So here's how it usually works these days in Hollywood. A formula working well at the box-office? Well, how about we just recycle it again and again and again ... And once that idea stalls then how about we bank on the nostalgia of the original and reboot it into a whole new package.
Disney's caught on to this like real pros with their juggernaut franchises, in fact, that's all they seem to be doing — Marvel, Star Wars, animation etc. not a single original thought conceived, they have to stick with what people already know, what people are comfortable with, what doesn't provoke new thoughts. It's all really a big fat brainwash if you ask me.
A particular trend for them is the live-action remake of animated classics. Disney decided to cast R&B singer Halle Bailey to play Ariel in their live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid.” The purists got angry. I couldn’t care less.
The film screened for a select few critics last night and the usuals have weighed in. But you can sense, in even the positive tweets, some reservations. There are complaints about the underwater CGI, which, based on the trailer, doesn’t look good at all.
Matt Neglia liked it, but said “looks visually rough under the sea.” There are other reactions pointing to the blurry CGI water scenes. What I’ll focus on are are the main takes, most of which seem mixed — which probably means this won’t be getting many positive reviews. If you can’t win over Twitter after a hyped-up world premiere then your film might be in trouble …
Katia Woods: “The Little Mermaid” is a tribute to all little girls to dream big. Halle Bailey is sheer magic and Daveed Diggs a delight as Sebastian.
Courtney Howard: Charming, but incredibly spotty. Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Melissa McCarthy & Javier Bardem put their heart & souls into a film that can’t escape its animated legacy. Best when it leans into campy bonkers, yet limits its fantasy elements for no reason.
Germain Lussier: “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.”
Simon Thompson: “Endearing but uneven, #TheLittleMermaid doesn’t deliver the magic of the animated classic but there are plenty of creative touches from Rob Marshall to float the audience’s boats. Halle Bailey and Melissa McCarthy are great. Daveed Diggs and Awkwafina provide solid comic relief.”
The project will be Bailey’s feature film debut. Disney hired-hand Rob Marshall (“Mary Poppins Returns”) will direct, with Lin-Manuel Miranda penning brand-new songs.
“The Little Mermaid,” set for release this summer, will join fellow live-action remakes “Alice in Wonderland,” “Cinderella,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Lion King,” “Dumbo” and “Mulan” in the bunks of cinematic hell.
These are safe, and cozy projects for the mouse house because they are banking on what is most popular at the multiplex these days: Nostalgia.
There is absolutely no conceivable way that these live-action remakes can artistically surpass the original animated classics. Why? Because Disney can’t risk of messing with the original formula — audiences want what they already know, that's the sad truth.
And so, with these live-action remakes, Disney are, by all accounts, going for shot-for-shot duplicates, the only difference? They are done in CGI instead of hand drawn animation.
Freeman is far from retired. Case in point, all the straight-to-VOD movies he’s been making these past 10 years. Scrolling through his filmography, the last true “Hollywood” year Freeman had was in 2016.