The Little Mermaid (2023) | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

67% Tomatometer 346 Reviews 94% Audience Score 10,000+ Verified Ratings The youngest of King Triton's daughters, and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea, and while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric. While mermaids are forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel must follow her heart. She makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, which gives her a chance to experience life on land, but ultimately places her life -- and her father's crown -- in jeopardy. Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Buy Now

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The Little Mermaid

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The Little Mermaid

What to Know

Critics Consensus

With Halle Bailey making a major splash in the title role, Disney's live-action Little Mermaid ranks among the studio's most enjoyable reimaginings.

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Audience Says

Halle Bailey is outstanding in The Little Mermaid -- and most of the other new additions to this version of the story hit the mark as well.

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Critics Reviews

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The Little Mermaid (2023) | Rotten Tomatoes (1) Caroline Siede Girl Culture (Substack) The delightful sits alongside the baffling in Marshall’s adaptation, which is so often the way it goes with these Disney live action remakes. Oct 2, 2023 Full Review The Little Mermaid (2023) | Rotten Tomatoes (2) Nell Minow Movie Mom Parts of this movie are truly enchanting, especially the underwater scenes. The opening moments on Prince Eric’s ship are thrillingly filmed and the “Under the Sea” number is a glorious Busby Berkeley underwater fantasia. Rated: B+ Jul 7, 2023 Full Review The Little Mermaid (2023) | Rotten Tomatoes (3) Wenlei Ma News.com.au It’s trying so hard to not upset fans of the original that it often feels like imitation with a couple of adjustments. And that’s about as flat as Flounder’s new-found photorealism. Rated: 2.5/5 Jun 16, 2023 Full Review The Little Mermaid (2023) | Rotten Tomatoes (4) Savina Petkova A Good Movie To Watch The film feels at once too stunted for an actual musical and too expansive to be just another movie. Rated: 6.9/10 Oct 29, 2023 Full Review The Little Mermaid (2023) | Rotten Tomatoes (5) Shawn Edwards Fox 4 Kansas City The music does seem to soar for the most part, and the movie is all elevated by Halle Bailey, she's fantastic. Rated: 3/5 Oct 27, 2023 Full Review The Little Mermaid (2023) | Rotten Tomatoes (6) Jackson Weaver CBC News [U]nfortunately, you do gotta (slightly) hand it to them — in the disenchanting, decomposing pile of animated adaptations, The Little Mermaid at least lies somewhere in the upper half. Oct 16, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Annette I give it a 7 out of 10. I definitely enjoyed the movie, mostly well done. I didn't notice or pay much attention to the changed lyrics in the classic songs, so that's not a bother. The actors were well cast for their roles. The new songs were amusing and had meaning. Some scenes looked like they were shot for shot from the animated version, which may or may not be a good thing, since in some parts it felt redundant in that it felt like it was imitating the animated version. Still, I understand wanting to keep some things from the original and not change too much. My favorite change made in the live-action is (spoiler alert) the relationship between Ariel and Eric because they built a bond gradually throughout the movie and made their love believable. This is the reason I would rewatch the movie, because Halle Bailey and Jonah Haur King had great chemistry and I loved watching them together, and the ending is beautiful and innocent, and convincing. Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 09/08/23 Full Review Dabria Loved every minute of it! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/28/23 Full Review Schenique It was a great re make I will watch it again:) Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/28/23 Full Review Super bummer. Only saving grace was Ursula and Scuttle, and only because of the actresses that play them. The movie and filming were awful. Super bummed. Rated 2/5 Stars • Rated 2 out of 5 stars 08/28/23 Full Review Ade The mermaid seems much younger than the prince. Why the mermaids sibling came from different races? Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 08/28/23 Full Review Angelica Simplemente me Encant!!! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/28/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

Cast & Crew

Rob Marshall Director Halle Bailey Ariel Jonah Hauer-King Prince Eric Javier Bardem King Triton Melissa McCarthy Ursula Daveed Diggs Sebastian
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Movie Clips

