The Little Mermaid Reviews Surface Online With Praise for Halle Bailey's Ariel

Critics have gone under the sea to see The Little Mermaid. The first reviews seem to agree that Disney's live-action remake of the 1989 animated movie, in theaters Friday, is the studio's "most radiant and romantic retelling in years." Halle Bailey, one half of the R&B duo Chloe x Halle, surfaces with a star-making performance as undersea princess Ariel in director Rob Marshall's musical, which also stars Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, Awkwafina as Scuttle, Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Javier Bardem as King Triton, and Melissa McCarthy as the voice-stealing sea witch Ursula.

The Little Mermaid "not only holds the 1989 original in high regard, but it captures the epic and soul-healing nature of fairy tales for a new generation, delivering a satisfying blockbuster with enough heart and romance to vastly outweigh any of its shortcomings," writes ComicBook's Jenna Anderson, noting that the re-imagining faithfully recreates scenes from the original movie while telling an expanded story that is "more complete and complex." See more samplings below.

Variety: "At least half of Disney's recent cover versions have been colossally disappointing, turning touchstones of Americans' collective childhood into garish CG eyesores while threatening to tarnish our memories of the original. Well, good news in the case of The Little Mermaid: Halle Bailey is all the reason that any audience should need to justify Disney revisiting this classic. Director Rob Marshall found his Ariel, and together, they've made a keeper. Just wait till you hear her sing 'Part of Your World.'"

Entertainment Weekly: "The Little Mermaid does what past live-action remakes haven't: justify its existence beyond a blatant cash grab. It's not the new songs or even the dazzling visuals breathing new life into this watery world that do it. It's Bailey, her singular performance as Ariel, and the opportunity to give the world a Disney princess for a new generation, with all of the Mouse House whimsy on one side of the scales, and a depth and humanity that feels neither preachy nor performative on the other."

The Hollywood Reporter: "Bailey doesn't disappoint as Ariel. Her performance adds edge to what is ultimately a serviceable film ... Like other live-action remakes, The Little Mermaid is a neatly packaged story ribboned with representational awareness. There's enough in it to fill an evening, but it doesn't inspire much more than a passing sense of déjà vu."

Observer: "The Little Mermaid, despite a few misfires, is one of Disney's best live-action reimaginings to date. It far outshines the remakes of Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast, two other Disney animated films from the same era. It has enough nostalgia for the older crowd, but it's also magical enough for a younger generation, who will see this as the definitive version of the story. Being part of Ariel's world is fun, satisfying and generally delightful. Just cover your ears when Scuttle starts to rap."

IndieWire: "Rob Marshall's update on the classic mermaid myth will make Halle Bailey a movie star, but the rest of it treads water ... Does it feel real? Not yet, and not even movie star turns and rapping birds and the very best of intentions can bridge that divide. For now, The Little Mermaid exists outside of the very world it so wants to be a part of, one already so lovingly rendered in its predecessor, 'real' or not." 

USA Today: "The expanded Little Mermaid revamp ... is a different animal than the original, a family-friendly film that was only 83 minutes long. And while not everything goes swimmingly, Halle Bailey splendidly buoys this Mermaid as the naive underwater youngster with dreams of exploring the surface."

Associated Press: "It's not Rob Marshall's fault that Disney's latest live-action retread doesn't really sing. The Little Mermaid, a somewhat drab undertaking with sparks of bioluminescence, suffers from the same fundamental issues that plagued The Lion King, Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast. Halle Bailey might be a lovely presence and possesses a superb voice that is distinctly different from Jodi Benson's, but photorealistic fins, animals and environments do not make Disney fairy tales more enchanting on their own."

Vulture: "The lack of narrative invention is only a single issue in a film filled with them. The sonic and visual dimensions lack the elastic flair of John Musker, Ron Clements, Howard Ashman, and Alan Menken's earlier creation. The 1989 movie was a seamless, frothy confection. The 2023 remake is a ragged mess. (Though perhaps not quite as visually muddled as trailers and clips would have you believe.)."

Inverse: "The Little Mermaid is arguably the best live-action Disney remake since Kenneth Branagh's Cinderella. The splendor is there; the romance is crafted with care — but something's still missing."

The Film Verdict: "Entertaining and impressive – but not enough to justify Disney's ongoing effort to turn their traditionally animated features into mostly-CG animated features ... While it's still an exercise in re-branding and revenue, the results at least provide some dazzle, some romance, and a handful of pretty-good new songs with lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda."

Disney's The Little Mermaid swims into theaters May 26th.