There was more mermaids other than Ariel’s family in the beginning of the film. As an original Little Mermaid fan I will say this is one of those movies where you have to watch it more than once because when I first saw it I had to rewatch it because I didn’t process what was really going on. (Especially because of how my brain works) But after rewatching it I am way more pleased with it. I’ve been keeping up with this movie and it’s script sense it’s been announced so I knew what I was getting myself into for the most part. But I really loved it! It felt a lot shorter than the run time and as a musical theater kid I LOVED ALL the new songs! I listened to the soundtrack prior and Eric’s song in the film VISUALLY did NOT do it Justice. I felt it really added to the story and both their characters it was just the visual direction of it could have been done better. Duh “For the First Time” is AMAZING but as far as Scuttlebutt it actually works because it’s supposed to be this runaway train ADHD song. When it comes to music you have to understand the context of it (but I understand people also have different taste). They did do Ariel dirty now that you mention it as far as not adding different gowns, but the hair I LOVED!!! It was very pretty and satisfying to look at but the lack of the “Princess look” really does have an effect so thanks for mentioning that. Also Ursula’s makeup is bad on purpose guys, she is based off the cheap drag queen Divine. It was very intentional. One last thing (I know I’m all over the place), but someone pointed out that when Ursula takes Ariel and Ariel sees her dress get snagged on something it’s like she was looking back at that dress as a symbol of her losing something that “could have been”, something she was soo close to. So when she became a human again she puts that same dress back on as if she’s taking back her dreams, she’s choosing her own story for real this time. edit: they also were still in the process of editing the film when the trailer was released. If anything I feel like they didn’t have enough time to finish the VFX.
if there were more merfolk in the beginning, they definitely should've been more prominent - the underwater world just felt so small. I've been following this film from the very beginning as well & I definitely still enjoyed it! I also listened to the soundtrack before watching the film & I did think Wild Uncharted Waters had potential within the melody, but the delivery was sloppy (Jonah isn't a bad singer btw - he just made the melody more murky & less distinguishable). the visuals definitely didn't support it I listened to Scuttlebutt before I saw the film & was open-minded about it, but the actual scene just felt out of place & tonally weird. It didn't work for me. It would've landed better if Awkwafina's delivery in parts wasn't so awkward -- the "I was flying over land & sea, an ear to the ground" for example really lacked oomph. I'm glad you like her hair styling -- I like the texture & color & the way it moves underwater is satisfying, but yeah the styling was not it for me. Melissa McCarthy said she was approaching Ursula with drag in mind, but the makeup artist actually came out & said that the look wasn't based on drag after he got so much flack for making it so underwhelming & sloppy. drag makeup is exaggerated & bold, but it isn't sloppy or uneven. they should've gone bigger. Divine's makeup is a lot more refined. I understand the symbolism of Ariel showing up in her blue dress in the end, but did they really have to take out the extravagance to get that point across? I don't think it was necessary.
The movie was made during covid, so that explains some of the shots and budget cuts made. [Once you learn that a movie or show was made during covid, it shows thru the cuts and changes made and how rushed or delayed the movie or show was.] My guess is that they wanted to add more ariel dresses and more mermaid lore to the movie, but couldn't because of budget cuts, covid, and lack of time.
I really love the detail with the ragged dress, and Ariel putting it on again and returning to Eric, and without the sparkle magic dress. It feels like a true classic idea. Especially as ragged/peasant dresses are Disney canon in Snow White, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty (; .....this is similarly, when also in the Cinderella remake the prince is in the ending at Lady Tremaine's house and he takes Ella in her working dress, whereas in the classic Cinderella movie the prince apparently gets to see her only in a makeover version (;
I need to see more of Ariel's family and the merpeople in general because if you guys didn't know, the film actually has a prequel novel called the little mermaid: against the tide and it focused more on Ariel and her sisters and how they lost their mum. Also, there is another book directly tied to the new little mermaid called a guide to merfolk and it elaborated on the oceans Ariel and her sisters rule over and its cultures. There is so much potential to expand this magical world. If the cgi is too expensive, it can be an animated series. The movie left me wanting more, I need more from Ariel and her magical world. By the way thank you for being so respectful in expressing your opinions, even the negative ones. Halle is getting enough hate and it's absolutely disgusting what these ugly losers are making her go through.
First off Mr. Ross. I thank you so much! In creating your opinion video. Thank you so much! I have to say. You got it! The live action is a celebratory piece, and not a Replacement! SPOT ON!
I just saw the movie and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was amazing and I thought it was vibrant ish. Here are a few things I wish I saw tho 1. More scenes with Ariel and her sisters 2. A scene talking about Ursula beforehand - Backstory 3. An establishing song 4. Better outfits for Ariel 5. Ariel and the Queen - Dinner scene 6. Both Ariel and Eric killing Ursula and King seeing them work together. 7. More scenes with the merpeople Other than that I enjoyed the movie. I loved the new songs. Scuttlebug wasn’t as bad as I thought. I am on the fence about the Eric song. I loved Ariel’s new song, exploring the mainland. The dance scene in the village was fun. Under the sea was amazing. I recommend it. A solid 7.5-8.
