Film ► The Little Mermaid Live Action Remake

[Oracle Spockanort]

Wow, I had no idea Zendaya was this popular. Yuck. Someone brought up Jodi Benson... Even in her grave she'll sound better than Zendaya, but I guess having an exceptional voice isn't important to the plot for this one... Oh, wait.

They will never find anybody who can do Jodi Benson justice. There is no possible way. Like that can’t even happen.

And they could definitely find somebody with a better singing voice if Disney wants to, but Zendaya is hardly as horrible as you are trying to make her come off as. You act like she is the worst person to ever to exist.

 

[Elysium]

Well, for what it's worth, I would have been just as irritated if Disney had foisted Miley Cyrus on this back when she was still a Disney star.

 

[Rydgea]

Wow, I had no idea Zendaya was this popular. Yuck. Someone brought up Jodi Benson... Even in her grave she'll sound better than Zendaya, but I guess having an exceptional voice isn't important to the plot for this one... Oh, wait.

There are neutral voices too, us few.

Listen, there are enough talented singers out there that can do Jodi Benson justice without totally butchering the songs like they did in B&tB.

 

[Chuman]

anybody who thinks debby ryan would be even a competent ariel in comparison to zendaya is fooling herself, she’s devoid of talent and her recent body of eork reflects it. and let me say how grateful i am for not hearing “what about bella thorne?!!1”. eugh

 

[Launchpad]

If they're going with TLM for this live action movie, I don't see why they wanna retell the same old story but with inferior live action + CGI visuals (note: this kills the actor or actress)

If they have to do live action The Little Mermaid, can't it be about Ursula or Triton?

 

[Darkspawn]

Race wasn’t a factor in the casting of the merpeople in the the Broadway show, so I don’t see why it should be in the film? As long as she doesn’t turn Part of Your World into a belt number like I’ve seen far too many theatres actresses do, I think she’ll be great in the role. I’d love to see Norm Lewis from the Broadway production return to the role of Triton.

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

Norm Lewis and Tituss Burgess are the two actors people want to see return for the live-action adaption.

 

[Chuman]

he may not be jamaican but can we get hannibal burress (or john mulaney) as sebastian

”uh ariel you arent supposed to go to the surface but legally you can eat me so whatever”

a new narrative and story should encourage new characterizations. like launchpad said, a retread is dumb but its easy for me to say that because the core themes were not important to me like they are for women, gay and trans folk. i feel like they can make a new story from the classic characters without sacrificing thematic importance.

 

[alexis.anagram]

Something I think most of y'all are ignoring is how I stated that it has nothing to do with race despite me stating as such a few times in my post, but I shall say it once more: my problem isn't about the race.

You, two pages ago:

I wonder why they're opting for Zendaya and not someone who looks like the original Ariel?

But hey! Unpopular opinions are pretty frowned upon, so I guess I should just quit while I'm ahead, right?!

This has nothing to do with you having an "unpopular" opinion, it has to do with you framing your entire complaint as a matter of maintaining the "racial" integrity of Ariel, who is a mermaid, and leaning into false equivalencies about who gets represented in media and why it matters.

And let's keep the record straight, Disney didn't make it a "mission" to cast ethnically authentic actors in their live-action adaptations, like, at all. With both Aladdin and Mulan there were early indications that some or many of the main roles were intended to be cast with white actors, and both films were embroiled in controversy over it, which eventually forced Disney to change its tune when it became clear they couldn't get away with it. With Aladdin, there's still the problem of Jasmine being sidewashed vis-a-vis British and Indian actress Naomi Scott, and, somewhat hilariously imo, the snap invention of a "white prince" character for the film which serves no obvious purpose other than to shoehorn in a white actor, which exemplifies how Disney still doesn't get it.

Emma Watson was a great "face" for Belle, but Jesus Christ that singing was god awful. Honestly, Jodi Benson gave Ariel my favorite singing voice of any Disney character, if all I hear is autotune in this new film, I will rage!

I mean, it does kind of speak to the level of creative and professional interest paid to these cash-ins (oops, "adaptations") when they don't even care to cast their most iconic roles with someone capable of performing the part or take the time to help them develop their skills to a presentable level.

They will never find anybody who can do Jodi Benson justice. There is no possible way. Like that can’t even happen.

