It91裸聊视频檚 not Rob Marshall91裸聊视频檚 fault that Disney91裸聊视频檚 latest live-action retread doesn91裸聊视频檛 really sing. 91裸聊视频淭he Little Mermaid,91裸聊视频� a somewhat drab undertaking with sparks of bioluminescence, suffers from the same fundamental issues that plagued 91裸聊视频淭he Lion King,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淎laddin91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淏eauty and the Beast.91裸聊视频� Halle Bailey might be a lovely presence and possesses a superb voice that is distinctly different from Jodi Benson91裸聊视频檚, but photorealistic fins, animals and environments do not make Disney fairy tales more enchanting on their own.
The essential problem is that the live-action films have prioritized nostalgia and familiarity over compelling visual storytelling. They try to recreate beats and shots from their animated predecessors, defiantly ignoring the possibility that certain musical sequences and choices were enchanting and vibrant because they were animated, not in spite of it.
There was, in the 1989 film, a sparkling awe to everything. The underwater castle. The mermaids. Eric91裸聊视频檚 ship. Even Ariel91裸聊视频檚 bright red hair. Combined with the wonderful songs and lyrics by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, it91裸聊视频檚 not hard to understand why it helped fuel a Disney Animation renaissance.
Anyone who has gone through the recent Disney91裸聊视频檚 live-action library would be right to approach 91裸聊视频淭he Little Mermaid91裸聊视频� with caution. Still, there91裸聊视频檚 excitement as the camera takes us underwater to give us our first glimpse of the mermaids 91裸聊视频� even after a somewhat ominous quote from Hans Christian Anderson that begins the movie (91裸聊视频淏ut a mermaid has no tears, and therefore she suffers much more91裸聊视频�). You can91裸聊视频檛 help but be hopeful. But the first mermaid that comes into focus doesn91裸聊视频檛 so much evoke wonder as it does a flashback of Ben Stiller91裸聊视频檚 merman in 91裸聊视频淶oolander.91裸聊视频� The technology is better, sure, but the result is about the same. Worse, as we spend more time with them, following Ariel91裸聊视频檚 multicultural sisters as they gather around their father King Triton (Javier Bardem), it91裸聊视频檚 hard to shake a distinctly uncanny valley feeling. It91裸聊视频檚 like gazing in on roundtable of AI supermodels with fins.
For all its pizazz, everything about this 91裸聊视频淟ittle Mermaid91裸聊视频� is just more muted. Miranda91裸聊视频檚 new songs are odd, too, and don91裸聊视频檛 seem to fit. Prince Eric91裸聊视频檚 (Jonah Hauer-King) makes sense, maybe even Ariel91裸聊视频檚 in-her-head anthem after she gives her voice to Melissa McCarthy91裸聊视频檚 Ursula, but did Scuttle really need a song, too?
Speaking of Scuttle, the cute cartoons that stood in for Ariel91裸聊视频檚 seagull, crab and fish friends have been replaced with horrifyingly accurate depictions of said animals. Awkwafina91裸聊视频檚 comedy charms can only go so far while looking like an actual seagull who might be after your chips at the beach. Close-ups of its beady blue eyes are unsettling, though it was probably a good call to go blue over gold, which looks a bit demonic even in the cartoon. Sometimes it seems as though the editor is trying to minimize the unpleasantness by quickly cutting away from Scuttle. Flounder (Jacob Tremblay, who also voiced Luca) doesn91裸聊视频檛 have this problem as much, mainly because once they go out of the water he91裸聊视频檚 essentially hidden under the surface. Daveed Digg91裸聊视频檚 Sebastian gets off easy, looking the most pleasantly cartoonish. But then there91裸聊视频檚 that Jamaican accent that they decided to carry over (and this in a movie that adds a line about consent to 91裸聊视频淜iss the Girl91裸聊视频�).
Visibility is a problem for more than just Flounder, too. Sometimes 91裸聊视频淭he Little Mermaid91裸聊视频檚91裸聊视频� underwater sequences just look too underwater. Things are cloudy and dull and hard to see, once again probably in the name of authenticity, but straining to see what Marshall and the scores of VFX teams have labored on for years is not a pleasant experience. This could be a projection issue 91裸聊视频� I wasn91裸聊视频檛 in an especially high-tech theater with color enhancing upgrades. But that also means anyone without access to things like Dolby Vision around the world will have this issue, too. When Sebastian brings out the most colorful fish he can find for the 91裸聊视频淯nder the Sea91裸聊视频� number, you even start to empathize with Ariel a little bit. It is the exact opposite of the 91裸聊视频� Avatar: The Way of Water 91裸聊视频� experience.
91裸聊视频淭he Little Mermaid,91裸聊视频� a Walt Disney Co. release in theaters Friday, is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association for 91裸聊视频渁ction/peril, some scary images.91裸聊视频� Running time: 135 minutes. Two stars out of four.
91裸聊视频�-
MPA Definition of PG: Parental guidance suggested.
91裸聊视频�-
Like us on and follow us on .
