Disney held the world premiere for its latest film, “The Little Mermaid” at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood last night and film critics have been sharing their initial reactions to the film online.

“The Little Mermaid” is the beloved story of Ariel, a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. The youngest of King Triton’s daughters and the most defiant, Ariel longs to discover more about the world beyond the sea and, while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric. While mermaids are forbidden from interacting with humans, Ariel must follow her heart. She makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, which gives her a chance to experience life on land but ultimately places her life – and her father’s crown – in jeopardy.

Here are some of the initial social media reactions to the film:

#TheLittleMermaid REVIEW: Delightful & emotional, the Disney MAGIC IS BACK! A beautiful coming of age adventure with awe inspiring imagery & action that’ll make you wet. This isn’t just another remake, it’s one of the best family films ever! A fitting end setting up what’s next pic.twitter.com/Cev1vAaIwg

— Atom (@theatomreview) May 9, 2023

I got to see #TheLittleMermaid!@HalleBailey is magnificent as Ariel. She’s radiant, charming & every bit a Disney princess.

Bailey absolutely nails every musical number & carries the very entertaining film. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/ICxwSUQzzj

— POC Culture (@POCculture) May 9, 2023

#TheLittleMermaid can be an enchanting reimagining that expands upon the story of the animated original with modern themes. It’s romantic and full of musical joy, even if it’s slightly overstuffed. If anything, Halle Bailey carries the film entire film with her performance. pic.twitter.com/S2A8egDeqj

— Michael Lee (@IamMichaelJLee) May 9, 2023

#TheLittleMermaid was a pleasant surprise! Halle Bailey's voice is unreal. I can never confidently do "Part of Your World" at karaoke again. Standouts: Daveed Diggs (no easy feat when you're voicing a "realistic" crab) and Melissa McCarthy (a safe choice but she nailed it).

— Jamie Jirak (@JamieCinematics) May 9, 2023

#TheLittleMermaid makes it pretty close to being the best live action Disney movie, however it still struggles in the villain department. Halle Bailey IS Ariel and I had literal chills throughout her performance. This is a little mermaid retelling like you’ve never seen before. pic.twitter.com/JjtLOR61vL

— Felicia (@becomingfelicia) May 9, 2023

#TheLittleMermaid is the best Disney live-action adaptation to date. Halle Bailey IS Ariel. Major props to the sound effects team. Good changes, though one new song with too much autotune. Could watch this version’s Under the Sea all day, it was the highlight of the whole thing.

— Gillian Blum (@GillianBlum) May 9, 2023

Disney’s live-action is magical, emotional and enchanting. Rob Marshall just directed Disney’s best ever live action film. Lin-Manuel Miranda and Alan Menken’s beautiful music shines. Halle Bailey is absolutely extraordinary! and Melissa McCarthy is a bad-ass Ursula. pic.twitter.com/4ZlpsF8m0D

— Jazz Tangcay (@jazzt) May 9, 2023

It’s real simple. Are you excited for #TheLittleMermaid? You’ll like it. It’s exactly what you think it is. Are you skeptical and worried about it? That’s valid too. It looks weird and disjointed. Bailey is great, McCarthy rules, the songs work but it just feels so unnecessary. pic.twitter.com/n4qp7MsVFH

— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) May 9, 2023

Disney’s #TheLittleMermaid is definitely one of the better live-action adaptions. Halle Bailey pours incredible emotion into Ariel and I got chills watching her, while Melissa McCarthy’s Ursula and Daveed Diggs’ Sebastian steal scenes all day. pic.twitter.com/DHhIkbIj8s

— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) May 9, 2023

Disney’s #TheLittleMermaid is definitely one of the better live-action adaptions. Halle Bailey pours incredible emotion into Ariel and I got chills watching her, while Melissa McCarthy’s Ursula and Daveed Diggs’ Sebastian steal scenes all day. pic.twitter.com/DHhIkbIj8s

— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) May 9, 2023

The film stars singer and actress Halle Bailey (“grown-ish”) as Ariel; Jonah Hauer-King (“A Dog’s Way Home”) as Eric; Tony Award® winner Daveed Diggs (“Hamilton”) as the voice of Sebastian; Awkwafina (“Raya and the Last Dragon”) as the voice of Scuttle; Jacob Tremblay (“Room”) as the voice of Flounder; Noma Dumezweni (“Mary Poppins Returns”) as The Queen; Art Malik (“Homeland”) as Sir Grimsby; with Oscar winner Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men,” “Being the Ricardos”) as King Triton; and two-time Academy Award nominee Melissa McCarthy (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?” “Bridesmaids”) as Ursula.

“The Little Mermaid” is directed by Oscar nominee Rob Marshall (“Chicago,” “Mary Poppins Returns”) with a screenplay by two-time Oscar nominee David Magee (“Life of Pi,” “Finding Neverland”). The songs feature music from multiple Academy Award winner Alan Menken (“Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin”) and lyrics by Howard Ashman, and new lyrics by three-time Tony Award winner Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Hamilton,’ “In the Heights”). The film is produced by two-time Emmy winner Marc Platt (“Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert,” “Grease Live!”), Miranda, two-time Emmy winner John DeLuca (“Tony Bennett: An American Classic”), and Rob Marshall, with Jeffrey Silver (“The Lion King”) serving as executive producer.

This brand new live-action reimagining arrives in cinemas on May 26th 2023, and will be coming to Disney+ later in the year.

Are you looking forward to watching “The Little Mermaid”? Let us know on social media!

Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

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