Who is ready to get excited by some movies? Expectations and hype can be strong forces in the cinematic experience. The trailers, the rumors, the early reviews…these all can do wonders when it comes to getting people excited for a new film release. For this upcoming weekend, we have a few reasons you should be excited about this film coming your way… The Little Mermaid
Halle Bailey
Quite simply, Bailey just looks and sounds like she is going to be a mega-star. If you have heard any clips or trailers where Bailey’s singing is featured, you know that you are in for a treat once this film comes out. The controversy around the casting is absurd and when you experience the actual talent that goes into this new performance as Ariel, you cannot help but get excited. All of the classic songs that we hear Ariel sing in The Little Mermaid are in good hands as well as any new song they most likely are adding (there has to be with a runtime almost 50-minutes longer than the original). I was hooked on Bailey as Ariel since the teaser dropped and still excited to see this performance in action.
Melissa McCarthy
It is hard to come in and honor such an iconic character, especially such a deliciously wonderful villain. The Lion King has shown that even a great actor does not necessarily mean that the character will be done with honor or even get close to the original. But Melissa McCarthy looks to bring the right amount of charm and drama to the sea villain, Ursula. First off, the looks are perfect. Every time you see her in the trailer, McCarthy looks so perfect as Ursula. Will she have the voice? I am confident that she will come to play and put her own special spin on the role. McCarthy is so talented and that is overshadowed sometimes by her roles that go for cheap fat gags. But The Little Mermaid looks to be a film where she can really shine.
The Visuals
Isn’t the animation of the original so beautiful? Since it is 2023, they certainly are not going with the 2-D animation approach to remaking this film. It all must be live-action! But still, we already know that so much of it will be computer-generated effects and animation. Effects have gotten so impressive over time and based on the trailers, we seem to get a wonderfully colorful and vibrant world under the sea. That is an exciting prospect. The choice to make the animals much closer to realistic versions of themselves will be interesting to see but overall, the film seems to be offering up an exciting world to get lost in.