@@lessismore8533 I agree with that point. I also wish Tristan wasn’t vaporized too so he could see it rather than Ariel telling him. Overall I think it was a good movie
What makes Cinderella successful isn't how faithful or safe it is, but how the makers understand what Cinderella is and how to improve it in the live action. It is what the current Disney lacks. Disney's princesses should have different qualities to each other. Mulan is a clever fighter. Ariel is a naive curious teenager who wants freedom. Belle likes books and doesn't judge people by their covers. Tiana is an independent hard worker. But what makes Cinderella, Cinderella? This is improved in the live action. She is brave and kind. Nowadays, the live actions tend to push female empowerment narrative that destroys the purpose of these princesses, what makes them unique. They all are the same oppressed strong women, which becomes one of the reasons why Mulan and Wendy failed. They become generic strong women with appearance as their only unique qualities they have. Another thing that makes Cinderella great is how they decrease the role of the animals to make it more realistic. But why this doesn't work with Mulan? Because Cinderella knows what to add and delete to make it work, while Mulan doesn't. Songs in Disney's animations are important to explain the plot and the characters' feelings. Part of Your World and its reprise convey how Ariel feels about the situation, you can't just erase it without adding dialogues for substitution. Mulan live action failed to notice this, so we fail to have a deep connection with her feelings, since the actress mostly acted without expression. This is why, I think, people see these live actions as lazy. It's more like they fail to impress these critics more than the originals, unlike how Cinderella did. And nowadays, Disney has been using these remakes to tell something different than the original, like the female empowerment thing. I still remember when I watched Cinderella live action, I was anxious because so many people misunderstand her as a poor woman got lucky for being rescued by a rich prince. I always saw Cinderella as a patient hard working girl who persevered through hardships. I was happy with the live action for embracing what Cinderella should've been. If Disney can't embrace each princess' quality, why don't they make a new strong princess instead of using the established ones? It's because it's easier to make and to gather fans from a huge established fandom.
I agree. Disney’s gone so hard into trying to have messages that they’re making a mockery out of diversity and empowerment (often at the cost of tearing others down) instead of telling a good story. I was ready to hate Cinderella, but ended up loving it, and that set me up to love Beauty and the Beast, but was so let down that I still rant about it seven years later.
The problem here is who is Disney making this film for. I appreciate your ideas and wishes to expand things. I would have loved a dinner scene, too. But then I thought about the length and how they are making this for kids to sit through. So the length of time for the movie actually IS important. Are they making this movie for little children or for the parents that feel nostalgic about the original property? Or teenagers? Or As an adult, there are things I would have added to it. I would have had the dinner scene to have the queen interact with Ariel (not Eric was an orphan in the cartoon, right? So he didn't have any family members to charm just Grimsby). But I like the library stuff and if I had to choose, I would lean towards the library scenes over dinner. There were short scenes with the sisters that I would have expanded so we got more out of them. Perhaps they could have built them up more when dealing with the meeting beforehand, the fixing of the coral reef after the shipwreck, and Triton asking for the girls to search for Ariel. I would have built up Triton a little more because now as an adult, I can understand Triton a little more. I think he originally had a song that was cut from the movie (which would make sense that they would hire someone as big as Javier but reduce his character down). There are tons of stuff I would have wanted to see. But cutting Eric's song is only cutting 2/3 minutes of run time. It does nothing in the long run. I don't think they will make a sequel cause this movie isn't making enough money to warrant it. Which is sort of sad. Because I think when people look back on this, it will actually be considered one of the better live action movies with THE BEST casting for the lead. For the first time, Disney was able to send out a Disney princess in the movie to actually perform and sing the songs live. One and the same. That is huge. In a traditional press run, Halle would have been on every talk show performing that song. I ultimately feel bad for Halle because she didn't deserve all the hate that she got for being the BEST pic. And truly, none of the fancast that people have suggested would have matched her. Note, Sadie Sink is 21 years old right now which means she would have been 16 years old when casted. Halle is 23 now and was cast at 18. I don't think they were going to hire someone that young. And honestly, voice-wise, Halle as an 18 year old would have had the stronger voice regardless. Halle would have likely been competing against Natalia Dyer from Stranger Things (Nancy), Jenna Ortega, Hailee Steinfeld, Chloe Grace Moretz, Bella Thorne, Sabrina Carpenter, Sydney Sweeney, Maya Hawke, etc. When you really start to think about the appropriate age group of actresses, it makes sense that Halle got cast. Most of the people in that age group are just not as good a singer as she is. And in the end, Rob Marshall wanted a strong singer.
Even with that, none of these women have the same vibe as Ariel as Halle naturally does. Halle has not only her voice, but her spirit and aura. Only people who don’t see her for her skin can see that.
I watched it twice, and on the first theater the CGI are much more better than what I watched it on the other theater the second time, which let me know, that probably someone in the distribution department might messed with it when distributing the movie to sabotage lol, my attention to detail caught that sh-t😇
As someone who loves costume design it was sort of the other way around for me when it comes to the dresses😭 I missed the seafoam dress more than the pink one cuz I preferred the extended market scene/adventure over the dinner scene. Tho I agree that the queen coming to accept the merpeople needed more build up your dinner scene suggestion would've been a great way to do that. I do appreciate the small details in the costumes tho. The fabrics are all gorgeous but very breathable and the shorter skirt is such a nice touch cuz it takes the Caribbean setting into consideration (which I adore cuz I'm from the Caribbean). Ariels blue dress obviously evokes water but the ribbed detail on the fabric also makes me think of fins and love the pastel colour palette. It being such a light blue makes her stand out especially in the market where everything is strongly saturated. The honeymoon dress also has cute details like the netting pattern on the sleeves and bodice and the ruffles which also remind me of fins or even jellyfish tentacles. Wish they accessorize her more tho, she has those embroidered flowers on the skirt so maybe some pink flowers in her hair, a bow to match the one around her waist or a tiara. All that being said tho having Colleen Atwood only design two dresses is criminal, I wanted that seafoam dress😭 Also I strongly disagree with what u said about prince Eric's new song and didn't even mention Ariel's new song or the added reprise at all. The score is the best part of this movie, other than romance, imo. The way part of your world and wild uncharted waters mirror each other, the way the latter's melody is the flipped version of Ariel's vocal motif and then they're both combined when they reunite at the end.
