The Little Mermaid was reviewed by Alyssa Mora. In theaters May 26, 2023. Halle Bailey’s brilliantly vulnerable performance as Ariel is the star of the show in Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid. Melissa McCarthy follows closely behind with a magnetic performance as Ursula. As a whole, however, this version sometimes struggles to keep itself above water. Its problems lie in lackluster underwater sequences, realistic sea creatures missing cartoonish charm, and additions to the story that are quaint but not necessarily memorable. What works best are the elements it takes from the original, highlighted best by a show-stopping rendition of Part of Your World. While this version doesn’t always find its sea legs, there’s enough of those original ideas recreated here that it can’t go too far wrong. #TheLittleMermaid
