The first reactions to The Little Mermaid are in, and the vibe is overwhelmingly positive for the live-action remake starring Halle Bailey as the iconic Disney princess. There’s also lots of love for Melissa McCarthy who plays the villainous sea witch Ursula.
While critics are blown away by the lead performances, particularly when it comes to the musical numbers, The Little Mermaid‘s visual effects are mentioned several times, and the overall consensus is they’re iffy. However, that doesn’t seem to detract from the rest of the film, which is racking up near-universal praise in the first batch of social media reactions.
“#TheLittleMermaid was an ABSOLUTE gem! @HalleBailey IS Ariel, no matter what anyone says,” The Illuminerdi writer Stephanie Ramirez tweeted. “She brings in the charm and personality of Ariel to life. Melissa McCarthy as Ursula was just *chef kiss*. This film was such a joy to experience.”
Melissa McCarthy as Ursula was just *chef kiss*. This film was such a joy to experience. pic.twitter.com/QNaq6uRsLi
— Stephanie Ramirez (@SweetnShy13) May 9, 2023
“The Little Mermaid is magical,” Tessa Smith wrote. “Halle Bailey is absolutely phenomenal. That girl has some pipes! Scuttle & Sebastian are hilarious & had me laughing the whole way through. Love the new songs & added plot points! Some CGI issues, but they don’t take away from it.”
— Tessa Smith – Mama's Geeky (@MamasGeeky) May 9, 2023
“I was blown away by #TheLittleMermaid,” Brandon Lewis tweeted. “Some visual issues aside, it’s the most romantic and, dare I say, magical Disney has been in years. The best live-action remake by a mile. Daveed Diggs is the MVP. Halle Bailey is a superstar, and her Part of Your World is a showstopper.”
— Brandon Lewis (@blewis1103) May 9, 2023
“#TheLittleMermaid makes it pretty close to being the best live action Disney movie, however it still struggles in the villain department,” Felicia Wade wrote. “Halle Bailey IS Ariel and I had literal chills throughout her performance. This is a little mermaid retelling like you’ve never seen before.”
— Felicia (@becomingfelicia) May 9, 2023
You can see more reactions to The Little Mermaid below: