Since the initial teaser trailer for The Little Mermaid live-action film was released in September 2022, fans have tried to get their claws on teasers ahead of the anticipated premiere. While they may have gotten their wish with the latest teaser clip of the iconic “Kiss the Girl” scene, reviews from fans didn’t quite sing its praises.
In The Little Mermaid’s latest clip released on Twitter, Ariel (Halle Bailey) and Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King) share a dim rowboat ride illuminated by a willow tree and schools of fish beneath them. Although the song taps into the nostalgia of the Disney classic film, the scene’s adaptation of hallmark characters like Flounder (Jacob Tremblay) and Sebastian (Daveed Diggs) garnered some harsh feedback from fans.
What Twitter Critics Are Saying
A new clip from ‘THE LITTLE MERMAID’ has been released. pic.twitter.com/BZVs6nb5Ms
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) May 8, 2023
Related: Disney Makes Another Big Change to the New ‘Little Mermaid’
User @NilesGordon commented:
Why does it look like a curtain was over the camera during filming?
Why does it look like a curtain was over the camera during filming?
— Alex (@NilesGordon) May 8, 2023
Numerous others joined him in bringing attention to the darkness in the new clip. Another Twitter user remarked:
The Little Mermaid, famous for the song ‘Would someone turn up the brightness as I can’t see a thing.
The Little Mermaid, famous for that song “Would someone turn up the brightness as I can’t see a thing.” #TheLittleMermaid
— Steg68 (@Steg68) May 8, 2023
The hard-to-see scene wasn’t the only controversial topic social media users critiqued in the thread. Multiple commenters were disappointed when Sebastian and Flounder came into the frame, calling them “jump-scare” moments. Using CGI to recreate the look of historic fixtures in Disney’s film library is no easy feat, and live-action films like The Lion King and The Jungle Book earned similar backlash when they were released. The feedback has been about the lack of expressions realistic-looking animals can make compared to their 2-D counterparts.
With whimsical sidekicks like a crab with a Jamaican accent and a fun-loving fish, it’s proving difficult for lifelong Ariel fans to get behind the ultra-realistic look teased in the latest news around the upcoming premiere.
However, some positive comments are sprinkled among the criticism, including this outlook from user @mmdisney200:
Absolutely beautiful
Absolutely beautiful 🥹 pic.twitter.com/gzvjcoAVjD
— Mario🫧🧜🏽♀️ (@mmdisney200) May 8, 2023
Related: Filmmakers Call Out Disney For Promoting ‘Little Mermaid’ During Oscars Broadcast
Although Rob Marshall’s rendition of The Little Mermaid is expected to draw in fans of Halle Bailey and her monumental debut as Ariel, the film continues to be a lightning rod for controversy. With stylings carried by musical heavyweights like Lin Manuel-Miranda and the original film’s score composer, Alan Menken, it’s hard to stand on the side of skepticism (especially with just a mermaid tail).
In addition to the music, the film boasts a talent-packed cast that includes Halle Bailey as Ariel, Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, Awkwafina as Scuttle, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, and Javier Bardem as King Triton.
Whether the live-action Little Mermaid will flounder or flourish in theaters remains debatable, but we’ll see for sure when it’s released on May 26, 2023.