Also on the animation Ariel signs her name, on the live acion is signed with a scale and blood. If she knew how to write her name and read a contract how come se didnt tell Eric she is the girl one saved hin.
I disagree with you based on the mermaid tails. They did looked real, and obviously Disney inst going to copy what aquaman’s production already did with all those lights underwater. I don’t understand what else you wanted the underwater scenes to look. They already look realistic and people’s imagen were very HD and not blur as other other movies did.
Your voice is similar to prince Eric. I think its your accent. Anyway I love hearing your voice. After watching the little mermaid movie, I loved to check peoples voice.
I really appreciate this commentary! There are so many things this movie does well (Halle's casting being the best thing) and several things that could have been better (the visual effects being the weakest point imo). I did really like Eric's song, though I agree that the visuals didn't quite do it justice. For the First Time was the best addition, it was so good, and the development of Eric as a character and through that the relationship development with Ariel and Eric. It was so well done. I really would love to see a sequel with Halle and Jonah and all the mermaid sisters! It would be so funnnn
Halle did fine but her acting needs improvement, singing is her best talent. Many other talented women in the world would’ve also nailed this role. Maybe not the ones Halle auditioned against but they are tons of talents in the world
They had Ariel in that same blue dress for at least 3 days and your right about the pink dress at the end. Methinks Ursula had more costume changes, smh.
I agree with almost everything you said, except for the fact that I really liked Scuttlebutt…Was a nice funny scene. Perhaps a new director can re-create all the fantasy scenes that we wanted from this film in a clever way in the sequel.
The only outfit I was underwhelmed with was the Honeymoon dress. I thought she looked stunning otherwise. The honeymoon scene could have been a great opportunity to get her traditional Disney gown as well. Idk why, but I love Scuttlebutt. I thought it was a clever idea to convey the message from Scuttle’s POV. Not sure why that song gets so much hate instead of being viewed for the context of the song.
Great review, I like it. However, in terms of her hair. Halle Bailey had total creative control over her hair. The steel shots that you showed were in between scenes when she was in the water or if she was kissing. That’s how black women hair looks naturally. So to say they did her wrong. I feel like it’s a little biased because our hair doesn’t “fall” the same way as Caucasians. That’s the way her hair looks when it’s wet or when it’s styled a. Her hair is fine. She had control over it. Her hair is beautiful. It is natural form.. her hair was nott scandalous because she edges was slicked.. that’s her locs look and fall! Stop trying to box black hair from white people standards
Thank you for this comment! I don't believe the commentator was being malicious, but didn't seem to have an understanding of how our hair works. Black hair is weighted underwater, but as soon as we come out, it's everyone's guess. I thought her hair looked natural and pretty. Also, considering she was in and out of water, and the scenes were shot out of sequence, tightening her locs consistently would not have been healthy for her hair just for sake of "sleekness," or the "laid edges" (that some us were stupidly complaining about).😒 Like we understood the use of the headband and how it can be used as an accessory or to lay down our edges. This is why it's important to be exposed to different types of people, hair, and beauty standards in roles like this.
I don't think that they have to remake the movies frame by frame but I think they should do a remake were the same feeling is told and the message of the story is still in it. For example what makes Cinderella a good movie is how strong Cinderalla is too endure all the wrong that their new family do or little mermaid that I personally like because even with a darker skin, Ariel is still the same character and the message is the same overall. I think disney need to learn why are these movies loved, Mulan was loved becuase was one of the few examples of equality. Mulan is not a tomboy of modern times, she is just a little less femine for the times she lives in and she is a genius and an improviser and also she had to work harder to be as good fighter as those men, it was realistic at the beginning she was very bad but eventually did it. Another thing is that what she wants to bring to her home is honour but more than that in the "my reflection" we know that also Mulan wants to find were she is good at.
i'm convinced the costumes are a result of studio interference cuz this is maybe the first time colleen atwood (the costume designer) has not delivered
The real reason why Disney make movies like these are for our children, most of them from different races and they have to pick which one from the sisters not only Ariel. The Movie was so awesome in Theatre.
U dont have to be same race or sex of the character to connect with them and understand them, a good character will always be a good characters no matter how they look
I think the way they style the wig in the Parks with the side Part and pearls would’ve been great ❤ i really missed the princess gown too! Overall i totally agree with you! Except I thought Melissa did well.
I had to rewatch the original because even though I liked the 2023 version for what it was some things were off to me. Triton definitely was a bore to me and not nearly as expressive as his animated counterpart. Sebastian had his funny moments but doesn’t hold a candle to the original and honestly I kinda wished they recasted Shaggy from the live action musical because at least his accent is authentic. I could’ve done without the new songs but I did like the reprise of “part of your world”. Some of that CGI was horrendous. With all my criticisms tho I can’t say I hated it🤷🏽♀️
I agree! I agree with everything. I love this film so much the core of it is PERFECT but I really wish the visuals could have been elevated a tad more...
