Review of 'The Little Mermaid', a live-action musical film produced after 34 years
Will 'The Little Mermaid' be shaken by excessive PC attention 'The Little Mermaid'?
Will 'The Little Mermaid' be shaken by excessive PC attention 'The Little Mermaid'?
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How many stars is 'The Little Mermaid'? = ★★☆☆☆

If you pick a single work that made today's Walt Disney, many people will think of 'The Little Mermaid', an animation released in 1989. The work that caused Walt Disney to fall into a severe recession in the 1970s and 1980s is 'The Little Mermaid'.

Beginning with 'The Little Mermaid', Disney ushers in an era of Renaissance. Since then, works that hit the world such as 'Beauty and the Beast', 'Aladdin', and 'The Lion King' have been pouring in, and Disney has now gained fame. For Walt Disney, 'The Little Mermaid' is a work with a special meaning.
Will 'The Little Mermaid' be shaken by excessive PC attention 'The Little Mermaid'?
Will 'The Little Mermaid' be shaken by excessive PC attention 'The Little Mermaid'?
'The Little Mermaid' is represented by Ariel, who has a white face, red hair, and turquoise fins. Ariel, who longs for the human world, is an active character who throws everything she has into the witch Ursula to gain a bridge for love with Prince Eric, and has been steadily loved by many fans from the past to the present.
Will 'The Little Mermaid' be shaken by excessive PC attention 'The Little Mermaid'?
Will 'The Little Mermaid' be shaken by excessive PC attention 'The Little Mermaid'?
However, Ariel in the live-action musical film 'The Little Mermaid' (director Rob Marshall), produced after 34 years, is not the Ariel we know. The 2023 version of 'The Little Mermaid' Ariel completely escaped the appearance of Ariel in our memories, disappointing many original fans. Ariel, played by Black singer and actress Halle Bailey, destroyed the nostalgia and memories of 'The Little Mermaid' anime fans with ease. 'Arial', whose image was far from the worldview of 'The Little Mermaid' and the story, failed to preserve the originality of the original work, and neither did it succeed in a fresh and new expansion.

Here, 'PCism' (Political Correctness, political correctness), which Disney is shouting out loud, has worked. It is a principle to break away from prejudice such as race, ethnicity, language, religion, and sexism, and in order to pursue that value, Ariel in the original work was damaged and a black person was appointed. It is questionable why the value of moving away from prejudice and discrimination and aiming for cultural diversity should distort even the image of the original character. This is the part that fans who love Disney who grew up watching Disney find it difficult to understand.
Will 'The Little Mermaid' be shaken by excessive PC attention 'The Little Mermaid'?
Will 'The Little Mermaid' be shaken by excessive PC attention 'The Little Mermaid'?
Will 'The Little Mermaid' be shaken by excessive PC attention 'The Little Mermaid'?
Will 'The Little Mermaid' be shaken by excessive PC attention 'The Little Mermaid'?
Ariel in the movie longs for the world outside the water, loves humans, and sings with a beautiful voice, just like the original, but her appearance is awkward and disparate, which hinders immersion. In particular, Halle Bailey's singing ability, who sings the OST 'Part of your world', is beyond reproach, but the feeling of the original song, longing for the unknown world and singing it plainly, has disappeared, leaving a feeling of regret. With the addition of a heavy black soul, the cautious and fresh mood is not felt.

The 'excessive' PCism of 'The Little Mermaid' peaks in the ending where Ariel and Prince Eric go on an adventure to the sea together. In the human world and in the sea, people and mermaids of various races appear and gather together, and one person (mermaid) is captured right in the center of the screen, as if all races are displayed and shouted 'We are one'. It feels as if I am being forced to watch a public service advertisement that reads, 'No racism!'
Will 'The Little Mermaid' be shaken by excessive PC attention 'The Little Mermaid'?
Will 'The Little Mermaid' be shaken by excessive PC attention 'The Little Mermaid'?
Will 'The Little Mermaid' be shaken by excessive PC attention 'The Little Mermaid'?
Will 'The Little Mermaid' be shaken by excessive PC attention 'The Little Mermaid'?
It's not just downsides. Rob Marshall, the master of musical films, has excellent directing skills, exclamations of 'yes'. The underwater world where Ariel and her sea friends live gives a fantastic feeling, and when the OST 'Under the Sea' comes out, people of all ages can shake their shoulders and have fun.

'The Little Mermaid', born with the best technology and enormous capital, broke the essence of the movie with excessive PCism. It is self-evident that side effects occur when we are immersed in the pursuit of value rather than the essence. Walt Disney, who had a good time with 'The Little Mermaid', is shaking with 'The Little Mermaid'.

Released on May 24th. total audience. Running time 135 minutes.

Jiye Choi, staff reporter at TenAsia wisdomart@tenasia.co.kr
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