Chaos and Chuckles: The Little Mermaid Unleashes Rob Marshall’s Underwater Redux

The Little Mermaid, released May 26, 2023, by Walt Disney Pictures, is a $250 million live-action remake of the 1989 animated classic, grossing $569 million worldwide. Directed by Rob Marshall and scripted by David Magee with Jane Goldman, it stars Halle Bailey as Ariel, a mermaid princess yearning for the human world, trading her voice to Ursula (Melissa McCarthy) for legs to woo Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King). Javier Bardem’s King Triton and Noma Dumezweni’s Queen Selina helm the sea, while Daveed Diggs, Jacob Tremblay, and Awkwafina voice Sebastian, Flounder, and Scuttle. Shot in Sardinia and Pinewood Studios, it’s a 135-minute splash with new songs and CGI fins.

The chaos swirls—storms toss ships, Ariel’s grotto dazzles then crumbles, per Box Office Mojo’s $298 million domestic haul. Marshall expands the ‘89 tale—Eric’s backstory, Triton’s wrath—blending Pirates of the Caribbean scale with Disney gloss. Chuckles bubble—Awkwafina’s “Scuttlebutt” rap, Diggs’s “Under the Sea” sass (“Work it, girl!”)—easing a bloated runtime, per Variety’s “lavish redo.” Critics split; Rotten Tomatoes hit 67%, Metacritic 59/100, with LA Times praising “Bailey’s star turn” and NY Times sniping “CGI soup.” X posts raved “Halle IS Ariel,” though some groaned “too long” or “why remake?”

The pacing’s a tide—languid sea scenes surge into land chases, Ariel’s mute quest a quiet core, per Hollywood Reporter. Disney’s live-action spree—post-Lion King ($1.6 billion)—leans on nostalgia, earning an Oscar nod (Visual Effects), per The Numbers. It’s chaos with charm—chuckles amid waves—a redux that floats but doesn’t soar like its toon kin.

The cast is The Little Mermaid’s coral reef, a chaotic crew buoying its heart. Halle Bailey’s Ariel is luminous—her “Part of Your World” soars, eyes glistening with longing, per Empire’s “revelation.” Jonah Hauer-King’s Eric charms—his “Wild Uncharted Waters” duet with Ariel aches, per Variety, though The Guardian found him “bland.” Their chemistry—beach walks, a boat kiss—glows, per Roger Ebert’s “sweet pair,” despite muted dialogue demands. Melissa McCarthy’s Ursula cackles—“Poor unfortunate souls!”—a campy delight, per LA Times, though NY Times sighed “overdone.”

Javier Bardem’s Triton thunders—“No human contact!”—his gravitas grounding chaos, per Rolling Stone. Noma Dumezweni’s Selina, a new queen, shines briefly—“Protect our home”—per Filmfare. Daveed Diggs’s Sebastian sasses—“Kiss the girl, now!”—Jacob Tremblay’s Flounder frets, and Awkwafina’s Scuttle squawks, per Collider’s “vocal trio.” Chuckles swim—Scuttle’s “Shiny’s my jam,” Sebastian’s “Humans are nuts”—weaving levity into turmoil. Variety praised “Bailey’s magic,” X posts gushed “Halle’s voice tho,” though some sniped “McCarthy’s too much.” They’re the redux’s beating fins—chaotic, colorful, captivating.

Visually and sonically, The Little Mermaid is a chaotic sea storm, a Marshall marvel. Dion Beebe’s cinematography dazzles—Sardinia’s azure depths, Ariel’s grotto in CG splendor, per Cinematography World. The chaos surges—Ursula’s lair writhes with tentacles, shipwrecks crash—shot with underwater rigs and $100 million in VFX, per Forbes. “Under the Sea” explodes in neon corals, though Letterboxd flags “murky” fish faces—Flounder’s “ uncanny,” per X posts. Marshall’s Chicago flair shines—dance meets tide—earning AV Club’s “visual feast,” despite NY Times’s “overcooked” jab.

Alan Menken’s score, with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s new tracks—“Scuttlebutt,” “The Wild Uncharted Waters”—blends old and new, per Soundtrack World. “Part of Your World” stuns—Bailey’s pipes nabbed a Grammy nod, per Variety. Sound design—waves crash, fins slap—immerses, per Rolling Stone’s “sonic splash.” Chuckles ripple—Scuttle’s rap flops hilariously, Sebastian’s “Yeah, mon!”—but chaos reigns: a loud swell, per BBC’s Mark Kermode. Flaws? CGI critters jar—The Guardian’s “plastic”—and new songs lag, per Collider. Still, it’s a sensory dive—visuals and sound a redux with splash.

The Little Mermaid’s strength is its chaotic glow—a fairy tale reborn with heart. Bailey’s “transcendent” Ariel (Time), McCarthy’s flair, and Marshall’s spectacle shine; Roger Ebert gave 3/4 for “emotional pull.” The stakes—voice for love, sea vs. land—tug, per Empire’s “lush redo.” Chuckles float—Eric’s “What’s a fork?” fumble, Scuttle’s “I’m a bird expert!”—lifting a 2023 summer post-Avatar 2, per Box Office Mojo. Its $569 million haul trailed Beauty and the Beast ($1.2 billion), but X posts adore “Halle’s siren call,” cementing her rise, per Forbes.

Weaknesses surface. The 135-minute runtime bloats—Variety’s “padding”—and Eric’s arc thins, per LA Times. CGI falters—Metacritic’s 59/100 flags “soulless”—and nostalgia leans hard, per NY Times’s “redundant.” Still, it enchants; Rolling Stone’s “flawed fun” trumps gripes. Legacy-wise, it’s a Disney staple—Ariel series buzz (2024), cultural waves for Black representation, per The Numbers. At 7.5/10, it’s a chaotic, chuckle-laced redux—pretty, patchy, potent. For Disney buffs or romantics, it’s a must; an underwater odyssey that swims, not sinks.