Dude, you need glasses. The special effects were beautiful, no other movie I can think of has depicted mermaids as well done as this one. I thought the movie was extremely well done, and the singing/acting was amazing. One of the best, if not the best of the Disney re-imagings/remakes. My rating-9.0/10. This guy sounds like a snob to me.😮😑😐
I really appreciate your constructive dialogue about this film and others because a lot of the critiques out there are either lazy or criticize Halle for being a Black mermaid. The trailer for this film made me incredibly nervous but I was amazed at how much I enjoyed this film. Not sure if they adjusted the vibrancy after critiques or if the marketing team was just not sure how to market this but I feel like what I saw in theatres was not really what the trailer presented- and I mean that in a good way! :) Halle was the perfect casting for Ariel and I couldn't take my eyes off her. I really enjoyed Eric too but I wish they'd have used Her Voice (Eric's song in the broadway show) instead of the one they picked. I also am curious if Tituss Burgess auditioned for Sebastian because if you listen to his Under the Sea and Kiss the Girl, they're way more dynamic vocally than what's seen in the film. Also one choice I thought somewhat lowered the stakes was when Ursula made Ariel forget she needed a kiss. It's an interesting choice but I think the second part of your world reprise would be more dynamic if she hadn't forgotten. Is it just me? I would put this one up there with Cinderella, though I think Cinderella was more visually stunning- especially with the costumes, like you said.
Oh My God I agree with absolutely everything you said!!!!! The movie was good but so much more could have been done with it! Halle Bailey deserved to have her Disney Princess puffy gown, I wish they had done better with the design for Atlantica and expanded on its lore!We deserved to see a sparkly underwater kingdom, its merfolk citizens, their culture, way of life, language, etc... I think Ursula's backstory should have been explored way more! I wanted to know what exactly pushed her to become the malicious sea witch that she is and what were her motivations! And we could have had a duet between Ariel and Eric or even Ariel and Vanessa (This-Day-Aria style) instead of The Scuttlebutt! Honestly, thank you so much for this video because you managed to put every single one of my thoughts about this movie into words!
This lady that I follow on Twitter. Recommended this video as the best review of #TheLittleMermaid She is someone that was being bodyshamed as she dressed as Ariel for the premiere.
They Should’ve Use A Better Cast , Better Soundtrack , Better Cinematography , Better Acting & A Better Well Done Happy Ending When Ariel & Eric Got Married In A Boat Just Like The Original Animation Movie Version Of The Little Mermaid.
Omg, they did her dirty. They literally look like slave clothes from the Bahamas. I don’t even understand why the dress was shirt. It also was so lose fitting around Halle’s little waste. It’s so damn bizarre. And whyyyyyy was she wearing a headband the entire time out of the water? It’s so weird.
Overall Well Done Video On How You Want To Create & Make The Live Action Disney Movie Version Of The Little Mermaid 100% Better & Well Done Tommy Ross.
What are your thoughts on the story and the changes they made to it? I want to know what you're thoughts are with the "new ending" where Ariel defeats Ursula (and gets into a fist fight with her and getting her voice back) all by herself to make up for the criticism of Ariel being a "typical, weak, and helpless damsel in distress" (despite her saving Flounder from a shark, killing Ursula's eels, and saving Eric (twice).
the movie wasn’t amazing but i enjoy it better than the original. the little things they added flesh out ariel and eric soo much. i think there’s more improvements than failed copied moments. my only disappointment is her princess dress…where tf is it?? her dresses are kind of ugly. they definitely needed to give her a final dress
@@P.90.603 I haven’t seen the live action yet but from what I’ve seen the costumes are pretty shit ngl. I see that they’ve gone the more historical route but come onnn. So many things about this movie upset me. Ariel has a fantastic voice but acts with no feeling. I couldn’t feel any desperation or emotion in any of the clips I’ve seen. Also I just want the sparkly purple dress that appears at the end of the og.
Instead of her father King Triton giving her a beautiful sparkling dress at the end when he transformed her into a human and she comes out of the water, all she gets is a cheeky makeshift “speed boat.” Looks like Daddy wants to get them far away as fast as he possibly can. I don’t even think they got married…just a hot girl summer. The wardrobe sucked & Ursula had a better dress as villainess Vanessa while Ariel wears the same stinking dress for DAYS! They could’ve easily given her the dress she wore for the world premiere when she came out of the water.
I Listed 6 Ladies Who Should’ve Played Ariel In The 2023 Live Action Disney Movie Version Of The Little Mermaid Including 1. Auli’i Cravalho From Moana , 2. Jane Levy , 3. Madeline Petsh From Riverdale , 4. Holland Roden , 5. Traci Hines From RU-vid That Did Part Of Your World The Official Music Video , 6. Most Importantly The One & The Only Ariana Grande & Last But Not Least 6. The Final & Last Girl Who Did The Right Thing About The Whole Entire Little Mermaid On RU-vid The One & The Only Stephanie Stokkvik.
i do like the merfolk world - except the lack of other merfolk. the story is set in the 18th century roughly? time period exactness doesn't matter, but it's got some vibes of being in the great pirate era, or maybe even early industrial revolution. the knd of time period where humans are exploring the world heavily, and ships which were here-and-there before are countless. seems a fitting time for the surface to be seemingly surpassing merfolk technology-wise (leading to potential discovery and also more effective killing), and also to be having more of an environmental effect on the ocean. the movie isn't about this, but it does contrast a bit better to the wonders of land and ariel's collection if her home in the sea is... rural. it's like a country girl longing for the big city.
