Will the SFX be plastic fish on slightly rotating sticks?
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SPOILER: Live-Action The Little Mermaid
- Thread starter MisterPenguin
- Start date
‘Little Mermaid’ Composer Alan Menken Explains Why One Original Film Song Isn’t in the Live-Action Remake
Disney's adaptation of the 1989 animated version includes three new songs from Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
www.hollywoodreporter.com
When Ariel Met Ariel: Halle Bailey Got Jodi Benson’s ‘Stamp of Approval’ on ‘Little Mermaid’ Set and Was Told to ‘Just Go for It’
Halle Bailey revealed in a new interview with the Los Angeles Times that original princess Ariel voice actor Jodie Benson has a cameo appearance in Disney’s live-action “The Little Merm…
variety.com
I liked it a lot.
Just last week I watched the original, and I liked the live-action better.
The CGI was great.
It wasn't all dark like people thought from the teasers. The teasers didn't do the movie justice.
Halle's songs were wonderful.
Melissa's songs and acting were fantastic (tho... her giant form CGI was a bit janky, as well as a strain for that one high note).
Speaking of straining for high notes... Eric's song's a dud. Musically weak. And his vocals were strained. Much like the added song for the Beast in BatB remake.
To have a male lead's ballad that could hold up to Halle's, you need something like from Les Miz, or To Dream the Impossible Dream from Man of La Mancha. This wasn't it.
Under the Sea and Kiss the Girl were pure fun.
I liked Awkafina's dizzy Scuttle compared to Hacket's alcoholic sounding Scuttle.
Scuttlebutt, the song, was pointless.
I liked how a lot of gaping plot holes from the original were sewn up (not that all were).
I liked how Ariel was the main hero of the story (to compensate for being the immature dumb dumb who got herself into her own mess). She got to get the amulet and her voice back, and she got to do Ursula in.
All those critical points didn't detract that much. The movie overall was satisfying.
Just last week I watched the original, and I liked the live-action better.
The CGI was great.
It wasn't all dark like people thought from the teasers. The teasers didn't do the movie justice.
Halle's songs were wonderful.
Melissa's songs and acting were fantastic (tho... her giant form CGI was a bit janky, as well as a strain for that one high note).
Speaking of straining for high notes... Eric's song's a dud. Musically weak. And his vocals were strained. Much like the added song for the Beast in BatB remake.
To have a male lead's ballad that could hold up to Halle's, you need something like from Les Miz, or To Dream the Impossible Dream from Man of La Mancha. This wasn't it.
Under the Sea and Kiss the Girl were pure fun.
I liked Awkafina's dizzy Scuttle compared to Hacket's alcoholic sounding Scuttle.
Scuttlebutt, the song, was pointless.
I liked how a lot of gaping plot holes from the original were sewn up (not that all were).
I liked how Ariel was the main hero of the story (to compensate for being the immature dumb dumb who got herself into her own mess). She got to get the amulet and her voice back, and she got to do Ursula in.
All those critical points didn't detract that much. The movie overall was satisfying.
DonaldDoleWhip
Well-Known Member
Not going to break down everything, but something I enjoyed about this one was seeing Ariel and Eric's relationship more fleshed out.
We lose the comedic aspects of their first meal together, but instead see them bond over their shared curiosity and longing to explore.
During Kiss the Girl, Ariel showcases some ingenuity when she uses the constellation discussion to help Eric sound out her name.
Also enjoyed seeing the aftermath of that scene, with Eric displaying a cheekier side as they make their way back. Was lovely seeing some color added to their dynamic, literally (the kingdom tour was so much fun) and figuratively.
An element I found a little unnecessary was Ursula making Ariel forget about the kiss stipulation. I understood the intent: to make it so Ariel's actions on land are completely pure of heart, but it also felt a bit heavyhanded ("But wait! There's more!"). Not a huge deal - all the live-action remakes have their 'checklist' of elements to clean up.
Oh, and I'll say it here as well: loved Halle Bailey as Ariel, and her new song is easily my favorite of the three additions. We even get her reaction to fire!
We lose the comedic aspects of their first meal together, but instead see them bond over their shared curiosity and longing to explore.
During Kiss the Girl, Ariel showcases some ingenuity when she uses the constellation discussion to help Eric sound out her name.
