Thirty years after the release of the original animated film, the Wonderful World of Disney aired a television special mixing animated clips from The Little Mermaid with live musical performances.
Besides the animated clips and live performances, there is not much to offer in The Little Mermaid Live!. The only speech occurs at the beginning of the special while the Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration featured speeches and presentations throughout. There are also bloopers from the actors between sections of the television special.
Besides all the songs from the animated film, the actors perform a few songs that come solely from the Broadway musical. This makes The Little Mermaid Live! a great introductory pick for those who have yet to see a professional staged performance.
Another selling point in The Little Mermaid Live! is Auli'i Cravalho (the voice of Moana) as Ariel. She exceeds in her acting and vocal performances, making her character believable. The other actors, especially Graham Phillips as Prince Eric and Queen Latifah as Ursula, also master their performances.
The sets and props are also pleasant to look at. I especially enjoyed watching Ariel on the swing during "Under the Sea" and the singing frog puppets during "Kiss the Girl."
The live performances gave me a new appreciation for the songs from the film, too. For instance, I appreciated the classical melody in "Sisters of Triton" as well as the choreography for "Under the Sea" and "Les Poissons." Even the animated segments gave me new appreciation for specific moments in the film, such as comfort from Ariel's first time sleeping in a bed.
The Little Mermaid Live! is not necessarily a must-watch, but it is an entertaining choice for those who want to rekindle their appreciation for The Little Mermaid.
SCORE: Alright (7.5/10)
AGE RATING: 5+
STREAMING SERVICES: Disney+
Have you seen The Little Mermaid Live!? What do you think about it?
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