The seaweed is actually greener this time.
Nowadays, Disney is once again at a crossroads.
As the titular mermaid yearning for a life beyond the sea, Ariel is at the heart of this.
Halle Bailey as Ariel in ‘The Little Mermaid’.Photo courtesy of Disney
InHalle Bailey, Disney and Marshall mint a new star.
Bailey is breathtaking as Ariel.
But it’s her altogether human performance that makes it impossible not to fall in love with her.
Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric and Halle Bailey as Ariel in ‘The Little Mermaid’.Photo courtesy of Disney
Her Ariel is less a tempestuous teenager with a crush than she is a blossoming and curious young woman.
What is marvelous is this more diverse world of characters and a new Disney princess in Bailey.
It’s a pop in of performance and incumbent stardom we rarely see anymore.
Sebastian the Crab as voiced by Daveed Diggs in ‘The Little Mermaid’.Photo courtesy of Disney
Hauer-King elevates the character beyond a bland handsome face, while never pulling focus from Bailey’s star turn.
As sea witch Ursula,Melissa McCarthyis as enrapturing as her tentacles.
Marshall contains McCarthy’s chaotic energy, allowing it to burst out in measured moments.
Melissa McCarthy as Ursula in ‘The Little Mermaid’.Photo courtesy of Disney
Her Ursula is equal parts villainy and glamor, becoming something truly terrifying in her climactic transformation.
Miranda’s signature style is abundantly evident and both Awkwafina and Diggs get to showcase their chops.
