Let's start with the good. I loved the new music, I enjoyed Jonah Hauer King as Eric, but his performance felt very theatrical in parts. I enjoyed the under water animation and world, though some parts were very CGI looking. I enjoyed the voice actors, and Melissa McCarthy as the villian. I also really adored the final send off scene, it was emotional and the first time that you as an audience member felt like the story wasn't being forced.
For the bad, the acting felt very film in some places and very theatre in others. It didn't mesh well. The chemistry between Jonah and Halle was NOT there. Jonah was able to channel the passion needed for scenes, but Halle did not. Halle left a great deal to be desired. Whether it was the writing, the editing, or the acting - Ariel made me cringe. The character was portrayed immature, air headed, and the expressions/movement looked predictable. I know the character is supposed to be naïve, but even that wasn't portrayed properly. The acting didn't feel natural and I truly felt like I was watching someone act for the first time. I was disappointed in the quality of some of the animation, underwater scenes, and almost all of the water scenes. It looked low budget.
The quality and the main character did a disservice to a staple Disney classic. More time, consideration, and care needed to be taken out of respect to people who grew up watching the original.
For the bad, the acting felt very film in some places and very theatre in others. It didn't mesh well. The chemistry between Jonah and Halle was NOT there. Jonah was able to channel the passion needed for scenes, but Halle did not. Halle left a great deal to be desired. Whether it was the writing, the editing, or the acting - Ariel made me cringe. The character was portrayed immature, air headed, and the expressions/movement looked predictable. I know the character is supposed to be naïve, but even that wasn't portrayed properly. The acting didn't feel natural and I truly felt like I was watching someone act for the first time. I was disappointed in the quality of some of the animation, underwater scenes, and almost all of the water scenes. It looked low budget.
The quality and the main character did a disservice to a staple Disney classic. More time, consideration, and care needed to be taken out of respect to people who grew up watching the original.