Also enjoyed seeing the aftermath of that scene, with Eric displaying a cheekier side as they make their way back. Was lovely seeing some color added to their dynamic, literally (the kingdom tour was so much fun) and figuratively.
An element I found a little unnecessary was Ursula making Ariel forget about the kiss stipulation. I understood the intent: to make it so Ariel's actions on land are completely pure of heart, but it also felt a bit heavyhanded ("But wait! There's more!"). Not a huge deal - all the live-action remakes have their 'checklist' of elements to clean up.
Oh, and I'll say it here as well: loved Halle Bailey as Ariel, and her new song is easily my favorite of the three additions. We even get her reaction to fire!
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New ‘The Little Mermaid’ Experiences at Disney Parks
See where to meet Ariel at Disney Parks, new treats, merch and more to celebrate the release of "The Little Mermaid!"
disneyparks.disney.go.com
Visit Walt Disney Presents at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and make your way through the queue to discover stunning concept art from the development of the new film – vibrant illustrations following Ariel’s journey from sea to land. Then step into the picturesque setting of Prince Eric’s shoreside castle, where you are invited to meet Ariel on a beautiful terrace with sweeping views of the sea, pictured above.
When Ariel heads to Disneyland Resort, she’ll greet guests in Fantasyland near “it’s a small world.” Guests may discover Ariel where the land meets the sea in a location inspired by Eric’s castle library, complete with whozits and whatzits galore. And during her visit to Disneyland Paris, Ariel and her friends will invite guests to dance and play along with them in an unforgettable musical moment.
While you’re visiting Ariel at Walt Disney Presents, be sure to also check out special props from the film on display along with an exclusive sneak peek of the film.
Stupido
Well-Known Member
I really loved Ariel saving Max in the beginning. It was such a small detail, but so strong narratively. She learnt so much about life just observing Eric for 5 minutes, it really set the foundation for their love story and made it real for me.
Halle was stupendous, I truly can’t say enough great things about her. I also really love the added part of your world reprise, addressing what she gave up to be there. It was a really nice touch that completed the character for me.
Eric was fine. He didn’t wow me, but he had great chemistry with Halle, and did enough to make the relationship really work. The scene in his collection room was really sweet, I loved seeing the expanded parallels of their relationship.
Didn’t think I’d like Melissa, and I was correct. If that’s what they were going to do with it, Ursula should have just been played by a drag queen, as opposed to Melissa’s watered down drag.
Also felt triton was weak.
Loved Daveed as Sebastian, and flounder and scuttle were very charming in kiss the girl. The rest of the new music was all pretty bad though.
Overall, I think the good outweighed the bad, and I’m excited to watch it again. Both versions of little mermaid are truly great, and hold up well against each other. They each understand and portray different aspects of the story better, so in a way they’re great compliments to each other. They each give you a reason to want to watch the other.
Halle was stupendous, I truly can’t say enough great things about her. I also really love the added part of your world reprise, addressing what she gave up to be there. It was a really nice touch that completed the character for me.
Eric was fine. He didn’t wow me, but he had great chemistry with Halle, and did enough to make the relationship really work. The scene in his collection room was really sweet, I loved seeing the expanded parallels of their relationship.
Didn’t think I’d like Melissa, and I was correct. If that’s what they were going to do with it, Ursula should have just been played by a drag queen, as opposed to Melissa’s watered down drag.
Also felt triton was weak.
Loved Daveed as Sebastian, and flounder and scuttle were very charming in kiss the girl. The rest of the new music was all pretty bad though.
Overall, I think the good outweighed the bad, and I’m excited to watch it again. Both versions of little mermaid are truly great, and hold up well against each other. They each understand and portray different aspects of the story better, so in a way they’re great compliments to each other. They each give you a reason to want to watch the other.
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DonaldDoleWhip
Well-Known Member
A change to Triton I disliked was the moment after he destroys the grotto collection.
In the original, there’s a brief but noticeable look of sadness on his face, before he shakes it off and leaves. We don’t see him for a long time afterward, so it sets up his “what have I done?” moment.
I wish they hadn’t stripped that, it was humanizing. Ariel doesn’t even need to see it.
brb1006
Well-Known Member
The remake done Ursula's Giant Sequence and demise just as dirty as the Aladdin remake handled Genie Jafar.
