Disney’s new The Little Mermaid is right around the corner. The remake of the classic 1989 Disney film will bring back Ariel, Sebastian, Flounder, and many other beloved characters in May, retelling a story that captivated many kids 30 years ago. Among the many changes, probably the most important one is that the movie will be a live-action, reimagining the world under the sea visually and narratively to suit the new direction. This implies a cast of actors and actresses you might have already seen elsewhere, such as Halle Bailey (Ariel), Melissa McCarthy (Ursula), and Javier Bardem (King Triton). To top it all, Alan Menken, one of Disney’s most prestigious composers, worked on new songs for the film.
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As usual, Disney’s remakes of their most popular movies divide the audiences. Whereas some are always eager to see their cherished stories make a comeback or renewal for the young generations, others frown upon these reboots, arguing that they alter the classic’s charm with poor results. Be that as it may, Disney has spent most of the past decade working on these reboots, accustoming the public to expect a couple of changes on these modern takes.
Movies are a product of their time, so the limit of what can and can’t be depicted is usually given by the context. This means that the 1989 rendition of The Little Mermaid had its conditions from the time (like a shorter length and a more kid-friendly direction), while the one we are about to see is marked by an era where adults pay more attention to Disney and representation matters. Following this premise, let’s discuss what aspects of Ariel’s story might change for this upcoming remake.
Ariel’s Personality
Walt Disney Pictures
Ariel, the protagonist of The Little Mermaid, is a young teenager yearning for freedom. Raised by an overprotective father, Ariel dreams of a better world out there, beyond the undersea’s kingdom. The original film is undoubtedly hinting at a coming-of-age story of a teenage girl who needs to confront her upbringing to become her own self. However, much of it is lost in interpretation, probably because of time constraints. It is clear from the plot that King Triton, though loving and ultimately understanding, somehow oppresses his daughter, going against her wishes.
Thirty years later, the animated movie falls a little short of developing all of these elements. Instead, Ariel is portrayed as a more innocent girl driven mostly by falling in love for the first time. As mentioned, the hints are there, but interpretation leads the most acute viewers to see through the film’s naivety. Ariel is going through much more than a teenage crush on Prince Eric; she is discovering who she really is, and though romance plays a big part in it, the remake should hopefully further build on how Ariel pursues her desires. This will not only make for a deeper story but also depict Ariel as a smarter young girl for younglings to look up to, rather than the helpless teen who would do anything for love.
Ursula’s Motivation and Her Connection to King Triton
Disney
Speaking of Ariel’s desire, usually, a protagonist is as great as its main antagonist. Ursula is definitely an iconic Disney villain who deserves her own movie, and Melissa McCarthy is a promising casting choice to portray the sea witch. However, a more traditional representation of archnemesis in animated films gave us evildoers for evil’s sake, something that today can be seen as a lack of character depth. Ursula clearly wants power and had a backstory with King Triton that led her to target his daughter for revenge. Yet, her vindictive manner is not thoroughly explained, and there’s definitely a rich story to be told about Ursula’s motivation.
This doesn’t mean she needs redemption of any kind, but there is certainly more to learn about her past. Does she really desire Prince Eric or is it part of her evil plan? Showing that villains can fall in love is an interesting twist, as the problematic part wouldn’t be her infatuation but her questionable methods to be with her loved one. An antagonist with a relatable human factor can convey more interesting messages to audiences.
Furthermore, Ursula’s development is not only hers but also about King Triton. The two clearly have a complicated history together that could benefit from a little more context in the remake. Furthermore, as seen in other Disney remakes, like The Beauty and the Beast, there is a character missing that could tell the audience more about the protagonists: Ariel’s mother. She might have something to do with Ursula and King Triton’s falling off, and her appearance in the form of memories could better explain Ariel, the king, or even Ursula’s personality.
To sum up, Ariel and Ursula were conceived with a promising potential that wasn’t exploited to the fullest in the animated film. Whatever the reasons were for this, a remake gives the chance for further developing the characters, affecting others around them. A story with multidimensional characters impacts differently on viewers, relating to them in unsuspected ways and helping them understand themselves better.
The 1989 rendition of The Little Mermaid is an amazing movie and deserves a rewatch at any time, but modern audiences also deserve an updated narrative of these stories that ultimately revolve around the same few topics: love, relationships, and personal development. As Ariel comes of age, her story should as well, bringing a more mature perspective on these age-old universal subjects for new viewers to relate to.
