian and Scuttle). Those 3 give too much cringe specially flounder and Scuttle. Also the rap between Scuttle and sebastian is the worst song in the movie, unbearable. The acting is passable, Bailey isnt as great as they want us to think but she does her job. Sometimes she has the same flat face (specially when she doesnt have voice). Ursula isnt as intimidating as the ursula from the original movie, she is supposed to be a sea witch monsters and McCarthy isnt intimidating. The New songs are passable also (except the rap) but giving Ariel another song while she doesnt have voice is ridiculous like they put it just to make Bailey sing another song. Unfortunately, this movie lacks the charm and magic of the original 1989 movie. Some scenes are way to dark and colorless. The fact that Éric is adopted is illogical and isnt explored more deeply, is just like they made it like that to justify making her mother black. Also the diversity in Triton's daughters are justified vaguely even if they explain that all the daughters have the same mother, illogical. In conclusion not the worst but not the best, is just another mediocre Disney live action that doesnt compare with the original movie.… Expand

9 of 15 users found this helpful96

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4

TeaRichJun 2, 2023

Okay

It is at least better than peter pan. Even if the writers didn‘t get the moral of the old movie

3 of 6 users found this helpful33

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4

schtoopididiotMay 28, 2023

In spite of its best efforts, The Little Mermaid still manages to fall flat on its face with few elements holding it up. I am very worried for Halle Bailey, due to how much pain her back must be in for carrying this mess on her back.

4 of 9 users found this helpful45

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5

HabibiehakimMay 26, 2023

The Little Mermaid, another unnecessary Disney remake, i'd say that the first 40 minutes of the film was just awful, from the bad CGI, Javier Bardem awful performance as King Triton, when he rage he doesn't even feel like he's raging, he'sThe Little Mermaid, another unnecessary Disney remake, i'd say that the first 40 minutes of the film was just awful, from the bad CGI, Javier Bardem awful performance as King Triton, when he rage he doesn't even feel like he's raging, he's supposed to be menacing and scary when he taught Ariel, instead he is so flat in this movie, the first performance of Part Of Your World was fills with awkward pauses and cringe improvisation, the second one was as cringe, and you can compare the Under The Sea performance to the 1989 version and you can notice the missing energy, that whole thing happen in the first 40 minutes, and the rest of The Little Mermaid was improving but still no good, i enjoy Halle Bailey performance more in the rest of the movie i guess because she's not speaking at all, Jonah Haurer-King was not good either at first ok at the end, and so do the rest of the cast really, except Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, she was decent all the way through and possibly the best performance in the film, i just have so many more problems with the movie, so many cringe scene and bad voice acting not forget to mention, it felt so stupid to watch, so cringe to watch, even the audience was laughing on how stupid it is and i followed them, sure there is still couple of cute and giggles moment, but the rest i'm in the cringe, three or more new song and i only like one of them, it's too long, it's pretty boring, it's cringe silly, and i don't like it, overall The Little Mermaid remake was more of like The Cringe Mermaid.… Expand

5 of 17 users found this helpful512

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5

bertobellamyMay 26, 2023

Carbon copy of the original film with some filler here in there. Halle Bailey shines as Ariel, but everything else is dull and uninspiring. Will Disney ever learn that photorealistic animals don't convey any emotions?

6 of 22 users found this helpful616

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5

DonSergeMay 31, 2023

Is it unnecessary? Maybe. Is it a 0 rating movie? No. Is it a 10 rating movie? No. It's just barely good, it's the same story as the animated, the acting is good, the music scenes are good. The really terrible part is the CGI, at times it wasIs it unnecessary? Maybe. Is it a 0 rating movie? No. Is it a 10 rating movie? No. It's just barely good, it's the same story as the animated, the acting is good, the music scenes are good. The really terrible part is the CGI, at times it was unbearable to watch underwater scenes.… Expand

