Converting one of Disney’s most beloved animated classics into a live-action extravaganza must have been a daunting task. Director Rob Marshall’s history with big projects informed his approach here and it proves that he was more than able to spend those mighty mouse dollars well. The film looks incredible.
Visually there are a large number of arresting moments where the spectacle lives up to the modern standard of sensory overload. The human (and fish) element however struggles slightly to keep pace. It was always going to be a big ask to add anything new to a story so well-known.
The musical numbers do help at times to lift things and it’s great to have movie songs with real live memorable choruses and not just verse after verse after verse. This is aided by the strong singing voice of Halle Bailey who plays the titular character Ariel.
The mesmerising amount of visual information in the underwater scenes makes those moments the film’s most vibrant element. Save some money on an aquarium and just loop those scenes on the telly. The film is fairly family friendly but the main conflagration at the conclusion is intense and puts an entertaining coda on the spectacle that is The Little Mermaid.
Rob Hudson
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