I cried during part of your world I felt really represented because she represented the Caribbean sea she is Afro Caribbean like me honestly I would’ve been happy with whatever race as long as the actress embodied Ariel my only issues would be that she only had two dresses in the movie I wish she got to wear the wedding dress and the sparkly dress when that she wore when her father changed her into a human im glad that she had red hair but Ariel had like cherry red hair I wanted it that color idk why everyone was acting like she was a ginger they could’ve made the mer-world more brighter and better I will say them changing the story a bit kinda bothered me like they could’ve still made Ariel sign the contract with Ursula and prince Eric should’ve got the boat and killed Ursula in the end that’s just my critique also I’d like to add when Ursula was a human I like the song she sung in the original better when she looked in the mirror and scuttle sees her but I’m okay with everything else the new add ins were okay grafted scuttle butt was corny in the movie maybe since this movie did so good it’ll get a number two and we’ll see her sisters in the next movie like how the little mermaid 3 showcased her sisters personalities
I may not have minded the casting either BUTi still see why many ppl were upset. All the OTHER princesses didn’t change and Ariel did . Fans of the other princesses got to see live version of their counterparts but Ariel fans did NOT get that. So it seems unfair to Ariel fans. Instead of race swapping existing characters which is lazy, Diseny could create a new story with black characters. Ariel was already taken but oh well. Singing is Halle’s best skill. Her acting can use improvement
@@lessismore8533 that’s a lie jasmine changed she was lighter and was half white and half India when jasmine is darker tanned skinned and she’s middle eastern
honestly think they couldnt have done better for her hair. the locs themselves are gorgeous, and the colour is beautiful on her. i think the lighter bits in it works especially well considering it WOULD be bleached if she spent a lot of time at the surface. idk its just nice to see a black woman with undeniably black hair. tiana's was very cute but also very obviously a perm and i think black girls should be encouraged to love their natural texture. the pressure to "fix" it starts really early
I wish they had made her hair a little bit more red, and giving it a little more volume with actual mermaid style locks with curls and shells and other hair ornaments
She has locks.. you can’t give “locs” volume.. braids and locks always fall flat… this is coming from a black with locs .. also, Halle had total creative control over her hair so she decided to choose a style
Why Don't Disney give a scene where merfolks is having a concert for celebrating Ariel's wedding ? Thats sounds more fun The Ending looks rushed , plain and underwhelming
There Is One Big Problem About The 2023 Live Action Disney Movie Version Of The Little Mermaid By Only One Thing There’s No Actor That Can Played The Chef Character In The 2023 Live Action Disney Movie Version Of The Little Mermaid.
I do agree with you in pretty much everything. Halle Bailey apparently is the one and only or at least the best fit to play Ariel. I've been reading a lot of comments on wich actresses people would have prefered to play Ariel instead of Halle and like no way. Seriously. When I first knew about the official news of her playing Ariel and saw her photos for the first time I was so excited and happy (I had no idea of who she was). I couldn't believe how perfect she was just by her looks and when I heard her singing Unforgettable I was ... I just wasn't expecting such perfection. Then all the ... Don't wanna say racisim but ... most of the times is very hard for me to believe that someone who doesn't like Halle as Ariel is not racist cause the 1989 TLM has always been my favourite movie as a kid and apparently as an adult as well or at least one of my favourites and since I never had a problem with Halle playing Ariel it shocked me that people wouldn't agree with me in her been perfect for Ariel. I must admit that after ... I don't remember how it happened but after all the backlash at one point I got bothered by Disney making Ariel black now and it got away when I read a comment on the internet that said that Ariel is a fictional character that belongs to Disney and that therefore Disney should be able to do with Ariel whatever they want to do. I couldn't agree more with that. It is something obvious but because there were so many political points of view as why Ariel should be kept as a white character vs changing her to be black now that I agree with was like been able to put an end to it in my head and finally been able to choose a band or at least lean towards one more than to the other one. I somehow understand both parts. Black characters have been played by white people many times in the past and now is happening but in reverse. Politically talking I understand both parts but I'll say it again I'll never understand how it is possible for so many people to not be in love with Halle as Ariel. Even for the short period of time when I was a little bit mad about the race swapped I still was in love with Halle as Ariel. Then. When it comes to the movie itself ... I have watched it two times in theaters and I have just loved it. I do agree that it lacks a little bit or even a lot in the magic and grandiosity that the 1989 had with Atlantica been a shiny huge castle, Ariel's dresses and also the CGI should have been better. This movie and its cast that in my opinion is just perfect deserved those things to have lived to the standards of the original. Still is so good that if had to choose between this version and the animated one it would be very very difficult for me to choose one over the other. I most of the times find myself choosing this new one but that makes me feel awful because I love the original so much. I need both in my world so I won't be choosing one over the other. Like as much as they are pretty much the same in some aspects they are very different somehow and that makes it harder also the fact that without the original this new one wouldn't have been possible, obviously. Love your videos.
