Why you should watch The little Mermaid 2023

On the third of July 2019, Halle Bailey was announced as the new Ariel in the live action of the Disney 1989 classic and it received a lot of negative reactions mainly because many did not believe that the black young actress and singer looked anything like the character’s portrayal in cartoon which was white with blue eyes and fire truck red hair.

Some fans took their hate to the next level with racist comments under the Twitter hashtag #NotMyAriel. Some claimed that the casting was disappointing and ruined their childhood cartoon, some claimed that the casting was an erasure of red-haired white representation and others accused Disney of race-baiting and only casting the actress to be “woke”.

The casting director defended his choice by saying that Halle was chosen not because of her looks but her beautiful voice which is very important for the character.

Many were in the dark about how Disney was going to portray the live-action to meet up today's standards since a large part of the scenes happened underwater, many believed it would be dark and colorless but in 2023 Disney proved them wrong. The Little Mermaid 2023 has one of the most beautiful and colorful graphics in the history of Disney live-action remakes.

Since its release on May 26th, The Little Mermaid has made $320 Million so far. If you’re skeptical about why you should watch this movie, maybe due to the mixed reviews or you just believe it to be a copy-paste of 1989 version, here is why you should consider checking it out yourself or with your family.

Ariel in the Live action is not a rebellious boy crazy teenager

One of the most common criticisms of The little mermaid story was Ariel giving up her identity to be with a man that she barely knew. The 2023 re imagining fixed that by making Ariel not just a rebellious teen with a crush but a smart young woman who is awed with the human world and everything that concerns it, her falling for Prince Eric was a bonus.

The actors embodied their roles

The casting director did a perfect job by casting actors perfect for the roles with their appearance and performance. Melissa McCarthy was born for the role of Ursula the villain with her tremendous performance of poor unfortunate souls. Her human appearance, Vanessa played by Jessica Alexander stole the hearts of many even with limited screen time.

Halle Bailey being more than perfect to play Ariel can not be overemphasized, she not only has a girlish ethereal face fit for the role of the little mermaid but also has a breathtaking voice of an angel that makes The little mermaid worth watching and beats the allegations of being cast only to prove racial inclusivity.

Ariel and Eric fall in love based on similar interests

Unlike the original, Eric and Ariel are not attracted to each other based on their looks but similar interests in nature both on sea and land. Despite Ariel being unable to speak she was able to communicate with the prince and even tell him her name.

The cast is more inclusive

Anyone who still has a problem with the casting of people of color needs to self-reflect because the casting has no way ruined the beautiful fairytale. Mermaids are mythical creatures that exist in several cultures including Africa, so mermaids could be portrayed as different races. The representation did not only make little black girls see themselves in the re-imagining of the fairy tale but provided more job opportunities for people which is a win. The original still very much exists for those who wish to see the blue-eyed, red-haired white mermaid, the life action does erase it. What needs to be erased is the unnecessary outburst and hate from grown-ups over a movie for kids.

The movie was not a copy and paste of the original

For those who are worried that the little mermaid is an exact copy of the 1989 version, the answer is no. Yes, it’s a live action remake but a few things were added, removed and improved. For instance , Sebastian's lines in ‘Kiss the girl” was slightly adjusted to make it more consensual. New scenes and new music were added and some were skipped. In a nutshell, the live action has enough similar scenes and music from the original to induce nostalgia but also new ones excite the viewers.

The live-action is colorful

Contrary to what many used to criticize the movie and the trailer was released, the live-action is quite colorful especially the underwater scenes in nothing but breathtaking.

Though the entire movie was slapped with 67% in rotten tomatoes and the critics pretty much rated it average, the live-action of the Little Mermaid is still worth watching and suitable for the entire family.