The Little Mermaid - Movie Reviews (2024)

The film feels at once too stunted for an actual musical and too expansive to be just another movie.

Full Review | Original Score: 6.9/10 | Oct 29, 2023

The music does seem to soar for the most part, and the movie is all elevated by Halle Bailey, she's fantastic.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Oct 27, 2023

[U]nfortunately, you do gotta (slightly) hand it to them — in the disenchanting, decomposing pile of animated adaptations, The Little Mermaid at least lies somewhere in the upper half.

Full Review | Oct 16, 2023

It can go without saying but Halle Bailey as Ariel is the most perfect casting for a live-action remake Disney has ever done. The way she was able to capture Ariel’s child-like inquisitiveness, stubbornness & yearning is something that should be studied.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Oct 13, 2023

The delightful sits alongside the baffling in Marshall’s adaptation, which is so often the way it goes with these Disney live action remakes.

Full Review | Oct 2, 2023

Consider the lousy animation and awkward performances and highly questionable narrative and ask what, to the tune of “Under the Sea,” the hell is this?

Full Review | Original Score: D | Sep 18, 2023

To begin, Halle Bailey. Remember her name and don’t forget it. From the trailers, to the red carpet, under the sea and above it, she is charismatic, humble, and a songstress.

Full Review | Sep 7, 2023

By making a series of small changes and using his experience in adapting musicals ("Chicago"/"Into the Woods"), [director Rob] Marshall crafts a story we know and gives it an entirely different vibe, for better or worse.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 6, 2023

Halle Bailey is by far the best part of Rob Marshall’s 2023 live action movie. She is a luminous talent with an angelic voice. She is without a doubt Ariel with her wide-eyed wonder and teen rebellion.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Sep 6, 2023

Another popcorn summer film, this time inviting a dive into the cool CGI waters of Atlantica peppered with shark attacks, shipwrecks and a giant octopus sea witch. Empty calories definitely, but fun all the same

Full Review | Aug 27, 2023

All the film’s flaws and miscalculations can be forgiven by its most impressive saving grace: Bailey’s performance is as remarkable as it is enchanting.

Full Review | Aug 23, 2023

...looks like a cheapie commercial for Royal Caribbean Cruises.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Aug 19, 2023

[Bailey] is absolutely magnetic on the screen and it’s hard to imagine many others being as perfect for the role as she turns out to be.

Full Review | Original Score: C | Aug 15, 2023

The casting, new songs and overall look aren’t strong enough to promote or weak enough to disparage.

Full Review | Original Score: C | Aug 8, 2023

It’s a weird message to be sending children these days: pretend to be something you’re not, keep your trap shut and hope nobody notices the scales.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Aug 2, 2023

Nothing in recent memory feels so much like amalgamated groupthink capital-C Content like this Little Mermaid.

Full Review | Jul 26, 2023

The Little Mermaid enriches virtually every narrative aspect compared to the original, deepening Ariel and Eric's arcs while exploring the same core themes without losing any of its predecessor's essence.

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | Jul 25, 2023

The Little Mermaid (2023) is the most successful of the live-action Disney remakes. Even with its shortcomings, the heart of the animated film exists within this new version which cannot be said for many other live action remakes.

Full Review | Jul 25, 2023

Mostly thanks to the music and dramatic performances from Bailey and McCarthy, "The Little Mermaid" goes along swimmingly. And that puts it several strokes ahead of other live-action Disney remakes.

Full Review | Jul 25, 2023

Although it does not possess the same campy nature as its animated predecessor, The Little Mermaid maintains the emotion of the beloved story through a star-creating performance and emphasis on relationships.

Full Review | Jul 25, 2023