In The Little Mermaid Ariel discovers the world that she wants to be a part of. The youngest daughter of King Triton, she falls in love with Prince Eric when she visits the surface and then ends up saving him. However, her father forbids any contact with the surface so Ariel turns for help from Ursula the sea witch to chase after her dreams and follow her heart. This new live-action version of The Little Mermaid is directed by Rob Marshall and stars Halle Bailey in the title role.
Quality
The Little Mermaid is a lovely movie to watch. It is full of vibrant colors and rich environments that are a mix of digital and real locations. It seems that great care went into creating environments that felt realistic and immersive. They were clearly inspired by the original animated classic but not limited by it. The soundtrack and audio environment for the film is also quite lovely and helps move the story forward. Overall, this is an enjoyable film to watch and listen to from a quality standpoint.
Extras
The extras including with the digital download of The Little Mermaid really are a treasure trove of details about the film. I really enjoyed watching these and felt they really added quite a lot to the movie viewing experience. I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of bonus features included with this release. I particularly enjoyed Hotter Under the Water, basically a big picture look at the making of the film. The song breakdowns were interesting and I also really enjoyed Passing the Dinglehopper and The Scuttlebutt on Sidekicks. The full list of bonus features can be found here:
Bonus Features*
- Sing Along Version – Sing along with your favorite songs while watching the movie with on-screen lyrics.
- Hotter Under The Water – Discover how director Rob Marshall and his team brought the story of The Little Mermaid to life with this documentary in five chapters:
- A Tale Of The Bottomless Blue – Join Rob Marshall on the set of one of the most ambitious and challenging films he’s ever directed.
- I Know Something’s Starting Right Now – Join cast members Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, Jonah Hauer-King and more and learn how they were cast in the film and what it was like to bring director Rob Marshall’s vision to life.
- Down Where It’s Wetter – Dip your toes into the virtual ocean and learn about how the breathtaking underwater world was created with visual effects, imagination and a lot of talented artists.
- Explore That Shore Up Above – From Prince Eric’s castle to the beach, explore the above-the-sea locations and the elaborate production design behind them.
- Do What The Music Say – Discover how legendary composer Alan Menken teamed up with Lin- Manuel Miranda to write new songs to accompany the original classics
- Song Breakdowns
- Wild Unchartered Waters – Prince Eric, played by Jonah Hauer-King, gets his own song, written by Alan Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Go behind the song, from the writing to the recording, to the filming on a practical ship.
- Under the Sea – Get a first-hand look at how professional dancers helped bring director Rob Marshall’s vision to life as they stood in for the various animated sea creatures that sing and dance in this showstopping number.
- Kiss The Girl – Float along and get a frog’s-eye view of the beautiful set built to film the live-action version of this classic song.
- Poor Unfortunate Souls – Join Melissa McCarthy (Ursula) as she takes us on the journey of making her character’s signature song.
- Featurettes
- The Scuttlebutt On Sidekicks – Dive in and meet Sebastian, Flounder and Scuttle, who not only have their own song, “The Scuttlebutt,” but also fresh looks as they work hard to make sure Ariel and Eric kiss before Ursula’s deadline.
- Passing The Dinglehopper – Ariel met Ariel when Halle Bailey worked with Jodi Benson — the voice of Ariel in the original animated movie — who appears in a clever cameo in the live-action film.
- Bloopers – Laugh along with the cast as they have the time of their lives making The Little Mermaid.
*Bonus features vary by product and retailer
Final Thoughts
The Little Mermaid in live-action form surprised me. The further I got through the film the more I enjoyed it. By the end of the film I was very glad to have watched it. Then I watched the bonus features and I found myself enjoying it even more. Is it my favorite live-action remake of a Disney animated classic? No, it is not. It is probably somewhere in the middle for me. Overall this is a very enjoyable movie that the whole family can watch together. The added bonus features that are included with the home entertainment definitely add to the viewing experience. It is one that I think is worth having in a Disney fan’s movie library and I will enjoy watching again. This release definitely gets a hat tip.
[Review Disclaimer]
Mr. DAPs Hat Rating Scale
- No Hat – Didn’t meet expectations
- Hat Nod – It was ok
- Hat Tip – It was good
- Hat’s Off – Loved it!
