Disney’s newest film, a remake of "The Little Mermaid" has caused a lot of discourse on the internet. On the surface, it seems like just another live-action remake. After all, remakes are increasingly common. However, the main controversy started when it was announced that singer and actress Halle Bailey, who is Black, would be playing Ariel. This casting created a ripple effect that still affects the movie today, despite the casting being announced in 2019.
"The Little Mermaid" was initially released in 1989, and the story followed a mermaid named Ariel who longed to be a part of the human world. The movie remained widely loved and Ariel was properly submitted into the Disney princess lineup.
The news of a remake was in talks for a while, but the casting announcement caused an immediate outcry of hatred. I vividly remember looking on Twitter when this was announced and I was horrified by the reaction at the outrage at the simple fact that Bailey is a Black woman.
In the 1989 film, Ariel is white with cartoonish red hair. The 2023 version of Ariel is Black with more natural red hair. Some arguments against this are utterly ridiculous, some people going as far as arguing that mermaids can't be Black because they aren’t exposed to the sun, ignoring that mermaids do not exist in real life. Others are just mad that Disney changed the race of a once-white character.
“The Little Mermaid” director Rob Marshall said in an interview that hundreds of women of different ethnicities auditioned for the role, and Bailey was picked because she was the “best person for the role.”
Again, Ariel is a mermaid, a fictional being that is not tied to a specific race or culture. It would be different if Disney cast a white woman to play Tiana or Mulan due to the fact that these characters’ stories directly tie into their race. Ariel is just a mermaid who wants to be a part of a world unknown to her, and that’s the beauty of the story. Ariel feels out of place and alone but finally finds herself when stepping into the unknown, a story a lot of people can relate to.
When we look at the actual movie compared to a lot of other Disney remakes of the last couple of years, "The Little Mermaid" feels fresh. While the movie suffers from the lighting issues that seem to plague every movie in the last 10 years, it still looks amazing. The CGI is believable and adds life to the movie. The remake had a lot against it when considering the beauty of Disney’s animation style, but I think it holds up nicely.
Bailey's voice is a wonderful fit for the character and her performance is amazing throughout the entire movie. There is also a greater emphasis on Ariel's obsession with human things being more than her love for Prince Eric. Another well done change was the ending. In this version, Ariel was the one to defeat Ursula with the boat, instead of Eric. It felt more satisfying because Ursula tried to destroy Ariel’s life, but she was able to fight back by herself.
Overall, I think the 2023 version of "The Little Mermaid" is good. It’s not a masterful piece of cinema, but it's a good movie that keeps the spirit of the original. From the start, "The Little Mermaid" had an uphill battle to fight, but the movie achieved immense success at the box office and is getting a lot of praise online. While it can be annoying to see Disney pump out remake after remake of your childhood films, give them a chance and embrace older stories being reintroduced to a newer generation.
Haylee Leasure is a sophomore studying journalism. Please note that the opinions expressed in this column do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk about the column? Email Haylee at hl125421@ohio.edu.
