The live-action remake of the Little Mermaid is receiving mixed reviews ahead of its release

The much-anticipated, live-action remake of The Little Mermaid received mixed reviews before its release, with critics decrying both the “unfortunate” remake and its “realistic” depiction of animals, while praising Halle Bailey’s Ariel.

A rough review by Bloomberg labeled the film a “soaked riddle” and described the new rap song The Scuttlebutt, a song sung by Awkwafina’s Scuttle and Daveed Diggs’ Sebastian, as particularly cringe.

Scuttle is voiced by Awkwafina, who is never funny – except here. At the screening I attended, many grown adults covered their faces to avoid looking at the screen. Both songs feel like first versions,’ Bloomberg noted.

One of the most iconic scenes from the original film, Under The Sea also wowed the critic.

“The original is cute and cheerful, featuring sea creatures with angelic, smiling faces. But in the 2023 version, they’re faceless and so (sorry, fish) they’re just not that much fun to watch,” Bloomberg wrote.

“Both the old and new issue end with the camera quickly cutting between all the sea creatures “dancing.” In the animated version, this moment is a triumph. In the modern iteration — as the camera snaps between a manta ray’s belly and a snail’s arm and a starfish’s … hole, I think — you just wonder, “What the hell am I looking at?”

NPRmeanwhile headlined their review, “The Little Mermaid is the latest of Disney’s poor unfortunate remakes,” in reference to Ursula’s song Poor Unfortunate Souls.

They also described Under The Sea as “dead in the water” and called the Scuttlebutt rap “ridiculous.” Like Bloomberg, there was also criticism of the way marine life was portrayed: “The underwater scenes have a flattened sheen reminiscent of video games circa the early 2000s.”

Weekly entertainmentmeanwhile was more impressed with Under The Sea, calling it a ‘visual feast for the eyes’.

“Under the Sea” is the highlight of the film – with choreography of more realistic marine life, including schools of fish, starfish and jellyfish, performing Broadway-level dance moves. The film pays homage to the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and the song evokes the black joy and culture of the legendary dance company in a visual expression of the tune’s Caribbean timbre,” wrote EW.

The New York Post was also frustrated by the depiction of sea creatures.

‘However, what irritates me the most are the animals. Not because of the skill of the voice actors (Diggs comes out on top in this), but because their National Geographic performance illustrates what’s wrong with these films,” the outlet noted.

“Nobody wants to see realistic bones and tasty-looking crabs rapping and joking while their fish mouths barely move. But that’s what we poor unfortunate souls get.”

Meanwhile, Melissa McCarthy, who plays villain Ursula, also received mixed reviews.

oh oh! Critics took issue with the “realistic” depiction of sea creatures, which was a far cry from their animated cartoon counterparts

‘Absolutely glowing in every singer’: Bailey received high marks for her portrayal of the underwater princess

“McCarthy is fine as the sinister tentacled Ursula. The smoky-voiced artist is all over the place with a witch’s brew of styles, and her big song “Poor Unfortunate Souls” lacks the delightful camp of the animated version. (Though she’s still the main villain, her antagonism feels dampened by the enforced conflict between humans and sea-dwellers.),’ writes USA today.

NPR, meanwhile, described her performance as one of the highlights.

“McCarthy’s Ursula feels both akin to Pat Carroll’s indelible vocal performance in the original and stands alone at times, especially during the perfect villain anthem “Poor Unfortunate Souls,” they wrote.

Forbes was much kinder to the film and a fan of McCarthy’s performance, comparing her to the late Pat Carroll, the actress who lent her voice to Ursula in the 1989 film.

“Melissa McCarthy taking on one of Disney’s most iconic villains is no small feat, but she epitomizes Ursula with the perfect blend of sinister yet oftentimes humorous,” wrote Forbes.

‘McCarthy is just OK’: Meanwhile, Melissa McCarthy, who plays villain Ursula, also received mixed reviews

Coming from such a popular comedic background, McCarthy really brings something to the “Poor Unfortunate Souls” character in a way only McCarthy could. There are even nostalgic moments in the new movie where McCarthy says a witty Ursula line that sounds almost exactly like Pat Carroll, the late actress who voiced Ursula in the animated film, would say it.

Halle also received generally high marks for her portrayal of Ariel.

Halle Bailey as Ariel is absolutely fantastic. From the moment she sings “Part of Your World” early in the movie, you’re instantly captivated by her mesmerizing vocals. Some of Bailey’s best acting in film comes when she doesn’t even say a word, just from her strong facial expressions, making the moviegoer feel like they really understand Ariel’s passionate desire for something more,” Forbes noted.

EW wrote of the actress, “Her Ariel is so radiant she seems to possess the properties of bioluminescence, absolutely glowing in every scene.”

Making Waves: The Little Mermaid, starring Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy and more, releases May 26

Bailey is especially good at conveying her character’s developing emotions with facial expressions rather than speech. That and the fact that she can sing like a Broadway star will appeal to a new generation seeing ‘Mermaid’ for the first time,” USA Today noted.

However, NPR noted that Halle’s portrayal lacked the “mischievous” nature of her animated counterpart.

“While Bailey is charming and expressive, her interpretation of Ariel doesn’t fully embrace the edgier, mischievous side of the character that was so evident in the animation of the 1989 version and as voiced by Jodi Benson.”

The Little Mermaid, starring Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy and more, is out May 26.