A passing grade for live-action film

By George Gust

“The Little Mermaid” is the live action reimagining of the 1989 Disney animated classic adaptation of the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale. A young mermaid (Halle Bailey) makes a deal with a sea witch (Melissa McCarthy) to trade her beautiful voice for human legs so she can discover the world above water and impress a prince (Jonah Hauer-King). There’s no doubt that this most recent iteration of “The Little Mermaid” aims to engender the nostalgic feeling that the music and story of the original stirred in a generation of movie-goers. The only problem with that approach is that this live action interpretation does little else to justify its widespread release. There are some story and visual elements that have been added to this interpretation that are welcome and new, but on balance this live action version feels like a pale copy of the original animated film. As is the case with many of these re-imaginings there is a magical element that is lost making the jump from a colorful and vibrant animation that can exaggerate the animalistic expressions to comedic and emotional effect to a flatter, yet more ‘realistic’ nature documentary style. And the largest causality of this changeover is removal of the slapstick elements that younger kids loved about the original movie.

The performances in “The Little Mermaid” are a mixed bag with some engaging turns from the two leads, with the surrounding cast leaving much to be desired. Bailey impresses early in the film with a fantastic rendition of “Part of Your World” and shows a great screen presence throughout, even as the story removes her voice. Hauer-King is given more backstory and ethos to play than his animated counterpart which adds a more relatable element to the performance. And there is a winning chemistry between the two which adds a more believable romance to this film than existed in the brief courtship seen in the original. However, the supporting cast misses the mark and doesn’t live up to the original. Javier Bardem as King Triton looks bored to be part of the proceedings and doesn’t bring the gravitas that his past performances have shown he can bring. Awkafina as Scuttle the over-the-top bird delivers another whacky vocal performance like her turn in “Raya and the Last Dragon” but it feels like an uninspired rendition of the character.

Overall, “The Little Mermaid” is one of the better live-action Disney re-imaginings adding some story elements that deepen the human story and feature some entertaining performances. However, the live action look and style remove much of the comedy and life that made the original a VHS repeat classic for a generation of kids. And the additions this film has made to the original bloat the runtime to over 2 hours, which feels like an eternity compared to the quickly paced 1 hour 20 minutes of the original. “The Little Mermaid” 2023 won’t likely be your family’s favorite version of the story, but it achieves its goal of being a nostalgic return to the world and songs of the original.

“The Little Mermaid” is rated PG for action/peril and some scary images.

3 out of 5 stars

Answers on Page 19

Dealer donates

Bob Moore Auto Group has helped the next generation of service technicians by donating an electric vehicle to Francis Tuttle Technology Center.

The vehicle, a 2020 Nissan Leaf, will be available to Automotive Service Technology students at Francis Tuttle’s Danforth Campus starting next school year. Students will get a firsthand look at how EVs operate, how they are maintained, and how they can be serviced to prepare for their future careers.

Bob Moore Auto Group is a member of the Danforth Auto Service program’s advisory committee, a group of professionals who advise on industry training. Danforth Automotive instructor Kody Van Osdol said service managers from Bob Moore asked him about the Nissan Leaf earlier in the spring.

The vehicle will be ready for students when classes resume in August.

The Nissan Leaf adds to Francis Tuttle’s effort to offer Alternative Energy Vehicle (AEV) training. AEV training is offered at the Rockwell Campus to first responders for safety in the field

Crossword Puzzle

Answers on Page 19

Awards and Recognition for UCO Business Students

University of Central Oklahoma College of Business annual Oklahoma Love's Entrepreneur Cup Business Plan to right, Jenny Love Meyer, chief culture officer for Love's Travel Stops; Kyla Patterson, an MBA student from Chickasha, Oklahoma; Nikki Boyar, an MBA student from Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas; Davin Burton, an MBA student from Spirit River, Alberta; and, Maurice Haff, team adviser and instructor of business at Central.