One of Disney’s biggest and most anticipated releases this year was the live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid, which hit theaters in late May.
Inspired by the story by Hans Christian Andersen, the film was based on the 1989 animated version by the same production company and is about the young mermaid Ariel, who is curious about what is on the surface of the sea.
It took almost five years of work to bring this film to the screen, and now it’s available to stream. So if you haven’t seen it yet, here’s why you should give it a chance:
Pour. The protagonist of the story is the Grammy-nominated actress and singer Halle Bailey, who, despite her dark skin, received a lot of criticism for taking on this role but showed that she not only sings very well but also acts, and that with her co-star Jonah Hauer-King, who plays Prince Eric, she was responsible for restoring not only romantic chemistry between both characters but also a friendship that adds depth to the plot.
The supporting characters do the same, such as Javier Bardem as King Triton or Melissa McCarthy as the villain Ursula.
Music. For this new adaptation, Alam Menken, writer of the original score, returned to the project to create new versions of the film’s classic themes, giving us a more intimate version of “Bésala.” In addition, the music was produced by Marshall, DeLuca, Marc Platt, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, with the latter co-writing new songs, such as one sung by Scuttle the Bird.
The modernization of the topics Some of the criticism the film received was just that, but for others, it was one of its plus points. For example, in the case of the song “Bésala”, instead of Sebastián singing, it says, “Look at her and you will see; there is no reason to ask her; there is nothing to say; now kiss her.” It says in the new version, “Look at her and you will see.” All you have to do is ask him. “There’s no better place, and it’s the ideal night; now kiss her,” addressing the question of consent.