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The Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid: Extended Preview The Little Mermaid: Extended Preview 9:37 The Little Mermaid: Movie Clip - The Scuttlebutt The Little Mermaid: Movie Clip - The Scuttlebutt 1:11 The Little Mermaid: Movie Clip - Poor Unfortunate Souls The Little Mermaid: Movie Clip - Poor Unfortunate Souls 0:52 The Little Mermaid: Movie Clip - You Listen to Me Bird The Little Mermaid: Movie Clip - You Listen to Me Bird 0:35 The Little Mermaid: Movie Clip - So Here's the Deal The Little Mermaid: Movie Clip - So Here's the Deal 0:37 The Little Mermaid: Movie Clip - Under the Sea The Little Mermaid: Movie Clip - Under the Sea 0:59 The Little Mermaid: Movie Clip - Kiss the Girl The Little Mermaid: Movie Clip - Kiss the Girl 0:55 The Little Mermaid: Movie Clip - Part Of Your World The Little Mermaid: Movie Clip - Part Of Your World 0:48 View more videos

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Related Movie News

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Videos

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The Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid: Music Video - "Part Of Your World" In 22 Languages The Little Mermaid: Music Video - "Part Of Your World" In 22 Languages 3:25 The Little Mermaid: Featurette - Choreographing Under The Sea The Little Mermaid: Featurette - Choreographing Under The Sea 1:33 ‘The Little Mermaid’ Cast on Ariel and Prince Eric’s Chemistry, New Music, & Getting Into Character ‘The Little Mermaid’ Cast on Ariel and Prince Eric’s Chemistry, New Music, & Getting Into Character 31:03 Everything You Need to Know Before Seeing 'The Little Mermaid' Everything You Need to Know Before Seeing 'The Little Mermaid' 9:25 The Little Mermaid: Featurette - The Music of The Little Mermaid The Little Mermaid: Featurette - The Music of The Little Mermaid 2:47 The Little Mermaid: TV Spot - Unfortunate The Little Mermaid: TV Spot - Unfortunate 1:00 The Little Mermaid: Featurette - Halle's Ariel The Little Mermaid: Featurette - Halle's Ariel 1:32 The Little Mermaid: Featurette - The Cast Goes Under The Sea The Little Mermaid: Featurette - The Cast Goes Under The Sea 1:56 The Little Mermaid: Spot - Choices The Little Mermaid: Spot - Choices 0:59 The Little Mermaid: Featurette - A World Reimagined The Little Mermaid: Featurette - A World Reimagined 1:49 View more videos

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The Little Mermaid

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Movie Info

Synopsis The youngest of King Triton's daughters, and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea, and while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric. While mermaids are forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel must follow her heart. She makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, which gives her a chance to experience life on land, but ultimately places her life -- and her father's crown -- in jeopardy.

Director
Rob Marshall

Producer
Marc Platt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, John DeLuca, Rob Marshall

Screenwriter
David Magee

Distributor
Walt Disney Pictures

Production Co
Walt Disney Pictures, Marc Platt Productions, Lucamar

Rating
PG (Some Scary Images|Action/Peril)

Genre
Kids & Family, Musical, Fantasy, Romance

Original Language
English

Release Date (Theaters)
May 26, 2023, Wide

Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 25, 2023

Box Office (Gross USA)
$298.2M

Runtime
2h 15m

Sound Mix
DTS, Dolby Digital, Dolby, Dolby Atmos

Aspect Ratio
Digital 2.39:1
Most Popular at Home Now
The Little Mermaid (2023) | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

FAQs

How many Rotten Tomatoes did The Little Mermaid get? ›

'The Little Mermaid' Rotten Tomatoes Verified Audience Score Thread
ScoreAverage Rating
Verified Audience95%4.7/5
All Audience56%3.1/5
1 more row
May 25, 2023

What movie has 100 Rotten Tomatoes? ›

To date, Leave No Trace holds the site's record, with a rating of 100% and 252 positive reviews.

