The live-action version of The Little Mermaid has been released in cinemas. While there are a lot of familiar characters and moments in the updated version of the Disney classic, some things have also changed from the original movie, for better and for worse.
Ariel’s journey to entering the world that she’s been dreaming about for years was an emotional and beautifully animated Disney story. While there is still plenty of color and good humor in the updated version of this classic tale, some things had to change from the original for a variety of reasons. Fortunately, the majority of fans and critics still seem to be enjoying this new tale despite the changes.
8 Song Lyrics
One of the sneakier things which have been done in familiar songs in The Little Mermaid is some small but significant changes to certain song lyrics. The most notable example is during "Kiss the Girl" when Sebastian is trying to advise Prince Eric on how best to find a way to kiss Ariel during their romantic moonlit boat ride.
This scene was presented in a very similar way to the scene in the original The Little Mermaid. But some of the song lyrics were changed to make them a little more modern. The most significant change was to the lyric: “Possible she wants you too, there is one way to ask her, it don’t take a word.” In the recent version, this was changed to: “Possible she wants you too, use your words, boy, and ask her.” It's a modernization for the best of those particular lyrics. This isn't the first time original classic songs have changed under a new live-action adaption either.
7 Ariel’s Family
Ariel’s family has changed in a number of ways for the updated version of her story. Her father is still her only parent and is still king of the seas. However, Ursula has been shifted from a random evil sea witch to Ariel’s aunt, prompting a deeper understanding of why Ursula hates Triton so much, because he banished her from the palace and that cozy life.
Secondly, Ariel’s sisters' roles have been revolutionized in the new version of The Little Mermaid. Originally, they were only shown singing and performing as a group, but in the new story, they are each in charge of their own ocean, taking responsibilities and being trained by King Triton to take over leadership roles later. With all the inspiration that other stories have taken from The Little Mermaid, it's good to see more fleshed-out female characters this time around.
6 Scuttle
Scuttle is one character that has been completely changed from the original Disney classic. While the original Scuttle was a male seagull who had a relatively minor role in the story, this Scuttle is quite the opposite in many regards.
Now a female bird, played by Awkwafina of Renfield and Shang-Chi fame, Scuttle has been changed from a seagull into a Gannet, a bird that can spend longer periods of time underwater. This was useful when Ariel was forbidden from going to the surface world. While Scuttle’s role in the first part of the film as Ariel’s unreliable source of information about the human world was the same, her role grew as the film continued. Later, Scuttle's singing (and rapping) was instrumental in stopping Ursula from getting betrothed to Eric.
5 Human/Mermaid Rivalry
In the original version of The Little Mermaid, King Triton has a hatred for the human world and doesn’t want Ariel to go up there. But while some sailors are shown being scared of the ocean and the creatures that may lurk there, these aspects of the story were deepened by the retelling
Now, King Triton has a specific hatred of humans because one of them killed Ariel’s mother when Ariel was a child. Meanwhile, Prince Eric’s mother, the Queen, lives in fear of the Sea Gods; she believes her kingdom to be cursed due to all the recent shipwrecks and losses they have suffered. These aspects turn Ariel and Eric’s story into more of a Romeo and Juliet tale than it was originally.
4 Eric’s Story
The original Disney classic was less than ninety minutes long. By comparison, the live-action remake is nearly an hour longer. The film puts more work into backstories for characters besides Ariel, and Eric was a prime choice. His story has shifted, partly due to other changes in the movie.
In the new version, Eric wasn’t born a prince, but instead came to his parents an orphan found amidst a shipwreck. While the film doesn’t use this opportunity to delve deeper into where Eric may have come from, it is an intriguing facet to add to his character. It is also a change reminiscent of other Disney live-action projects.
3 Location
One positinve change in the film was the location of the kingdom where Eric is a Prince and the majority of the movie takes place. While The Little Mermaid's original story and Disney classic versions were set in a kingdom similar to Denmark, the new film is definitely set somewhere in the Caribbean.
Everything about the culture which Ariel experiences, and the maps that she studies with Eric, suggest a Caribbean setting. This move has been praised because of the life-affirming culture that helps Ariel fall in love with the human world. Elements from the original Disney classic which also carried over, such as Sebastian’s Jamaican accent and the Caribbean vibe to songs like "Under the Sea."
2 Ursula’s Defeat
A major change in the finale of the new version was that Ariel managed to eliminate Ursula all by herself. In the original Disney movie, Prince Eric steered his ship into Ursula, piercing her and killing her. The change in the new version helped make Ariel seem like a stronger Disney princess.
In the new movie, while Ariel and Eric are now the only ones in danger from the giant Ursula’s wrath, Ariel is the one who manages to steer one of the shipwrecks brought to the surface into Ursula, killing her in the same way but without Eric’s help. Still, fans and critics have been impressed with Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, including her performance of the excellent Disney villain song "Poor Unfortunate Souls."
1 New Songs
Brand-new songs were written specifically for this updated version of the story. Lin-Manuel Miranda of Hamilton fame wrote the three new songs which appear in the movie. One is sung by Prince Eric and is titled “Wild Uncharted Waters,” which is the first time audiences have seen the character sing at all.
Another is an internal monologue by Ariel after she turns human and loses her voice, called “For the First Time.” Finally, there is of course a rap song because Lin-Manuel couldn’t resist. “Scuttlebutt” is sung by Scuttle while trying to reveal that Eric is getting engaged to Ursula.
The Little Mermaid was released in cinemas on May 26th, 2023.