Review: Disenchantment under the sea in ‘The Little Mermaid’

It’s not Rob Marshall’s fault that Disney’s latest live-action retread doesn’t really sing.

“The Little Mermaid,” a somewhat drab undertaking with sparks of bioluminescence, suffers from the same fundamental issues that plagued “The Lion King,” “Aladdin” and “Beauty and the Beast.” Halle Bailey might be a lovely presence and possesses a superb voice that is distinctly different from Jodi Benson’s, 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. Eric’s ship. Even Ariel’s bright red hair. Combined with the wonderful songs and lyrics by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, it’s not hard to understand why it helped fuel a Disney Animation renaissance.

For all its pizazz, everything about this “Little Mermaid” is just more muted.

“The Little Mermaid,” a Walt Disney Co. released in theaters Friday, is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association for “action/ peril, some scary images.” Running time: 135 minutes. Two stars out of four.