That seems far-fetched. If you mean somebody who can replicate her voice and characterization, well, yeah, but that's not the standard to set for a new Ariel.

The standard ought to be someone who can sing the part as well as Jodi Benson did, which is perfectly manageable. It's not a really hard part, Jodi Benson is just a really good singer.

And they could definitely find somebody with a better singing voice if Disney wants to, but Zendaya is hardly as horrible as you are trying to make her come off as. You act like she is the worst person to ever to exist.

I'm not familiar with Zendaya at all, so I won't speak to her skills either way, but I think framing her as an appropriate choice because, "she isn't good, but she's good enough" is kind of insulting to her and to the audience. She should be cast because she's the best possible choice: allowing for the fact that some qualities may outweigh others in considering her for the role.

I guess I just believe that good casting emphasizes an actor's strengths, rather than forcing a production to go out of its way to cover for their insufficiencies (or, worse, asking the audience to ignore them). I also don't really believe in giving the most successful film studio in existence with billions of dollars to throw around on every licensing and merger deal imaginable a lot of leeway.

he may not be jamaican but can we get hannibal burress (or john mulaney) as sebastian

Haha, Burress as Sebastian would be something.
Although now I'm wondering if they'll adapt the animal characters like the furniture in B&tB and make them uncanny and nightmarish. Come to think of it these movies are just really bad ideas, they were animated for a reason lol.

a new narrative and story should encourage new characterizations. like launchpad said, a retread is dumb but its easy for me to say that because the core themes were not important to me like they are for women, gay and trans folk. i feel like they can make a new story from the classic characters without sacrificing thematic importance.

I'm not especially attached to TLM myself, but I do think the story is a little too iconic to remove it entirely from its basic premise. The animation is a significant variation on the Anderson original as it is, though, so I think they have plenty of room to play around with the details. If they keep the musical elements though, it's going to be hard to make it feel like anything other than a retread, I mean you can only add so many ungainly solos to pack the running time. It's been a winning formula for Disney so far, though, so who can blame them.

 

[Alpha Baymax]

Personally, I was hoping to see Krysten Ritter as Ariel and Henry Cavill as Prince Eric. The Little Mermaid should go with the Beauty and the Beast/Aladdin faithfulness, as opposed to the Maleficent/Cinderella experimentation.

 

[Rydgea]

more foreshadowing

I mean, it does kind of speak to the level of creative and professional interest paid to these cash-ins (oops, "adaptations") when they don't even care to cast their most iconic roles with someone capable of performing the part or take the time to help them develop their skills to a presentable level.

While I respect the quality injected into them, they feel so forced that I'm about as tired of these as I was the Disneytoon cheapquels. Now that the past 10 years have added 3 canon Disney Animation Studio sequels, I feel like we're starving for new material. Granted, I'd much rather see these live action adaptations than Disney just crapping out one bastardized cheapquel, but I don't care how bad the original animated film was, I still seem to derived a lot more charm via the medium that's just lost in the latest generation of flicks, no matter their successful execution.

At least in instances such as the (live-action) broadway production of the Julie Taymor's Lion King the art is palpable. Can't say I'm excited for just a rehash of a rehash of Macbeth in 3D.

 

[Pokie]

I saw Emma's portrayal as Belle as Hermione on a vacation in France. No kidding

Emma as Belle was AWFUL. She couldn't even sing. It's a musical.

I don't mind who plays Ariel as longs as they keep the famous red hair and she can SING.

 

[alexis.anagram]

more foreshadowing

Straight up she looks like Ariel though?

Can't say I'm excited for just a rehash of a rehash of Macbeth in 3D.

At the same time, why is Disney deliberately emphasizing that TLK is just going to be TJB live-action but with more of the singing that didn't go over so well plus no actual human being to ground the feature. At least the latter was "technically" live action, I'm blanking on the justification for trading in this

for this

 

[Chuman]

Personally, I was hoping to see Krysten Ritter as Ariel and Henry Cavill as Prince Eric. The Little Mermaid should go with the Beauty and the Beast/Aladdin faithfulness, as opposed to the Maleficent/Cinderella experimentation.

henry cavil has the charisma of a potato and i like ritter but the actors are much too old if you want to retain “faithfulness”.

 

[Rydgea]

Straight up she looks like Ariel though?

