The Little Mermaid (2023) Movie Review (2024)

• Educational Value

  very little

  Viewers might pick up on the names of all the world's seas, thanks to Triton's daughters. Many sea creatures are also mentioned by name.

• Positive Messages

  some

  Promotes courage, curiosity, empathy. Explores importance of not believing an entire group of people is evil or careless simply because some of them have behaved poorly or been violent. Emphasizes power of connection and alliance-building. The story still focuses on romance and sacrificing aspects of yourself to pursue romance, but Triton also tells Ariel straight out that "you shouldn't have to give up your voice to be heard." Significantly, this version takes time to show Ariel and Eric building a genuine connection with each other. And it encourages honest communication between parents and young adult children.

• Positive Role Models

  some

  Ariel is smart, brave, curious, kind, as well as a bit impulsive. She makes her deal with Ursula without really thinking the consequences through. Eric is courageous, thoughtful, open-minded, loyal. He wants to explore the world beyond his island kingdom to forge alliances and support innovation. Both Ariel and Eric view their relationship as a way to bridge their worlds. King Triton and Queen Selina are each protective of their children and don't want them to be in danger. Sebastian, Flounder, and Scuttle can be silly but are devoted to Ariel and aim to help her. Sir Grimsby is faithful to the crown and encourages Eric to give Ariel a chance as a possible love interest.

• Diverse Representations

  some

  Black singer/actor Halle Bailey stars as Ariel. The multicultural cast includes Spanish actor Javier Bardem as King Triton, Black actors Daveed Diggs and Noma Dumezweni as the voice of Sebastian and Queen Selina, respectively, and Chinese/Korean American actor Awkwafina as the voice of Scuttle. The merfolk and sailors/villages are of many different ethnic/racial backgrounds; a few Black castle workers/villagers have Jamaican-sounding accents, while most everyone else (including White castle workers/villagers) has a British accent. Ariel is independent and has agency, even when she's without her voice. It's explained that Eric was adopted into the royal family.

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• Violence & Scariness

  some

  The big shark that chases Ariel and Flounder in the creepy ship graveyard at the beginning of the movie is scarier than in the animated version, with tons of sharp teeth. Sailors try to kill sea creatures with large harpoons in hopes of capturing a mermaid. A big storm causes Eric's ship to crash into sharp rocks, start sinking, and catch fire; sailors jump overboard, and a dog is stuck behind a wall of fire until Eric saves him, gets hit on the head, and falls into the water (where he's saved by Ariel). Talk of Ariel's mother being killed by humans many years prior. Ursula's electric eels shock sea creatures and people and incapacitate them. A trident kills a character. Ursula's undersea territory is dark and scary, with fire and creepy, grasping creatures, as well as the bones/skulls of merfolk. Her spells/curses steal Ariel's voice and Triton's power. Ursula engages in a climactic fight with Ariel, Eric, and others, becoming enormous and threatening everyone with storms and destruction. Spoiler alert: She's killed when she's run through by the mast of a shipwrecked boat. Arguments/yelling; Triton destroys Ariel's grotto.

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• Sex, Romance & Nudity

  a little

  Ariel and Eric flirt and dance but don't kiss until the very end of the movie. Eric and Ariel still have to kiss, but, due to Ursula's curse, Ariel has no memory of that being her objective, so she only remembers that she's interested in Eric, not that she has to get him to kiss her. Implied nudity when Ariel transforms into a human, though only part of her bare legs and arms are visible because her hair covers most of her body. The merfolk are more covered up than the cartoon characters, who wore considerably skimpier "clam shell" bikini tops, but midriffs/abdomens are still visible. Eric is mostly shirtless in the water after the climactic battle.

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• Language

  very little

  Insults like "mer-brats," "stupid," "idiot," "slippery good-for-nothings," "bird brain," "big fat feathers." Also "shut up" once. Ariel teases Flounder affectionately, calling him a "guppy."

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  See Also

  Disney's The Little Mermaid 2023 Parents Guide Movie ReviewIs The Little Mermaid (2023) Kid Friendly? Parents GuideThe Little Mermaid [2023] [PG] – 1.3.1The Little Mermaid Parents Guide + Review

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• Products & Purchases

  very little

  Nothing on camera, but lots of merchandise tie-ins off screen -- e.g., apparel, toys, games, and accessories, including high-profile collaborations.

• Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

  very little

  Sailors might be drinking rum/grog, but it's not overt.

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• Parents Need to Know

  Parents need to know that The Little Mermaid is Disney's live-action remake of its 1989 animated classic. The story is mostly the same, following young mermaid Princess Ariel (Halle Bailey), who falls for human Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King) and makes a deal with sea witch Ursula (Melissa McCarthy) to be human for three days in exchange for her voice. Younger kids who are familiar with the cartoon may be able to handle the more intense aspects of this version, but the live-action element definitely heightens the peril of scenes like the shark chase, the storm at sea, the shipwreck, and the big, climactic fight scene between Ursula, Ariel, and Eric. Ursula's territory is dark and creepy, with merfolk bones and skulls scattered around, and Triton and Ariel's frequent disagreements might upset sensitive viewers. Ariel and Eric flirt and dance but don't kiss until the very end of the movie; language is limited to words like "stupid" and "idiot." This version -- which promotes courage, curiosity, communication, and empathy -- explores Eric's character more than the original did, takes time to show Ariel and Eric building a genuine connection with each other, and offers more nuance in Ariel's relationship with her father and sisters. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.

age 7+

Based on 94 parent reviews