Did Melissa McCarthy sing in The Little Mermaid 2023? ›

Melissa McCarthy Really Did Sing As Ursula In The Little Mermaid. Melissa McCarthy did indeed sing "Poor Unfortunate Souls" in the live-action Little Mermaid. McCarthy is a comic actor, but she has never claimed to have singing as part of her repertoire, so it's impressive she was willing to do so.

Has the new Little Mermaid done well? ›

The Little Mermaid—which also stars Javier Bardem, Daveed Diggs, and Awkwafina—is also among 2023's top ten films worldwide to date, earning $570 million at the global box office. The film was praised by audiences who gave it an “A” CinemaScore and a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes.

How much did Halle Bailey get paid for The Little Mermaid? ›

According to Showbiz Galore, she was reportedly paid $1.5 million to don the tail and seashells, though some news outlets reported slightly more modest earnings of $500,000. Despite the online backlash about casting a Black Ariel, this project made Halle Bailey a household name, especially among young Disney fans.

What is the #1 movie of all time? ›

Highest-grossing films
RankPeakTitle
11Avatar
21Avengers: Endgame
33Avatar: The Way of Water
41Titanic
46 more rows

Is a 97% good on Rotten Tomatoes? ›

So when a movie such as “Black Panther” gets a certified “fresh” 97 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, we interpret it as a film that is near perfection, while a film such as last year's “The Emoji Movie” that lands around 9 percent, must be a steaming pile of garbage.

What's the worst rated movie of all time? ›

The corpse of Inspector Clay (Tor Johnson) attacks Eros (Dudley Manlove) in the 1957 Ed Wood classic Plan 9 from Outer Space. Ed Wood's Plan 9 from Outer Space, a science fiction film about aliens resurrecting the dead, was labeled the "Worst Film Ever" by The Golden Turkey Awards in 1980.

How much did Melissa McCarthy get paid for The Little Mermaid? ›

Melissa McCarthy, who played the devious Ursula in the live-action, made $500,000 for her work in the film.

Who sings the original Ursula? ›

Patricia Ann Carroll (May 5, 1927 – July 30, 2022) was an American actress and comedian. She voiced Ursula in The Little Mermaid and appeared in CBS's The Danny Thomas Show, ABC's Laverne & Shirley, and NBC's ER.

Was Little Mermaid 2023 filmed underwater? ›

Why The Little Mermaid Didn't Actually Film Underwater. While filming multiple sequences underwater is a feat that has been undertaken before, it would have been much more challenging for The Little Mermaid (2023) to create its sea scenes practically.

Why did Disney make Ariel black? ›

On the significance of casting a Black actress as Ariel

Sherri Hope Culver: To have a Disney character who is not just a princess but a live-action, real flesh and blood person that children can be inspired by is important. This is because people of color are less likely to see themselves reflected in the media.

How many Disney movies flopped this year? ›

The majority of Disney movies (9 out of 11) that came out in 2023 flopped (= lost money). Do you expect this bad streak to continue for Disney in 2024? The only wide releases of Disney in 2023 that didn't lose money were GotG 3 and Elemental. The other 9 movies all lost money.

Did The Little Mermaid break any records? ›

'The Little Mermaid', which earned $569.5 million at the worldwide box office, breaks records on Disney+ as one of the most viewed Disney movie premieres ever, garnering 16 million views in its first five days streaming.

Is The Little Mermaid live-action a hit? ›

The Little Mermaid (2023) made $569,626,289 in the worldwide box office. That is a fact. According to Forbes, DIsney spent a total of $297 million on the movie, not including marketing costs.

What is the rating for The Little Mermaid movie? ›

What is the new Little Mermaid rated? ›

The live-action movie is rated PG for some scenes that depict characters in peril and themes that might be scary for younger viewers. Generally, movies rated PG are OK for children 8 years old and older. If your child is younger and can't wait to see the Disney movie, read ahead for a few scenes to keep an eye on.

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