My whole point has been I don't care what the actress looks like (moreover for a fish-person), so I assume you're being facetious.

At the same time, why is Disney deliberately emphasizing that TLK is just going to be TJB live-action but with more of the singing that didn't go over so well plus no actual human being to ground the feature. At least the latter was "technically" live action, I'm blanking on the justification for trading in this

Spoiler Show

for this

Cuz Beyoncé? Jk, I am ambivalent about that particular casting decision. I mean it's the Lion King, the most (obnoxiously) appraised of all Disney films (imho), so they probably should pull out all the stops here, but I can't help imagine a washed out version of the film too.

 

[Pokie]

henry cavil has the charisma of a potato

Tbh, so did the original animated Prince Eric.

 

[alexis.anagram]

henry cavil has the charisma of a potato

He was also very distracting in Fallout, I'd never even seen one of those movies before but I felt like he had stumbled out of another movie set to hang out with Tom Cruise or something. Not a convincing prankster.

My whole point has been I don't care what the actress looks like (moreover for a fish-person), so I assume you're being facetious.

Haha yup, sorry, Internet tone.
I meant that just in the sense that she naturally inhabits the role so I don't see how anyone could argue she doesn't "look" the part, like some have implied or stated in this thread.

Cuz Beyoncé? Jk, I am ambivalent about that particular casting decision. I mean it's the Lion King, the most (obnoxiously) appraised of all Disney films (imho), so they probably should pull out all the stops here, but I can't help imagine a washed out version of the film too.

Most Disney films are received with some earned and a lot of unearned fanfare (then and now) but at least the Renaissance animations were sufficiently varied conceptually and stylistically to justify their position in popular awareness. It'll be interesting to see if and how TLK can differentiate itself from TJB but with the same director and basically the same story it feels more like Di$ney playing it safer than safe, and I'm just waiting for the law of diminishing returns to kick in.

But I digress, this thread is supposed to be about how The Little Mermaid remake poster needs to include unsubtle phallic imagery for full nostalgic impact.

 

[Rydgea]

Haha yup, sorry, Internet tone.
I meant that just in the sense that she naturally inhabits the role so I don't see how anyone could argue she doesn't "look" the part, like some have implied or stated in this thread.

SAY, "DOESN'T HAVE THE FACE OF AGAIN." I DARE YOU! (<-would watch this, tbh)

Most Disney films are received with some earned and a lot of unearned fanfare (then and now) but at least the Renaissance animations were sufficiently varied conceptually and stylistically to justify their position in popular awareness. It'll be interesting to see if and how TLK can differentiate itself from TJB but with the same director and basically the same story it feels more like Di$ney playing it safer than safe, and I'm just waiting for the law of diminishing returns to kick in.

The thing is, I actually enjoyed the live-action Jungle Book, but my sights were set low because I hated those old 101 Dalmatian films (not even Glenn Close saved them for me), Tim's Burton's Alice films, and Maleficent. So, the genre really had nowhere to go but up. Beauty and the Beast was just okay, but musicals are destroyed by awful singers. I was still victim to some tender, nostalgic moments, and I liked the way they wrote Belle (and explained some other mysteries that now elevate the animated feature), but the two I have enjoyed still don't win over their original, hand-drawn counterparts. I haven't seen Cinderella, probably for the better, because it is one of my favorite Disney animated films. I would probably criticize it unfairly, even though I have no doubt Cate Blanchett makes a wicked Lady Tremaine.

But I digress, this thread is supposed to be about how The Little Mermaid remake poster needs to include unsubtle phallic imagery for full nostalgic impact.

I still can't believe that was a thing. People can be bastards. Most spires/towers/erected edifices are phallic if you want them to be.

 

[Grizzly]

Personally, I was hoping to see Krysten Ritter as Ariel and Henry Cavill as Prince Eric. The Little Mermaid should go with the Beauty and the Beast/Aladdin faithfulness, as opposed to the Maleficent/Cinderella experimentation.

I'm all for actors and actresses playing characters a good bit under their age but good grief Ritter would be almost 40 by the time this movie came out, probably not the best choice for a 16-year-old character. I've also yet to see Henry Cavill in a role where he's anything more than mediocre. I'll take a hard pass on both of them.

 

[Chuman]