Disney classic: Another world – Halle Bailey is the new “Arielle”

Disney classic
Another world – Halle Bailey is the new “Arielle”

So there she is leaning on her rock. Actress Halle Bailey is the new “Arielle” – after more than three decades, Disney has filmed the story again. Now the American plays the famous mermaid who likes to collect objects from the human world and falls in love with a prince. The cartoon character from 1989 was at home in many children’s rooms. And brought several generations together in front of the television.

When such classics are retold, it can be a tricky business. It is obvious that one asks oneself: what is left? And what has changed?

Director Rob Marshall no longer tells the story with drawings, but also with some human actors. With the use of computer animation, they become fantasy creatures. For example, Melissa McCarthy (“Gilmore Girls”) plays the sea witch Ursula and Javier Bardem (“The Perfect Boss”) can be seen as King Triton.

There are also new songs

Anyone who grew up with the old version should remember the music well. Songs like “Unter dem Meer” or “Kiss sie” (Sha-la-la-la-la-la…) still appear in the new version, albeit with adapted lyrics. Composer Alan Menken – now a multiple Oscar winner – has added new songs to his old ones. He has worked with Lin-Manuel Miranda, the composer of the musical “Hamilton,” who co-produced the film.

A few characters look different – the fish Fabius, for example, or the bird Scuttle (known for his explanation of the “dingle hopper”). In any case, the look in the remake has more Caribbean influences. And the cast is more diverse – people of different skin colors play in it.

The fact that a black woman was cast as Arielle caused different reactions on Twitter, for example. Many people were happy about it and felt that they represented themselves, others rejected the casting and referred to the old cartoon where Ariel had white skin and red hair.

Director Marshall was looking for the best cast

Director Rob Marshall wonders about the debate. 25 years ago he worked on a television musical in which Cinderella was played by a young black girl named Brandy. “I remember Whitney Houston was the fairy godmother and Whoopi Goldberg was the queen,” Marshall said. The fact that this is still news today seems like something from another century.

It was about finding the best cast, says Marshall (“Chicago”, “Pirates of the Caribbean – On Stranger Tides”). Bailey is the best cast for him. “There would have been no one who could have played them better,” Marshall told the German Press Agency in Berlin. The role is very challenging. You had to find someone who could sing incredibly well.

There was no agenda to explicitly cast a “woman of color”. “It seems a bit dated that we’re even discussing this in 2023, you know?” But he also found that it was important after all – when he saw that black girls and boys found themselves in it.

The character of Ariel – measured against her image of women – can be discussed controversially. On the one hand, she is curious, inquisitive and dares to venture into a new world. On the other hand, she gives up her vote (at least temporarily) in a deal to be with her prince. In return, she must make him kiss her. In the original, the sea witch Ursula then advises her to rely on her appearance, men hate a lot of talk anyway and “whoever is modest is constantly desired”.

The remake tries to give the relationship between Ariel and the prince a little more depth. In any case, she adds a lot to the old film. For example, you can learn more about the history of Prince Erik. On the other hand, the film is much longer, which makes you miss the compact 80 minutes from before. The underwater world is beautifully portrayed and McCarthy as Ursula is outstanding. However, the computer animations make many things seem more threatening than in the cartoons of the past.

“The Little Mermaid”, USA 2023, 135 minutes, by Rob Marshall, with Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Javier Bardem and Melissa McCarthy

dpa