When it comes to Disney remaking their classic animated films, The Little Mermaid faced the most backlash, mostly targeted at criticisms against Halle Bailey leading the live-action.
Majority of the backlash came from those claiming that the leading mermaid ‘shouldn’t be Black’, resulting in fans defending Bailey as the perfect choice for the live remake.
Apart from earning five Grammy Award nominations, Bailey is a singer-songwriter who could sing the songs Ariel did in the film. Not to mention, fans pointing out that mermaids aren’t classified by their skin.
Now, upon The Little Mermaid’s premiere, many critics have taken to Twitter their initial reviews on Disney’s remake — all of which leaned on the positive side of things.
The Direct’s Gillian Blum claimed that The Little Mermaid “is the best Disney live-action adaptation to date. Halle Bailey IS Ariel. Major props to the sound effects team. Could watch this version’s Under the Sea all day, it was the highlight of the whole thing.”
Daniel Howat of Next Big Picture added his own: “Halle Bailey is wonderful, elevating everything around her. Even while mute, she’s just magnetic. And Melissa McCarthy is having the time of her life. Excellent casting all around.”
We Live Entertainment’s Zoe Rose Bryant remarked how the live remake captured the heart of its original counterpart: “[The Little Mermaid] retains the heart and soul of the story we know and love and it’s elevated even further by a note-perfect star-making performance from Halle Bailey — she was born to be on the big screen & why this new take is worth watching.”
READ MORE: The Little Mermaid Shows Off Sparkling Chemistry in ‘Kiss The Girl’ Preview
Though it goes without saying that the film had its flaws, it is worth noting that most of the points from these critics stem from CGI and the new changes the live remake attempted to make transformative as opposed to its classic animated version.
It looks like Halle Bailey has redeemed herself from the previous backlash for being cast in the role, considering that not only was she the center of the film, but even the first to be named in each review.
The Little Mermaid hits theaters on May 26!
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