Initially flacked by its casting, this live-action adaptation of the Disney animated classic actually is quite fun and emotional thanks to said casting.

Ariel is a mermaid who longs to see what it is like to be with the humans above the water. However, her father, King Triton, forbids Ariel from going up there because he blames the humans for the death of Ariel’s mother. However, she is determined to see what it’s like up there. When she sneaks above the water, she finds herself saving Eric, the adopted son of the Queen with his having a blurry vision of her.

When she is confronted by Triton for her actions, Ariel meets her aunt Ursula, a known sea witch who has an evil plan in mind. However, learning of Ariel’s situation, decides to make Ariel the key to the plan. Giving Ariel 72 hours to see life as a human in exchange for her siren song, Ursula sets her plan in motion. Meanwhile, Ariel meets Eric and poses as a worker at his castle. Soon enough, the two fall for each other, which could jeopardize Ursula’s plan to take over the sea world. Will Ariel be able to stop her aunt before it’s too late?

Based on the Disney animated classic, itself based on a Hans Christian Andersen story, when it was first announced that there would be a live-action version of the film, the casting would soon cause a bit of wildfire. When R&B star Halle Bailey was cast as Ariel, there were quite a few detractors for the obvious. However, Bailey is perfectly cast as she conveys the emotional range of a mermaid who aspires to live among the humans and is perfect when it comes to singing the songs.  Kudos also goes to Jonah Hauer-King, who plays Eric, has he gives off a charm similar to Henry Cavill. And to think, Harry Styles was the original choice to play the character.

Daveed Diggs and Awkwafina bring the comedy in their roles of Sebastian and Scuttle. Awkwafina, who replaces the male seagull as a female gannet, even gets her own new song for the film, “The Scuttlebutt”, which she does her style of rapping in the mix. As for Diggs, the look of Sebastian is not too great compared to his animated counterpart, but his version of “Under the Sea” is really well done with its visuals. As for Javier Bardem, he is the overprotective King Triton who makes the most of his role while Melissa McCarthy goes against type as Ursula. Her rendition of “Poor Unfortunate Souls” has a bit of a Bette Midler-“Hocus Pocus” tinge until it goes to an epic finale once she sets the deal with Ariel.

There are some interesting new characters in the film, notably Art Malik’s Grimsby, who serves as Eric’s mentor who tries to help him understand his role as the future King while Noma Dumezweni is great as the Queen, who like Triton, fears the opposition. Their rivalry makes Ariel and Eric’s budding romance giving a “Romeo and Juliet” vibe once it is established. Look out for a cameo by Jodi Benson, the original voice of Ariel in the animated film, when Ariel and Eric tour a local market in town.

The Little Mermaid is not without some minor flaws, but overall, a pretty good live-action adaptation of a Disney classic. Halle Bailey is perfectly cast and Daveed Diggs and Awkwafina bring the comic aspect to a tee. Definitely one to check out.

WFG RATING: B+

A Disney film. Director: Rob Marshall. Producers: Rob Marshall, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Marc Platt, and John DeLuca. Writer: David Magee; based on the original story by Hans Christian Andersen and the animated screenplay by John Musker and Ron Clements. Cinematography: Dion Bebee. Editing: Wyat Smith.

Cast: Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Melissa McCarthy, Javier Bardem, Art Malik, Daveed Diggs (voice), Awkwafina (voice), Jacob Tremblay (voice), Noma Dumezweni, Jessica Alexander, Martina Laird.