I have to say, that trailer looks and sounds great...who knows, maybe they've finally landed on a live-action adaptation that works. I'm know I'm too old to be the target demographic for this version, but I definitely got some nice nostalgia feels (was 12 when the first one came out). As usual, what really matters is whether it works for kids...if it's enjoyable for adults, that's a nice bonus.
I hadn’t been following this movie but seeing the preview at the Oscars tonight informed me I will not be following it now.
The singing was meh, the line delivery was stilted, and it looked like a scene by scene remake in the style of Avatar.
No thanks.
The actress was even coping the exact same expressions as her animated counterpart. The film itself is so dark and murky I can't see anything. Say what you want about Cameron, he at least makes gorgeous looking films.
I’m sure this will be at best a slightly awkward, unsatisfying remake like almost all of the classic Disney live action versions. Outside of Chicago I can’t say I have much faith in Rob Marshall.
What I’m most dreading, however, is the Rings of Power crowd bringing their idiotic discourse over Ariel not being white.
I’m sure this will be at best a slightly awkward, unsatisfying remake like almost all of the classic Disney live action versions. Outside of Chicago I can’t say I have much faith in Rob Marshall.
What I’m most dreading, however, is the Rings of Power crowd bringing their idiotic discourse over Ariel not being white.
Yes, gawd forbid Ariel looks like Ariel. And whats up with that dreadful bra? Looks like something from 1903's. They should have just had the fish tail/scales go all the way up to her breasts like the Chicken of the Sea mermaid.
The film itself is so dark and murky I can't see anything. Say what you want about Cameron, he at least makes gorgeous looking films.
I agree about the dark and murky look that so many directors think is cool looking. This look detracts from the enjoyment of movies that employ this look, IMO. It hurt the audience's enjoyment of films like West Side Story (2021) and will hurt the upcoming Peter Pan and Wendy, based on the trailer. Brighter colors, like those seen in the old MGM 3-strip Technicolor musicals, are something that should be seen a lot more in the movie musicals genre IMO.
From the trailer, I don't see any evidence that this version is any "darker" or "gloomier" than the original? Anyone who has seen the original will know that the opening scenes are set in a grey, overcast, mist-laden, and threatening if grand, seascape, akin to the shades of the scenes as seen in the trailer. The scenes at night are, well, at NIGHT, you know! The other scenes in the trailer under the sea look extremely colorful, and the onshore scenes seem similarly bright with blue skies. Am I missing something? Ursula is one of the creepiest Disney villainesses ever, and it looks like they nailed her character spot on. She's a threatening, frightening presence in the original, and looks to be the same in this one. Good.
While I am not a huge fan of Rob Marshall and his "never met a camera that couldn't be on a dolly" approach to scene work, I have a great fondness for the score. It is beautiful with intelligent lyrics that, gasp, actually rhyme, and a lilting score.
As for Ariel not looking like Ariel. What on earth does that mean exactly? She looks like Ariel to me! The original films had a real mix of ethnicities in the characters that populate the underworld kingdom. Samuel E. Wright anyone? I mean, they are cartoon characters!!!!!
As for Ariel not looking like Ariel. What on earth does that mean exactly? That means she isn't Caucausian. Right, reactionaries gotta maintain that plausible deniability for the normies...just don't point out the patterns of things they complain about, because we can't possibly "know what's in their hearts".
As for Ariel not looking like Ariel. What on earth does that mean exactly? That means she isn't Caucausian.
It means she doesn't look like the beloved classic character we've all known and loved world wide for over 25 years. She's an iconic pop culture character. Who's image has been marketed on a billion things. Do you not understand branding?
It means she doesn't look like the beloved classic character we've all known and loved world wide for over 25 years.
Apart from race, in what ways does she not look like the beloved classic character we've all known and loved world wide for over 25 years?
Let's talk Cinderella. Neither live action Cinderella looks like the "beloved classic character" from Disney...
...because they aren't hand drawn cartoons. (Neither does Drew Barrymore for that matter.)
The funny thing is back in 1997 I don't remember a Black Cinderella being turned into a divisive wedge issue. Hmmm...
I didn't particularly think Luke Evans looked much like Gaston (they should have gotten a John Cena type, right?) but I don't remember very divisive and explosive conversations happening about that...
I don't have much confidence in Disney live action remakes at this point (Cinderella was somewhat promising early on, and that's about it), but I don't see why a character looking different in a new adaptation (even if it's a direct remake of an earlier film) is such a problem, ESPECIALLY when the film being remade is animated and the remake is live action! And if you want the original animated character that film exists and nobody is taking it away from you!
And while we are on the subject, Idris Elba could definitely play James Bond.
I mean, Bond's eye color, hair color, accent, facial shape, etc. have all changed drastically over the years. The people ragging on Daniel Craig at the time look super silly now (or as soon as Casino Royale was released). People said Timothy Dalton looked like too much of a villain and he was my favorite Bond until Casino Royale. Hell, Sean Connery, George Lazenby, and Roger Moore all look *and sound* EXTREMELY different, yet people have come to accept they were all playing the same character (yes I know about the jokey/winky "this never happened to the other fella"), and even had the same actors playing opposite them in the roles of Q, M, and Moneypenny, treating them as the same character. If you can get over Bond actors changing their hair color and eye color you can get over Ariel changing her skin color. Unless, y'know, it IS about race.
She's like a silvery/grey colour on the original statue in Copenhagen in Denmark, which has been on display since 1913. She started out bronze as well, but obviously the weather has forced her colour transition. I wonder if that has upset the people of Denmark.
The trailer does look a bunch more promising than the teaser poster. I'll adopt a wait and see approach. Bardem as King Triton sure does look the part, didn't see that one coming. I'm not so sure about the animal characters though, seems emotion-wise we may be in live action Lion King territory with those.
March 31st Update and P.S. I regret the tone of what I posted initially in this thread as it strongly implied that I was calling some folks racist, which is way beyond my scope of knowledge of my fellow Board members. I try to get along with everyone, and some of my friends if I am honest also have some problems with this remake along similar lines. So with apologies if anyone rereads this -- that was not my intent and I was in a truly bad mood when I responded above originally. --John