As decent as McCartney did as Ursula, she didn't do that scene any justice. They not only removed Ursula's voice being pitched-lower and deeper. But Ariel (in her mermaid) has to steer the ship instead of Prince Eric lessening the impact compared to the original film. I remember when that scene was first discovered from one of the storybooks for the film that gained attention from hardcore fans of the original weeks ago.
As decent as McCartney did as Ursula, she didn't do that scene any justice. They not only removed Ursula's voice being pitched-lower and deeper. But Ariel (in her mermaid) has to steer the ship instead of Prince Eric lessening the impact compared to the original film. I remember when that scene was first discovered from one of the storybooks for the film that gained attention from hardcore fans of the original weeks ago.
CaptainAmerica
Premium Member
Sebastian is the male lead in The Little Mermaid and I'll die on that hill.
My Disney Experience App Differentiates Between Live-Action Ariel and Animated Ariel Meet & Greets
The My Disney Experience app now differentiates between the live-action version of Ariel and the animated version for meet and greets
blogmickey.com
Fox&Hound
Well-Known Member
Absolutely loved it! Halle Bailey is fantastic in every way, and man can she sing. I had my doubts about Melissa McCarthy as Ursula but she crushes it. Loved the actor for Prince Eric too. I love how they fleshed out the characters and the romance between Ariel and Eric felt more plausible this time around. The only miss for me was Javier Bardem as Triton- he played it too flat and did not possess a lot of range.
DonaldDoleWhip
Well-Known Member
One more thing I liked, relative to expectations: Under the Sea.
Have seen it getting ragged for not being as magical as the original, and of course it wasn't going to be. But I never expected to see fish playing instruments during the bridge, and the dance breakdown before the final chorus brought plenty of whimsy and color.
Found it to be a massive step up from BatB's adaptation of Be Our Guest.
Have seen it getting ragged for not being as magical as the original, and of course it wasn't going to be. But I never expected to see fish playing instruments during the bridge, and the dance breakdown before the final chorus brought plenty of whimsy and color.
Found it to be a massive step up from BatB's adaptation of Be Our Guest.
Suchomimus
Well-Known Member
She’s a teenager. That tends to happen with that demographic. Plus you’re not giving her enough credit. When she and Flounder were chased by the shark, she went for Flounder instead of her bag, and she saved Eric’s life; twice.
And in doing so, they opened a can of worms. I won’t be spoiling the new movie but how does Ariel being the one defeating Ursula change her father’s view on humans? Plus it doesn’t send a good message to say that you have to solve every problem by yourself and that you don’t need help from anybody.
erasure fan1
Well-Known Member
Yea, unfortunately that seems to be a mandate in most modern movies.
LittleBuford
Well-Known Member
It was the one song that I found really disappointing. The disconnect between the lyrics and visuals didn’t make sense to me; I wish they’d just rewritten the words if we weren’t going to see all the creatures listed by Sebastian.
On the plus side, Halle’s vocals were fantastic.
tcool123
Well-Known Member
After rewatching the film today one of my biggest wishes was a song for King Triton, I think it would have been perfect to encapsulate the grief and sorrow he feels about losing Ariel and could have connected back to her mother. Definitely would feel appropriate in the scene after Triton's daughter report back to him that she's missing. Would have added a level of complexity to the character and opens the door for world being via flashbacks of a young Ariel/mother.
LittleBuford
Well-Known Member
She wouldn’t have been able to defeat Ursula without Eric’s help. She tells her father as much after he thanks her.
DonaldDoleWhip
Well-Known Member
That’s totally fair, the turtle brigade was a strange choice - it’s the part directly after that I wasn’t expecting and found really fun.
tcool123
Well-Known Member
Looks like I was right about feeling something was missing from the scene, and it seems to be along the lines of what I was thinking:
‘The Little Mermaid’s’ New Grooves: Halle Bailey, Rob Marshall Dive Into the Musical Numbers — Including Three New Songs and a Deleted Track
When you ask “The Little Mermaid” star Halle Bailey about which moment from Disney’s new live-action adaptation of the animated classic made her marvel the most, her answer isn’t donning Ariel’s fi…
variety.com
Fox&Hound
Well-Known Member
I was really disappointed with Javier Bardem. It was like he was in a different movie altogether. He was so quiet every time he spoke that it was hard to believe he was the king of the seas. And he is an excellent actor so I am not sure why he played the part so…monotone.