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

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5

Gusta23May 27, 2023

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The movie is not as bad as I imagined, it could be better without some laceration points (Wolk), the character's ethnicity and the smallest of problems, it had everything to be the best live action since Cinderella, but let's get to the point if this one If the film was not set in 1830, I would not complain about the exchange of ethnicities, but I have to take into account the time that has passed, there were no other ethnicities besides white at that time, according to how a triton had 7 daughters with different ethnicities with the same woman, only it could be cuckold , third making Ariel not know that she has to kiss the prince , fourth the changes in the songs some changed the meaning of the story to seem feminist and the last point because the prince didn't save Ariel at the end of the movie and Ariel saves him in the original movie and he reciprocates at the end of the movie, it changed the meaning of her father changing his opinion about humans because of him if it weren't for those points the movie would have 5 stars and would be the best live action version since Cinderella... not to say that this movie didn't improve anything, the prince was the best part of the movie and the music he got gave more depth to the character and has some tributes to the classic, it's certainly better many live action released from 2019 to here and too better than Peter Pan and Wendy!!!… Expand

3 of 18 users found this helpful315

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5

LinwardJun 2, 2023

A magical experience! My daughter loved it and so did I. Although Ursula did scare her just a little.

2 of 15 users found this helpful213

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5

JLuis_001May 26, 2023

There are no surprises, no changes in the formula and, therefore, it's more of the same. This is the recipe that Disney has decided to apply in all the live-action remakes of its animated classics.
True, there have been some worse thanThere are no surprises, no changes in the formula and, therefore, it's more of the same. This is the recipe that Disney has decided to apply in all the live-action remakes of its animated classics.
True, there have been some worse than others, but The Little Mermaid is far from that, and yet it is the most controversial film of them all.

I don't want to touch too much on that subject, but it's relevant to do so for the simple reason that there are millions of people who won't give a **** about anything else in the movie, they'll just notice that the lead actress has dark skin. It's disgusting, but it's part of a much bigger cancer than just a movie. One thing I can tell you is that, if you're a person with enough brains to see beyond that, The Little Mermaid is precisely the film it wanted to be.
The music and its production values are on point and Halle Bailey, captures the spirit of the character by making it her own in her own personal way.
It may not be the best that can be done in terms of adaptations, but it's not the disaster that many were predicting just because. This is a system product and therefore everything moves inside a box but there are levels of quality within that system and The Little Mermaid is not a failure in those terms.
It's a regular, average and inconsequential movie, but for its intended audience, and by that I mean children, I think they'll enjoy it. And of course, you can argue again about the reason for their existence, as well as the rest of the remakes Disney has made in this line, but I think it should be pretty clear by now that they have no interest in stopping making them no matter how much some people complain. And no, the animated classics are not ruined. The damn movies are still there 100% available.
If you don't like remakes there's always the option of not watching them, you know?… Expand

2 of 18 users found this helpful216

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6

Compi24Jun 4, 2023

Seeing a lot of cope on both sides of the discourse surrounding this film, when the real truth at hand — as expected — likely resides somewhere between the two extremes. This is a passable effort, but there's not all that much to write homeSeeing a lot of cope on both sides of the discourse surrounding this film, when the real truth at hand — as expected — likely resides somewhere between the two extremes. This is a passable effort, but there's not all that much to write home about. Like pretty much all other ones of its kind, this live-action remake doesn't really justify its own existence. However, this also never breaches into the level of offensiveness as something like Guy Ritchie's "Aladdin" or Jon Favreau's "The Lion King." The performances from Halle Bailey and Melissa McCarthy are to be commended and I'm sure kids all over will get a kick out of at least a couple elements within. Beyond that, though, I'm just not sure what else I'm supposed to get out of this. It's not better than the original. The bits they added vary from forgettable to "man, I wish I could forget that," but there's still not enough new here to leave me with the impression that they were actually trying in their attempts to remake this. Again, not necessarily "bad" in any particular way, just middling, in my opinion.… Expand

1 of 9 users found this helpful18

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5

cube666May 27, 2023

Excellent special effects and soundtrack, but unfortunately the sets and costumes lag behind, and the aesthetics of the shots are not as good as the animated version. The plot is as thin as the animated version

1 of 12 users found this helpful111

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6

RyceyMay 27, 2023

While a lot of these reviews already hate on the movie for the casting I would rather contribute the following. It was too long and pretty stupid. Much less offensive than the Lion King remake.

