The Little Mermaid is Mesmerizing
An Epic Story Retold Well
SPOILER ALERT***
On a warm Sunday afternoon, I spent two hours in a trance. On the large screen before me, I watched a mermaid sing, dance, and play into history. The Little Mermaid, a remake of the Disney classic, starring Halle Bailey was a tour de force.
From the moment the movie began, the audience was submerged into the watery world of the mermaids ruled by King Triton. Triton has seven daughters, each a guardian of a sea, the youngest being Ariel, played by Bailey.
But Ariel has her head above water. She is obsessed with the human world and longs to walk among them. Of course, Ariel and her father don’t see eye to eye when it comes to humans. King Triton feels that humans are dangerous, especially since one of them killed Ariel’s mother (how that happened isn’t explained).
But Ariel feels that the entire human race shouldn’t be blamed for the actions of one person and goes to her secret hideaway to admire the treasures she’s collected from sunken ships over the years. The small cavern is full of coins, keys, jewelry, and other knickknacks Ariel has collected on her explorations. She marvels at the trinkets, wondering how the humans made use of them.
Meanwhile, Prince Eric returns from his own explorations. The adopted son of a King and Queen of a small island, the prince just wants to explore and enjoy the company of his comrades. His advisor, the Prime Minister, is similar to Triton — he wants Prince Eric to focus on his royal duties and prepare to one day ascend to the throne. The prince isn’t too sure he wants to be king.
As their ship nears the island, a mysterious storm blows in. The waves go from serene to monstrous, whipping the boat around. The crew tries to baton down the hatches and secure their cargo as Prince Eric attempts to control the ship. Unfortunately, the angry waves steer the ships straight into some jagged rocks.
The crew abandons ship and board life boats. Prince Eric remains behind when he hears his dog barking. The prince saves the dog but there’s an explosion and he’s knocked unconscious. Prince Eric sinks to the murky depths of the ocean.
Meanwhile, Ariel had been watching the goings on and rescues Prince Eric. She bring him to shore and sings her mermaid song to heal his injuries. Before Prince Eric can fully regain consciousness, Ariel flees when the prince’s people come searching for him.
Ariel is beyond thrilled she was able to help Prince Eric. She’s immediately smitten with him. Unfortunately, King Triton learns of Ariel’s actions and confronts her in her hideaway. After a tense conversation, the king destroys many of Ariel’s treasures. He then forbids Ariel from leaving the kingdom.
I’ll stop here. You will have to check out the movie to see what happens next. Don’t assume that it stays true to the animated original.
The Little Mermaid is full of action, adventure, danger, and romance. There’s magic and mystery. There’s family drama. The acting was top notch and the singing was on point. I loved every minute of the movie.
The Little Mermaid receives five out of five stars from me!
*****
