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The Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid

2023

Rob Marshall

Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Javier Bardem, Melissa McCarthy ...

5.3

8,179

Fantasy. Musical. Romance The youngest of King Triton's daughters, Ariel is a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. Longing to find out more about the world beyond the sea, Ariel visits the surface and falls for the dashing Prince Eric. Following her heart, she makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, to experience life on land.

	Author	Review
United States	Peter Debruge Variety	"Rob Marshall risks drowning audiences in visual effects, but anchors his live-action Disney remake by finding the right actors to reinvent its most iconic roles"	NEU
United Kingdom	Alex Diggins Telegraph	"An exciting, enveloping remake that deserves to make a splash (...) Halle Bailey brings charm and vocal power to Rob Marshall's excellent reboot of the Disney classic (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United Kingdom	Ellen E. Jones The Guardian	"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 (...) Rating: ★★ (out of 5)"	NEG
United Kingdom	Helen O'Hara Empire	"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. (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"	NEU
United States	Maureen Lee Lenker Entertainment Weekly	"On the whole, 'The Little Mermaid' does what past live-action remakes haven't: justify its existence beyond a blatant cash grab"	POS
United States	Lovia Gyarkye The Hollywood Reporter	"Halle Bailey charms, but Rob Marshall’s live-action remake nearly drowns in déjà vu"	NEU
United States	Lex Briscuso The Wrap	"The cast and added realism make up for a trio of newly composed songs that fall flat"	NEU
United States	Wesley Morris The New York Times	"The new, live-action The Little Mermaid is everything nobody should want in a movie: dutiful and defensive, yet desperate for approval. It reeks of obligation and noble intentions. Joy, fun, mystery, risk, flavor, kink — they’re missing."	NEG
United States	Ross Bonaime Collider	"One of the rare live-action remakes that manages to capture that Disney magic (...) Bailey does a tremendous job as Ariel, and her version of 'Part of Your World' is a showstopper"	POS
United States	Leigh Monson AV Club	"A film that's better than most Disney live-action reboots—but that's not the same thing as being good"	NEU
United States	M.N. Miller Ready Steady Cut	"While it may not compare to the original, Rob Marshall, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and the cast find a bit of magic (...) which makes it worth watching (...) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 5)"	POS
United Kingdom	Nikki Baughan Screendaily	"Fails to shake off its outdated story origins (...) director Rob Marshall and screenwriter David Magee do not attempt to bring anything particularly new to this aquatic adventure"	NEU
United States	John Serba Decider	"It is pretty lousy"	NEG
United States	Angelica Jade Bastien Vulture	"Disney betrays its own lack of imagination and an essential misreading of what made its original children’s fare such a joy to audiences"	NEG
United States	Vanessa Armstrong SlashFilm	"A riveting live-action tale that improves on the original (...) I've no doubt that it will become an indelible part of many a young person's childhood"	POS
United States	Lindsey Bahr ABC News	"Halle Bailey might be a lovely presence and possesses a superb voice (...) but photorealistic fins, animals and environments do not make Disney fairy tales more enchanting on their own."	NEU
United States	Michael Phillips Chicago Tribune	"Compared with the average live-action Disney cash grab, this one’s actually worth your cash"	POS
United States	Kathia Woods The Playlist	"An excellent film (...) Magic is something that children of all ages desire to experience, and 'The Little Mermaid'"	POS
United States	Kate Erbland IndieWire	"Disney’s latest live-action remake desperately wants to be part of your world (...) [It] will make Halle Bailey a movie star, but the rest of it treads water	NEU
United States	Greg Nussen Slant	"For all the script’s talk about pushing boundaries and making changes in the world, it seems awfully content to remain in the past. (...) Rating: ★ (out of 4)"	NEG
United States	Raven Brunner Decider	"It’s masterfully directed and features strong vocals that are guaranteed to distract you from the big, scary moments. But if you are watching with a few younger children in tow, be prepared to shield their eyes and hold their hands"	NEU
United Kingdom	Shaye Weaver Time Out	"It adds just enough to be an enjoyable, though hardly groundbreaking, return to that magical world (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"	NEG
United States	Richard Roeper Chicago Sun-Times	"Halle Bailey saves the day with an endearing, charismatic, star-power performance (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Ann Hornaday The Washington Post	"Halle Bailey makes this live-action version of the Disney classic her own, with confidence, charisma and oceans of charm (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"	POS
Canada	Rachel Labonte Screen Rant	"Led by a pitch-perfect Halle Bailey, 'The Little Mermaid' is bolstered by deeper characterization and a grand scope, even as it grapples with flaws.	POS
United States	Justin Chang Los Angeles Times	"Halle Bailey makes a lovely ‘Little Mermaid,’ but this remake is less than shipshape"	NEU
United States	Richard Whittaker Austin Chronicle	"This remake just sort of treads water, buoyed up by the excellence of the original (...) Rating: ★★½ (out of 5)"	NEU
United States	Alyssa Mora IGN	"Full of heart and led by a star-making performance from Halle Bailey, 'The Little Mermaid' is an acceptable"	POS
Canada	Chris Bumbray JoBlo	"Rob Marshall and Disney’s 'The Little Mermaid' remake is decent enough, thanks to Bailey and McCarthy, but like 'Aladdin', 'The Lion King', 'Beauty and the Beast' and other live-action remakes, it feels unnecessary"	NEU
United Kingdom	Caryn James BBC	"Halle Bailey is captivating"	POS
United States	Noëlle D. Lilley Chicago Reader	"Entertaining and nostalgic—but nothing new"	NEU

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