What Disney’s doing isn’t diversity. They’re refusing to tell original Black stories since they don’t really stand by Black actors. That’s a problem we need to be discussing. Race-swapping a WHITE character is NOT helping to fix things. Telling an original Black mermaid story would give us a real Black mermaid princess. What we got was a recycled white mermaid princess with a pre-built audience. Disney clearly didn’t think an original Black mermaid princess could develop a fan base. La Sirene is a Haitian mermaid. A SIREN. That would have been AMAZING. That would have been original. That would have been real diversity. As far as looks, if they were to have recast Eric as a blue-eyed blond pale white guy, people would have had a problem with that too. When it comes to live-action remakes, people are expecting to what happened in Giselle-the animated character come to life. Making a live-action character so unlike their animated counterpart that you would have to be told X is supposed to be X to make the connection, you’ve already set people up to see that person as an imposter. When this is what we’re getting in place of original stories, and these remakes aren’t even good (fucking BatB…I really don’t know if I can get over how much they fucked that one up), people are going for the low-hanging fruit, the actors the can see who they can’t see as the animated character coming out of animation and into the real, live-action world. And people are also tired of remakes that aren’t holding up to the animated originals, and are also now tired of this being a bullshit excuse for diversity when it’s not. Diversity is diverse characters, not race-swapping pre-existing characters. Spiderman, though, did something well-in casting based on talent and chemistry, they also made original versions of expected characters, like Mary Jane was MJ, and she wasn’t that high-pitched super girly damsel-she was a bit brasher, a take-no-bull-shit who went by MJ, and was her OWN character rather than trying to be another version of the character played by Kirsten Dunst. It was impossible to compare those two roles because we weren’t getting the same character. We got two distinct characters, two distinct people. And Marvel did NOT highlight this for clout. It shocked people to find out MJ was Mary Jane since she was her very own character, not a remake. We could believe her to be MJ for this reason. Disney doesn’t care shit for real diversity. Look what they’re doing with Snow White, and I don’t mean race-swapping Snow-I mean nixing the dwarves since that dick Peter Dinklage doesn’t like them (the little person community is PISSED and they aren’t standing by him anymore). That means that six of the seven little person roles were cut. Casting seven little people would have been diversity. Now we’re got one little person, and six taller people who are “magical creatures” but who look like ren faire extras, and are being called the Seven Portland Hipsters…and yeah, I choked on my Portland-roasted coffee brewed with a French press while drinking that…’cause Portland hipster right here. Disney is out for clout, not diversity.
I’m tired of ppl saying Halle was the best fit. It’s your opinion but at the end of the day if this girl NEVER got famous, you wouldn’t know she existed and Diseny would still be making live actions. And would’ve casting a different talented girl who can sing. Halle is neither the worst nor tue best for tue roll. She pulled it off but I HATE these “best” comments because that’s not fair to others who also would’ve nailed the role,
Overall I liked the film, and I agree with basically everything you said. Especially the dinner scene and the 'redone' seen with the maids dressing her for the engagement party would have been great. I understand the symbolism of Ariel running away and being on the rock again, but I feel like that moment would have worked better if it was after she turned back into a mermaid like at the end of the animated film where she is literally back in the same place before all this happened. I thought Hallie is a great singer, but to me at least didn't capture Ariel in some of the acting or even during the big "Part of That World". Let me say it again she sang it beautifully, but part of it just seemed like singer singing it rather than the CHARACTER of Ariel singing about her dreams. Also I wish they could have added just a line or two of how Ariel got so fascinated by the human world and seeing the good in it. It just seems odd since they added that scene of her having to clean up the shipwrecks with her sisters and knows the 'damage' that is being done (unintentionally as it might be) to her home and if they killed her mother as well. It doesn't have to be a big thing, but something. Also I'm not the biggest fan of the memory wipe part of the spell. Just why? In the original, Ursula says "HE'S ( Eric) got to kiss you." which already explains why Ariel herself doesn't just kiss him. I know they wanted the focus to be less "she gave up her voice for a man." but I think they could have achieved that in a different way. because of the way the scene plays out when Eric sees her for the first time and in a way "rejects her" as a possibility of being the one who saved him. Have Ariel being upset, but then somehow convey "okay if I'm going to belong to the sea witch (which she doesn't completely know what that means) I'm going to enjoy this chance I have while I can." Then the romance can still develop naturally from the study scene. And I agree I really did like the star name scene during Kiss the Girl that was clever and a nice change. Overall I thought this was a great balanced review, well done :)
I want to thank you so much, for a TRUE and HONEST review so many people wanna complain about "Race-Swap" and etc. so many people (especially those who have podcasts). and for this you have gained a subscriber! you have given a review that I really enjoyed and even talking about somethings that I didn't even think about that I can agree with.
The movie was great, but the underwater CGI felt a bit lazy in some scenes.. However they did the best they could (the cast) and the songs were amazing. I honestly wish it had more costumes though and more involvement with Ariel's sisters
The made Ariel kill Ursula instead of Eric! A downgrade from the original. That was to make Triton change his view on humans. This movie was decent but it will NEVER hold a candle to the original even if ppl enjoyed this mode
It's so obvious that when you're making a live-action remake, you're making a, guess what, a live-action *FILM* not a live-action cartoon. _Cinderella_ (2015) didn't copy the animated movie because that movie wasn't made with live-action in mind in any of the departments. It's more of its own adaptation rather than a remake. It shares more similarities to the 1994 _Cinderella_ cartoon from Jetlag than it does the Disney animated film, funny enough.
Sure there room for both original and familiar BUT Disney just doing live action version of their classics screams laziness and uncreativity. I miss the 90s Diseny Renaissance
The movie was not that bad... Most of the musical scenes were good... The story was a mess, which doesn't really matter as kids don't understand it anyway... The acting is not that bad, reminds me of the shows in Disney channel and Nickelodeon... The CGI was not that bad for a movie with the budget of 250 million dollars... It's definitely better than what we have in the 90's... I mean, at least it's better than the the last airbender movie... The little mermaid surpassed its box office too...😂
I disagree about Ursula, Scuttlebutt, and Uncharted Waters, but you're the first reviewer I've seen talk about the uneven tone, which was my biggest complaint and the styling / set design which contribute to it. I agree that Uncharted Waters was choreographed and shot soooo poorly, but it and Scuttlebutt were the tunes I found myself humming the next day. Still really enjoyed the movie for the acting, romance, and the scarier water scenes though.
