Rating: D+
Introduction
I should've come into this with an extremely open mind. I wasn't expecting what happened in the live action version. This production was great, but I didn't know they were gonna use most of the original movie and only sing the songs. Because there isn't a lot of songs in this movie most of it was me re-watching what I already had on my last review. They incorporated a bunch of machines that pulled the actors up into the cool air. It made you feel like they were swimming in the air. I recommend watching this if you haven’t seen “The Little Mermaid” in a while because it’s a little refreshing.
The set/costumes
The set must’ve taken forever to make. Every detail in it, how they were able to function, where everything moved to, and the paint job shows how much effort they put into this. There were always people in the air connected to wires that were raised up and dancing around, which added such a unique effect to the show. I wonder if they made everything by hand because a lot of those outfits were extremely intricate and gigantic. Incorporating puppets into the production was also a cute way of making up for the lack of material. It created a fun atmosphere for the children and everyone in the audience.
Prince Eric and Max
I agree with the casting for Prince Eric. Graham Phillips does a great job of playing the role, especially with his looks. He's made appearances in Riverdale and Atypical. I thought they did an excellent job letting Prince Eric sing for once because I always wondered what that would be like. Graham Phillips has a fantastic voice what the heck! Maybe he grew up in theater because his singing was rich, and there was great control over his vibrato. His voice reminds me of Les Misérables, and I wish he was in that movie, he would’ve done a wonderful job. Did I mention they put an ACTUAL DOG on the set? It looked exactly like Max, and he melted my heart the moment I laid eyes on him. The actors are so lucky they got to pet that ball of fluff.
Ariel
It took me a while before I realized that Ariel is played by the actress who voiced Moana. After I figured out it was her, nothing was the same. Obviously, she had to change her voice a little bit for the part, but there are some points when you know it's her. She can REALLY belt, wow. Her range is crazy, and this movie proved that even more. Since I could only hear her voice, there isn't much to say about her.
Ursula
YES, QUEEN, SLAY. No one could've delivered this character better than the queen herself… Queen Latifah. She’s the reason I didn’t give the rating a D or lower. Gosh, she hasn’t been in a lot of movies lately, but boy did she make herself known. I always loved her since I was a child watching Hairspray and Ice age. Her outfit was also extremely big and bold. It was great seeing her in action again, especially live and in person.
Hi everyone! The writer of this blog is Cyan Fuehr. She is currently a freshman at CWU who’s planning on majoring in Business administration/marketing and minoring in nutrition + entrepreneurship. Cyan has a huge passion for music, nature, volleyball, working out, and dogs. We hope you have a wonderful day! :)
-5/5/2020-
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