The social media embargo for The Little Mermaid has lifted, and the response to the movie thus far appears to be a tad mixed.
While Halle Bailey and Melissa McCarthy receive a lot of praise for their work as Ariel and Ursula, respectively, the VFX and the CG Flounder, Sebastian, and Scuttle have clearly divided critics. Similar to what we heard from CinemaCon a few weeks ago, it also appears the underwater visuals are too murky, making it hard to see what's going on.
There are also those praising this as Disney's best live-action movie yet, so the reviews should be very interesting.
Overall, it does sound like The Little Mermaid is a good movie, even if it doesn't quite live up to 1989's animated classic. Like many of Disney's live-action adaptations, this may be one just for the fans, though we're definitely relieved to learn that the songs are as enjoyable as ever.
Check out The Little Mermaid's social media reactions (first shared on Toonado.com) in the Tweets below.
In The Little Mermaid, the youngest of King Triton’s daughters, and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea, and while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric. While mermaids are forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel must follow her heart.
She makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, which gives her a chance to experience life on land, but ultimately places her life – and her father’s crown – in jeopardy.
The Little Mermaid stars singer and actress Halle Bailey as Ariel, Daveed Diggs as the voice of Sebastian, Jacob Tremblay as the voice of Flounder, Awkwafina as the voice of Scuttle, Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Art Malik as Sir Grimsby, Noma Dumezweni as Queen Selina, with Javier Bardem as King Triton, and Melissa McCarthy as Ursula.
Helmed by filmmaker Rob Marshall, the movie opens in theaters on May 26, 2023.