Editor’s Note: Below are full spoilers for The Little Mermaid 2023.A living reinvention of Disney Mermaid is finally here, and while it’s mostly pretty close to the 1989 movie it’s based on (and the original Hans Christian Andersen Roman), the 2023 version brings a lot of unexpected changes. Making any changes to the cult history, for example Mermaid always a risky maneuver, but in case Rob Marshallbright musical, changes here help to make Mermaid 2023 is one of the best remakes from the Walt Disney Company. The live-action adaptation was generally favored by critics, and Collider’s own Ross Bonime praising it as “a rare Disney live-action remake that captures the magic of the original.”
Disney has already made changes to its many live action remakes. Some felt rather harmless and benign, such as changing the lyrics of certain songs or simply removing any musical elements entirely. Others have added meaningful context and standout moments like Mowgli (Neil Sethi) deciding to stay in the jungle in The jungle book 2016, Genie (Will Smith) desire to be human instead of being free in Aladdin 2019, and Captain Hook (Jude Law) get a cute backstory in Peter Pan and Wendy.
Mermaid 2023 also brings quite a few minor yet effective changes to the animated stories that fans know and love. To see what has changed this time, read below to see all the changes that Mermaid 2023 is made from the original 1989 film.
Ariel Sisters Are Future Leaders, Not Singers
Original Mermaid begins with the introduction of the six kings of Triton (Kenneth Mars) seven daughters. They all participate in a musical performance in the underwater city of Atlantica, hosted by the court conductor and King Triton’s most trusted adviser, Sebastian the Crab (Samuel E. Wright). The play should end with a grand finale from Triton’s youngest daughter, Ariel (Jody Benson), but when the rest of the sisters introduce her, the young princess is nowhere to be found.
Remake sees Triton (Javier Bardem) daughters take on a much more active and responsible role in the underwater kingdom. Instead of being on the show, all of Triton’s daughters are taught to be responsible and stalwart leaders of the kingdom, and the king calls his daughters to an annual meeting to prepare for the upcoming Coral Moon holidays. However, ArielHolly Bailey) is also missing from this collection, instead opting to explore shark-infested wrecks like the original.
Scuttle is a booby, not a seagull
In both the original and the remake, much of Ariel is heavily involved in the surface world, which is obviously a key component of her character and overall storyline. In the 1989 film, Ariel searches for information about the devices, gizmos and trinkets she finds at the bottom of the ocean through her friend Scuttle (Buddy Hackett). The bird-brained seagull is certainly enthusiastic, but doesn’t quite understand how things work on the surface, and describes forks used for eating as “tramps” used for combing hair.
Scuttle (Aquafina) is just as frivolous in the live-action remake, but this time she’s a completely different kind of bird. Instead of being a seagull, the Scuttle is a booby - an aquatic ocean bird capable of staying underwater for longer periods of time. This allows the comic character to communicate with Ariel and her other companions underwater rather than on land.
Ursula - King Triton’s sister and Ariel’s aunt
Sea Witch Ursula (Pat Carroll) clearly hates Triton, but the reason for this is clearly not clear. Basically, everything that is told in the original movie about her history with the kingdom of Atlantica is that she once lived in the palace before she was banished by the king of the seven seas. Since then, Ursula has lived in the depths of the ocean for revenge, making unfair deals with underwater inhabitants and turning those who cross her into her hideous living garden.
Ursula (Melissa McCarthy) the past isn’t expanded too much in the 2023 remake, but she does have an amazing familial connection to the royal family. Instead of being a random person who lived in a castle, Ursula is the sister of King Triton, which of course makes her the aunt of Ariel and her sisters. It’s not yet clear if Ursula and Triton are biological or adopted siblings, but it’s clear that their mysterious fight led to a lifelong grudge. Ursula is also much more ruthless in this version. Instead of turning her victims into pitiful plant monsters, the skulls and skeletons in her lair imply that she simply kills those who cross her instead.
A man killed Ariel’s mother
Another element of the 1989 original that isn’t expanded too much is the fate of Ariel’s mother. It’s obvious that King Triton struggles to be a single parent to his seven daughters, especially when it comes to his rebellious youngest daughter, Ariel. Won’t be up to a direct-to-video prequel, The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginningwhere we learn that Ariel’s mother tragically died in an accident when she was hit by a human ship.
It is also revealed that humans caused the death of Ariel’s mother in the 2023 version. However, it is implied that one person was responsible for the death of the mermaid queen, not a ship accident. The film does not go beyond that, but the conversation seems to indicate that Triton’s wife was killed on purpose, not by accident.
Eric - an orphan turned prince
Ariel isn’t the only character to have a more complicated family history in the 2023 remake. Handsome Prince EricChristopher Daniel Barnes) there is not much work in the original. He is just a kind-hearted member of the nobility that Ariel falls in love with after saving him. Other than his love for the ocean, we don’t know much about his backstory or desires.
Eric (Jonah Hauer-King) much more is given in the 2023 version. First, we learn that not only is he an orphan, but he also came to the shores of his future kingdom through a shipwreck at a young age. His adoptive mother, Queen Selina (Noma Dumezweni), also acts as a new parallel to King Triton, also very caring and protective of his child. Eric’s mysterious past is also a good reason why the prince wants to explore the uncharted ocean, probably to find his real parents if they are still there.
“The Little Mermaid” includes three original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda
Hamilton creator and moana song’s author Lin-Manuel Miranda credited three original songs to the live performance remake Mermaid. The first is a brand new power ballad for Prince Eric. Shortly after Ariel saves him and wanting to find the mysterious woman who saved him, Eric sings the song “Wild Uncharted Waters”, lamenting the importance of finding this wonderful woman.
Ariel also gets another new song during one of the film’s most unique scenes. Under the name “For the first time” (not to be confused with the similar title “For the first time in a lifetime” from frozen), Ariel “sings” the song when she is first brought to Eric’s castle. This is presented as an internal monologue as Ariel is unable to speak after giving her voice to Ursula just a few hours ago. Her singing is passionate yet skeptical as Ariel has to make Eric fall in love with her without saying a word.
Finally, the song with the most eloquent title is “The Scuttlebutt”. Yes, it wouldn’t be a Lin-Manuel Miranda soundtrack if it wasn’t for at least one rap song, and we realize that when Scuttle comes to tell Ariel and SebastianDavid Diggs) big news. The news ends with Eric wanting to marry Ursula in disguise, but it takes Sebastian some time to extract this information as the bird won’t stop singing about her “Scuttlebutt”.
Ariel delivers the final blow to Ursula instead of Eric
In the final battle of the original film, Ursula gains immense power when she steals King Triton’s trident, ready to exterminate anyone who crosses her path. First on her list is Ariel, who is powerless as the deceitful sea witch is about to wipe her out. Luckily, Eric arrives in his ship just in time, impaling the giant tyrant with the prow of his ship.
The 2023 version follows a similar series of events, but with one major change. Eric still helps in the fight, distracting Ursula long enough for Ariel to come up with a solution. Using one of the shipwrecks that were brought to the surface by Ursula’s typhoon, Ariel instead uses a massive vessel to impale the monster, saving her beloved Eric.
The end of Ariel and Eric represents a new beginning
The ending of the 2023 film is largely the same. Triton learns that his daughter is capable of making her own decisions, he grants her wish to become human, and Ariel and Eric live happily ever after. However, instead of ending their story with a happy marriage, this is just the beginning of another new path. The two decide to spend their new lives exploring the uncharted waters of the ocean, hoping to one day be part of a whole new world of possibilities where no human (or mermaid) has ever been before.
Source: Collider
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