Same!! I loved all the songs and the way they wrote and orchestrated the music was very very intentional and on purpose! My only complaint about Eric’s song wasn’t even the song itself but more so the timing of it.
yeah, I did like the melody of Wild Uncharted Waters, but both the way it was shot & the way it was sung (Jonah is not a bad singer btw - the delivery just didn't lean into said melody & the potential of the song in general) was lackluster. Scuttlebutt I listened to before I saw the film & was open-minded about it, but it just did not work for me in the actual scene. though I can appreciate something polarizing & "out there" like that, they could've taken advantage of having new songs in a much more powerful way.
@@TommyRoss he's not a bad singer, but he's a mediocre one. i've been watching musicians review the music and they breakdown what's going on with his voice. he's overexerting himself and his track is more autotuned than the others. he was always gonna sound a little out of place with halle and daveed making up most of the soundtrack. i think it's fine as-is. but the song is written well enough that with a better singer it could have been great. for me, it's just catchy and adds to the story / romance plot. i mostly just struggled with the uneven tone of the film, with where tracks were placed and how they were staged and what surrounded them. in a way, we may be saying the same thing. they just didn't use their songs well.
wait wait correct me if im wrong but why would ariel know about ares ? i mean did eric teach her about it or whatnot since i don't think its something she would have been taught in her kingdom since there not supposed to go on land , help humans , etc.
@@wendelgrant7332 honestly I don’t understand why people like you are under these vids. It’s clear you’re not gonna like the movie no matter what, so just don’t watch it and move along.
@@wendelgrant7332 Weird criticism! I always thought you only show the things that are related to the plot. That's why you don't watch characters go potty and such.
I think Disney should absolutely cast Rihanna as Queen Athena on a sequel that would have flashbacks or a Disney + show based on the "Against The Tide" novel. She is perfect for the role & they wouldn't have any problem low box office numbers
I’m super torn on Halle. I think she did a way better job than previous live action princesses (but that’s honestly because of how bad they did lol) and she was talented in her vocals but she didn’t feel like Ariel? In interviews, she’s said she considers herself a singer first and then an actress second and you can kinda tell. All the interviews I’ve seen, she talks about herself instead of the character and what about Halle she brought to Ariel but nothing about Ariel herself aside from she used to swim when she was younger and pretend to be a mermaid. So it feels more like a star vehicle to boost Halle than an earnest portrayal? There are a few moments where she does try to match the animated- With her and Melissa McCarthy, they had so many moments where they were imitating the original in certain lines and scenes, that when they had new dialogue that they didn’t have that vocal reference to go off of for imitation, it sounded like a completely different person. I definitely think this project would benefit from a sequel where they’re not going to be so beholden to the original movie that had specifically created this content for that production and medium. So many lines were stolen and performances and the difference in live action was jarring…like Ariel’s argument with her father in the beginning of the film is so passionate in the original, and in this one they just kind of stare at each other. Same with the grotto destruction scene. I also hope if they have a sequel, they have more of a diverse cast. A white Prince Eric, Triton, and Ursula was low key offensive for the film taking place in the Caribbean.
Flounder and Sebastian sucked. The music was very dull. Live action films are not as good as cartoon because it doesn't have the same magic that the cartoon versions of the fairy tales have. Yeah they're not original but who cares? They're hollow and boring but ...but Ariel was the light in this boring film. Her voice and acting was very good. It was indeed a pleasant change ❤️😍💗 The Jungle book was a good one too.
We are now in a race war, too many black people now being casted as white people, I will not mince my words, now Indians, Asians, Arabs, etc. will want this. It's dumb, just write your own story for your own race/ethnicity and have your own ethnic group play whatever character you created. It's insulting to blacks and other races/ethnicity to be doing this only with blacks. What is up with coupling back women with white men and putting down the next Queen Katherine? Also, this movie is a shade towards the British and pro Meghan and her lame red headed prince who doesn't want to be King.
Ur an idi0t, write your own stories, who told you black people aren’t doing that, Hollywood including i Disney is run by white people. For this movie, a white director, white casting director and composer thought she was the best. You déplorables claim you don’t see race and now you see it huh? I also thought you all didn’t like participation trophies so now you’re saying they should have gone with a less talented Ariel who was white.as if less talented white actresses and actors have not dominated nearly a century in film. The descendants of the ppl who created blackface now mad that a black actress dare be more talented and better for a role that has nothing to do with anyone’s culture, as there is no culture in the movie except we know that a crab was Jamaican and a chef was French. White ppl have whitewashed way too many roles for you to complain now, that Jesus you pray to who’s hair is described as wool, not golden retriever is another example. now raycists like you are mad that you’re getting a taste of your own medicine, even though technically you’re not since she was the most talented for the role and invited to audition by a WHITE director. It’s very much giving snowflake and “Jews will not replace us” also, Catherine was casted as half white, calling her black is raycist as her mother is white so what is the issue? considering britains disgusting colonial history, the real queen may have had black ancestors. You’re mad about interacial couples? Lol do you also get mad when every other commercial depicts black men with white women or are you only mad when only a handful of movies depict a black woman with a white man? As if interacial couples don’t exist? Lol why are you so mad, do you want white men for yourself? Are you jealous? Also I see a lot of Asian women or Hispanic women with white men on film, is it more palatable because their skin is lighter? You’re incredibly raycist, and disgusting and will spend your whole life miserable bc you willl only see more of this and as you should. Dmovies need to reflect the diverse world we live in, not just white people. Get your tiki torch and go fight that race war bc of fictional fish. Pathetic.
there certainly has been a lot more colorblind casting in recent years...& I will cheer every damn time. people of color have been historically excluded from Hollywood & when they were included, they were either played by white people or were horrible, insignificant stereotypes. go on the wikipedia page for "whitewashing in film" & look at the examples. there's a lot of making up to do & I love to see people of color step into spaces they haven't ever been able to. the idea that there'd be a "race war" over this is so misguided, considering the people who are casting these characters & making these films & are in charge of these things...are white. it can't be "whites vs nonwhites" when most whites (including myself) aren't bothered by colorblind casting & the ones who are exist in a bubble of online trolls.
