It's finally here – the hyped-up remake that big and little kids have been waiting for.
The live-action remake of the 1989 (yes, that long ago) Disney classic The Little Mermaid is very loyal to the original and will delight and entrance both young and older viewers alike.
The film's hype is due in part to the huge impact the trailer made when released nine months ago, which revealed this version's Ariel as a person of colour.
The reveal sparked extreme reactions – both drawing racist commentary leading to the ugly #NotMyAriel hashtag, and on the opposite side, black families posting heartwarming videos online of their daughters watching the trailer, visibly surprised and thrilled at the reveal.
While Disney has featured two black princesses previously (one animated and one live-action in a made-for-TV film), this is certainly the first time most of today's youngsters will have seen representation like this in a mainstream Disney movie.
Actress and singer Halle Bailey took that huge expectation put on her shoulders and ran with it – she shines in the role of Ariel. The film only kicks into gear when she sings Part of Your World, which she executes beautifully, bringing one of the movie's true goosebump moments.
Quickly following this is another song from the original, Under the Sea. While the CGI sea world and creatures are expertly created, the number doesn't quite equal the joviality and flamboyance of the original version.
Ariel's unceasing curiosity about the human world leads her to make a trade with evil sea witch Ursula, who in this version is Ariel's aunt, played superbly by Bridesmaids star Melissa McCarthy.
Ariel swaps her mermaid tail for legs and the opportunity to spend time in the human world that she so desperately craves.
This murky exchange launches the second act of the film, which takes place above water, on a bustling and colourful Caribbean island – you can't help but feel you've come up for air.
Ariel's trio of companions – crab Sebastian, fish Flounder and seabird Scuttle – steal the show and will be fast favourites for kids. Both Sebastian, voiced by Hamilton original cast member Daveed Diggs, and rap star Awkwafina as Scuttle demonstrate brilliant comic timing and bucketloads of sass.
Despite the pair's excellent voice work, I couldn't help but wish the trio's visuals had been more colourful, more expressive, and a tad less realistic – they were somewhat of a damp squib, or damp squid if you'll excuse the fishy pun (which the film is full of, by the by).
A highlight is the addition of a new song, Scuttlebutt. This brilliant, fast-paced rap number, performed mainly by Scuttle, voiced by Awkwafina, has Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda's stamp all over it, and will no doubt be hugely irritating to parents when replayed over and over on repeat.
The Little Mermaid is a lengthy 135 minutes of heartwarming and uplifting escapist magic that deftly delivers lessons of acceptance of those who seem "other" to you – this message is as relevant now as it was in 1989.
With its PG certification, parents should note the long running time and that there are some slightly dark scenes that may frighten very young kids.
The Little Mermaid is on general release from Friday 26 May.