0 of 18 users found this helpful018

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6

Exodus220Jun 9, 2023

This isn't a bad movie. Halle Bailey does an amazing job singing and she genuinely feels like she is actually the character. However, going from the fun, vibrant animation of the original Disney film to this can be quite jarring and it canThis isn't a bad movie. Halle Bailey does an amazing job singing and she genuinely feels like she is actually the character. However, going from the fun, vibrant animation of the original Disney film to this can be quite jarring and it can be difficult to connect with it the same way. I like some of the changes they made and others not as much. It is hard to go from Avatar 2 where the computer animation is amazing, to this where the water effects are inconsistent. Overall, it is a decent movie but it lacks the magic of the original animated film. I am sure kids will love it, though.… Expand

0 of 8 users found this helpful08

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6

Voodoo123Aug 10, 2023

Distracting cast diversity,gender equality dialogue and CGI issues aside, I had decent time watching the classic Disney story remade unto live action. Not sure I enjoyed the new songs too much but the feel of the movie was pretty respectfulDistracting cast diversity,gender equality dialogue and CGI issues aside, I had decent time watching the classic Disney story remade unto live action. Not sure I enjoyed the new songs too much but the feel of the movie was pretty respectful to the original. Was it better? Not close but it was a decent effort!… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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6

sachineldhoMay 29, 2023

Not bad. Sebastian was funny. Liked Ursula's performance.
(Haven't watched the original one yet)

0 of 19 users found this helpful019

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5

Shirokuma487May 27, 2023

La verdad la película me parece decente No es la gran maravilla como Christopher Robin, pero tampoco es una mrd como el de Pinocho.
Lo bueno
Halley balley como Ariel, La que actúa como Úrsula y Vanesa y el que actúa como principe Eric, Y elLa verdad la película me parece decente No es la gran maravilla como Christopher Robin, pero tampoco es una mrd como el de Pinocho.
Lo bueno
Halley balley como Ariel, La que actúa como Úrsula y Vanesa y el que actúa como principe Eric,
Y el soundtrack exepto el de bajó del mar y el rap de la ave.
Lo malo
El cgi y el FX.
La iluminación, la cámara que usan, las partes de edición y flonder y Sebastián y la ave rara XD.
En fin yo le doy un 5/10 3 estrella a la mitad sobre 5 estrellas Muy mediocre.… Expand

0 of 9 users found this helpful09

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6

reviewraverMay 27, 2023

It still uses annoying Disney remake tropes that will draw most away, but it manages to use its source material in a respectful way that will make most gleeful after watching.

0 of 18 users found this helpful018

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5

FeliperivasMay 28, 2023

It's a lovely movie, like going back to childhood. the marine world in live action is incredible

0 of 17 users found this helpful017

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5

NaytiveFlgJun 8, 2023

Amazing! Singing is superb! The performance was terrific, the crowd laughed so many times and the audience clapped at the end. A must see!

0 of 7 users found this helpful07

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6

extrashotlatteJun 11, 2023

I saw this film twice at the cinema. The first was with apprehension and some breathing exercises beforehand, and the second with a friend who couldn’t find anyone else to go with them. It was the second time round I could just watch theI saw this film twice at the cinema. The first was with apprehension and some breathing exercises beforehand, and the second with a friend who couldn’t find anyone else to go with them. It was the second time round I could just watch the story unfold through the lens of simplicity, a bit of nostalgia, and managed expectations.

The film isn’t nearly as dark or murky as shown in the early trailers, and there are some vibrant sequences, but it’s true we don’t see much of the kingdom that King Triton supposedly rules over. The underwater and mermaid CGI has a weird shiny/slimey vibe but passable overall. On land things are a little different to what we’ve seen before, including a truly awful ‘song’ from Scuttle. An obvious note that the realistic character design was a poor choice.

Halle Bailey really does embody the elements of the original Ariel – spirited, adventurous, inquisitive – with a singing voice to match. Her performance, while at times showing lack of experience, feels heartfelt and honest, and her scenes with Eric are believable and charming. Melissa McCarthy kind of steals the show as a slightly unhinged Ursula, with a great song (albeit edited) and generally on point comedic timing.

Prince Eric, although not really a price in this version, has a bit of character development that makes him more interesting in some ways, while stripping him of some significant attributes and moments. Overall though, he’s a character we want to win in one way or another.

This remake does not hold a candle to the beloved 1989 original. However, while there are some significant changes from the original film, they are mostly inconsequential to the basic story if you resist the urge to roll your eyes or have expected anything less (or more, depending how you look at it).… Expand

0 of 6 users found this helpful06

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5

ZeekZeonJul 5, 2023

Why do you put your own philosophy into the entertainment film? Let us enjoy the old way. Plz