Another intersting fact is that the author Hans Christians Anderson was a queer man and he wrote the story based on the fact he had feelings for another man he couldn't ever be with.
Watch the animation... Jesus christ... The best justification when someone's trying to cope a trash movie. Just the hardest dosage of copium. OH bu bu but just watch the original! Lolo. The movies bad, no need to justify trash. Everyone has basically voted to not watch but the minority group it catered to
You’re disgusting. The live action wasn’t catered to a certain audience bc she wasn’t white. It was about the best talent who could embody Ariel. And Halle did that. Black ppl had nothing to do with her casting and unlike a lot of you deplorables, growing up blac, we never had a black princess and still supported all of the non black princesses. In fact, my favorites were Ariel, mulan and Anastasia and that’s all I watched even though it didn’t “cater to me”. When it’s the other way around, all of a sudden it’s “woke” how is it woke when they chose the best person who happened to be non white? The movie is much better than the original. This Ariel is a bit smarter and more charming, her relationship with Eric is much better, her relationship with her father is also much better. But you’re blinded by your bias to see that, even part of your world is so much better and conveys more emotion. People can watch both, they don’t have to choose. I can’t stand ppl like you.
Oh hush. The movie was good. All the negative reviews on yt are just a bunch of biased adults being cry babies! Y'all aren't even the target audience! It wasn't perfect but it wasn't "trash" either.
The new songs not even Caribbean style the movie itself not even CARIBBEAN isn’t that the point Disney made why Ariel brown skin? I live in KEY WEST FLORIDA that movie not no Caribbean they making a fool anyway there’s one RAP song by Aquafina because Ariel black....................... a RAP song in a movie/story like this are they SERIOUS??? Movie 2 hours but feels 98min I’m confused what’s in the 2 hours it feels/looks very rushed I wanted more underwater stuff I’m VERY confused about 2 hours you would think they can dive deeper into movie exploring more being 2 hours BUT it’s not like that so I’m confused is the GARBAGE new songs that made movie 2 hours I’m confused and I’m not watching again it’s MESSY I don’t watch messy shit especially when it’s from people whit LOTS of money and movie turns CHEAP (DISNEY)
Pretty sure there's a rap song because Lin Manuel Miranda was working on the movie, not because Halle is black, lol! OK, so what if you don't think the movie is set in the Caribbean, it's certainly not set in Europe either and that's more important. You did get more underwater stuff, that's why the movie is over 2 hours. Not sure what your problem is.
They fixed all the flaws that the critics did and could find in the original film . this remake is my favorite remake so far and as the biggest fan of the original Little Mermaid1989 It's a good thing that the new Ariel and the original are different, because Ariel 1989 has a special place in my life and no Ariel could take its place . some people was ready to replace the original with any white trash with fake ugly wig even at the cost of having the worst voice and not even being able to sing like the original Ariel, who has the most beautiful voice if you have seen the original movie or if you care at all. worst thing is they called themselves fan !!!! disney little mermaid fans this disney little mermaid fans that but all of them wants to see disney fail if disney make remakes theyr lazy and out of ideas but if someone else do it with disney story they fine with it . a bunch of hypocrites
Except literally no one was worried about Ariel’s consent since Ariel was the one going after Eric without HIS consent. They created an issue where one didn’t exist to “fix” it in this movie.
@@NoelleTakestheSky Exactly ! just because ariel is a she, she shouldn't get a pass to go and kiss Eric without HIS consent . consent is consent. it's not okay to (don't take a word Not a single word Go on and kiss the boy/girl ) old lyrics literally says that. honey they just changed (there is one way to ask her) to ( Use your words boy and ask her ) and don't tell me : well she can't speak ! like ursula said we got body language you know . dont you agree ?
@@fardin7248 In the original, she was trying to seduce him. So I’m really not concerned about consent on either side. There was never any force. He was free to kiss her or not to. She was just the one actively trying to go for it. I really want to know where the hell all this concern people have supposedly had for her for YEARS suddenly came from. Howard Menkin himself said this. He said people have been worried about Eric “forcing himself into Ariel.” WHERE the ACTUAL fuck did anyone get that idea? It is because, after Ariel worked on seducing him with body language, he didn’t ASK the girl who was ACTIVELY moving toward him repeatedly with her lips puckered up if it was okay to kiss her since she’s actively trying to kiss him? If YOU were moving toward ME right now, trying to kiss me, it shouldn’t be on me to ask you for your consent when you’re the one already trying to do the thing. If you succeed in kissing me, would I be the one to blame since I didn’t ask your consent? In a twisted way, a very twisted way, this is victim-blamey. Guy tries having sex with a girl without regard for if she wants it, and sex happens, but she’s to blame since she didn’t ask. They created such am massive problem where there wasn’t one that I am struggling with the original now.