Yesterday, I watched The Little Mermaid in theaters. I was expecting to watch a carbon copy of the animated version. I didn’t mind paying to see it because 1) Halle Bailey has gotten and is getting so much undeserved hatred and criticism and 2) The Little Mermaid is in my top three favorite Disney movies. Before Princess Tiana, Ariel was my favorite princess.

The movie is longer than the original, but I would argue that it’s better. The casting director knew what they were doing with their choices. Halle was great in her role and her voice made the entire movie what it was. Anyone who watches will really see what the director, Rob Marshall, meant when he said no one could compare in auditions. I’ve seen trailers and I listen to Chloe x Halle. I know how beautiful, strong, angelic, and emotional Halle’s voice is. Still, I cried watching this movie, in part because of her voice.

Everyone was casted well in this. Jacob Tremblay’s voice was fitting as Flounder. Javier Bardem was a hard-ass as King Triton. Melissa McCarthy pleasantly surprised me as Ursula. I love Daveed Diggs and he was a highlight in the movie as Sebastian. Even Awkwafina wasn’t too annoying as Scuttle. (I didn’t think her voice fit in Raya and the Last Dragon). Don’t even get me started on Jonah Hauer-King, as Prince Eric, and his dimples.

I didn’t know anything about him, but I hope to see him in more projects. He was charming and perfect in his role. Because Ariel can’t speak for most of the movie, body language and chemistry are important to show there’s attraction there and they’re meant to be together. The chemistry was apparent and had me smiling, waiting for Ariel to get her voice back so they could live happily ever after.

I liked that they showed Ariel’s internal dialogue at some points throughout the movie. It was nice that Jodie Benson got a cameo. I enjoyed everything about Sebastian. The reenactment of major scenes, the hair flip, sitting up on the rock, King Triton destroying the artifacts etc felt iconic.

This movie doesn’t make you read between the lines the way the first movie does. They don’t just tell you that King Triton hates humans. They remind you of it over and over again and explain the reasoning why. They even bring in the sisters to explain how the shipwrecks affect their ecosystem. They show how unrelenting King Triton is and how disconnected Ariel is from her world. We learn a little more about Ursula, finding out she’s Triton’s sister and feels wronged by him. During the Uncharted Waters song, we see and feel Prince Eric’s desire to find who rescued him. We see Prince Eric’s love of travel and artifacts similar to Ariel’s curiosity of the world and her own treasure of artifacts under the sea.

The movie gives a little Romeo and Juliet situation, showing how the hatred is mutual and even has humans talk about mermaids as an ancient tale. We know that some think they exist and lure men to their deaths. We see that they feel the unrest in the waters and are affected by it, having to close a port because of all the shipwrecks. They even hone in the idea of Ariel and her siren song. I think it adds another layer to the movie and makes it more complete instead of one sided.

Some lackluster areas of the movie included the Scuttlebutt rap, which most people from what I see didn’t enjoy. I think the beginning of the song was fitting and I understand the point, but it did feel out of place as it went on. Even though I liked the Uncharted Waters song and hearing Jonah’s voice, the visuals did feel like a music video and a little out of place. I also wish they included a group song with the sisters.

Some of my favorites include the entire boat scene including Kiss the Girl, Jessica Alexander’s performance as the human Ursula, and the scene where Ariel and Prince Eric go to the market.

Lastly, race isn’t a factor in the movie, which is why Halle can be casted and the story doesn’t change. To be predictable and critique it harsher or avoid it all together because Ariel isn’t white with dyed red hair is rooted in bigotry and I beg anyone who feels this way to seek help. No one is losing representation because this Ariel doesn’t look like you. White people can find representation elsewhere.

This movie made me emotional because of Halle’s voice and the casting of each role. They paid homage to one of my favorite Disney movies and casted someone with the same skin tone as me. I teared up throughout the movie and cried at the end. When King Triton apologized for not hearing his daughter, babyyy. A parent apologizing to their child is a big deal.

Overall, it was enjoyable. It wasn’t line to line the same as the animated version, and I really appreciate that. Some things are cut, but it didn’t take away from the story. The visuals and CGI were amazing. The singing was beautiful. I can’t wait to see it again. I recommend watching it.