'The Little Mermaid' review: You wouldn't mind being part of this world

Halle Bailey as Ariel. As far as Disney’s live-action remakes of their classic animated features go, 'The Little Mermaid' is actually one of its better ones. — Photos: Walt Disney Studios Malaysia

Let’s get this out of the way – as far as Disney’s live-action remakes of their classic animated features go, The Little Mermaid is actually one of its better ones. Heck, I’d even say it’s one of the top three, behind The Jungle Book, and arguably tying with Maleficent for second in terms of entertainment value.

Now, admittedly, most of the remakes have not exactly set the bar very high in the first place. Some were watchable (The Lion King, Beauty And The Beast, Cinderella, Cruella, Alice In Wonderland), others were meaningless rehashes (Aladdin, Peter Pan And Wendy, Dumbo, Mulan, Pinocchio). Most of them, however, were pretty forgettable and pale in comparison with their animated predecessors.