Things are not looking good for the supposed “film of the summer.”
Right now, Disney is gearing up for one of their biggest movie releases of the year: the live-action version of The Little Mermaid. The expectations for this film are sky-high due to how iconic the 1989 version is. Since its announcement, there has been a lot of debate over whether on not this film should be made and if it will end up being good or not.
This discourse has gotten more relevant since Disney started releasing trailers for the movie. For the past few months, all fans have gotten were small tastes of what the movie is going to look like. The only character we have seen in full form before today was Ariel and some of the other Merpeople. That all changed today when Disney finally gave fans an up close and detailed look at the new live-action characters– and fans are not happy.
Disney Misses the Mark on Animated Animals
The reception of the animation of Ariel, played by Halle Bailey, Ursula, played by Melissa McCarthy, and all of the other Merpeople has so far been quite positive. The creators behind The Little Mermaid have clearly put in a lot of work to make the world and aesthetic of ‘Under the Sea’ as visually appealing as possible.
However, not all characters from the film get this reception. Yesterday Disney released character posters from the film, and fans immediately were in hysterics over the appearance of Flounder. Unlike the adorable fish we know from the original, the new Flounder is highly realistic and honestly kind of scary. Since the poster was made, fans have been quick to roast the Disney character, who is voiced by Jacob Tremblay.
This is why Disney should stop making these live adaptations. https://t.co/GdD16QL3jQ
— Kii (@KingdomKii) April 27, 2023
Another says;
These terrible character designs are all going to come out two weeks before release now because no studio wants to risk another Sonic situation https://t.co/x8EC92RJsR
— Renfamous ⭐️ (@renfamous) April 27, 2023
Many comment on the lack of personality that Flounder has in the poster;
The small yellow shade is all the soul left in Flounder after Disney tried to suck the soul out of him https://t.co/SfaXFaCf1P
— Mario vs DK GBA's Disciple (@PownicMania5000) April 26, 2023
It is a shame to see that the public’s reception to the movie is already not great ahead of its release. Hopefully, the talent of the star-studded cast, directed by Rob Marshall, will save this film in the end.