The year was 1989.
I found out I was pregnant from my best friend and I told my cousin and my cousin told my aunt. My aunt called me and said “Your mom is my best friend. If you don’t tell her in the next 24 hours I’m gonna tell her.”
I didn’t know what was going to happen. I decided to go see The Little Mermaid. I thought “I can go take a couple hours and escape from everything”
The movie was just what I need to soothe my soul at the time. I laughed and cried, especially about Ariel having to confront her dad. It hit my heart hard! I loved the character of Sebastian and even decided to name the baby after him (my husband later vetoed that).
My son is now 33 years old and Patrick and I have been married for 33 years.
The movie brings up so many memories and emotions. So when the new version was announced, I knew I wanted to see it.
I went to the press screening with my friend, Ursula (!!!).
Guess what?
I love the new The Little Mermaid movie too!
My advice: Look at it as a whole new movie. Do not make any comparisons, it stands on its own. I’ve seen other reviews complaining about the the songs, lyrics, storylines, etc. I was totally fine with this new adaptation. I didn’t want a play-by-play dupe.
Lin Manuel Miranda wrote two new songs for this film and while they weren’t my favorites, they were entertaining to watch.
Comparison is the thief of joy, remember?
We now have two versions of The Little Mermaid to enjoy!
You can see and feel the love that went into this movie especially, Halle Bailey. She knew she had a big fin to fill, and she delivered. I liked that there was more depth to the relationship between Eric and Ariel.
I loved the beefed up ending of it, no spoilers.
The cast
The cast reminded me of Bridgerton – there were multiple ethnicities normalized within the film. The characters and the story were the anchors, and I thought that was beautiful.
There’s even a Latina mermaid named Perla!
You’ll hear a couple of new songs, even Eric has a solo number!
Melissa McCarthy was a perfect Ursula – the way she slithered around with her tentacles. Such a good Disney villain, they even gave her a bit of a backstory. Hurt people hurt people, right? That’s all I’ll say about that.
Javier Bardem. YES. I felt so impressed with the casting. The actor who plays Eric reminds me of a young Ryan Gosling. I bet you’ll agree!
Overall…
At first you’ll find your mind needs a big of adjusting to this new “world.” We’re used to seeing the animated version of these beloved characters, and then to see this new CGI version is a little weird at first.
Do I feel emotional about the new The Little Mermaid? Well, yes but for different reasons.
My son and daughter-in-law had a baby this year! So for the first The Little Mermaid, I found out I was going to be a mom. Now the new version, I’m a grandma!
Summer fun
This movie is perfect for summertime, the whole family will enjoy it. There are some epic action parts, in case you bring young kids. Just be aware they might squirm.
And if you feel like crafting, of course I have a craft! My friend Megan showed how to make a cute pair of DIY Mickey ears in honor of The Little Mermaid!
Thanks for reading through this! Do you plan to see the movie?
Other Disney crafts:
Beauty and the Beast DIY Mickey Ears
