Film Preview: The Little Mermaid (2022)

Film Poster

Page Revisions:

(September 18, 2022) Original
(March 26, 2023) New Trailer (#2) — New Posters (#1-#3)
(May 21, 2023) New Posters (#4-#15)

Release Date:

May 26, 2023

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “A live-action remake of the animated Disney classic.”

Poster Rating: C / C- / B- / C / C+ (3) / C+ / C (7)

SEE ALL POSTERS BELOW
Review: (#1) It’s a simple design and that will appeal to existing fans, but it has no visual flare and sits there dully. (#2) Like the prior design, there’s too much vacant space filled with just water or clouds and neither add embellishment to surprisingly lifeless efforts. (#3) It’s an interesting way to present posters without the stacked-pyramid-style design and that helps keep it looking fresh even if it’s almost too busy.

(#4) While there are a lot of details here, they are shadowy and blue, which doesn’t draw the eye even with the shock of lighter blue light summoning the mermaid to the surface. (#5-#7) This series of posters for the various sound and visual formats aren’t particularly engaging in any measure with the details of the third being interesting, but the metaphor of the first being slight more compelling. (#8) Lots of camera sprites here create something a bit too distracting for the rest of the design, which doesn’t provide enough focus on the tentacles beneath. (#9-#15) These character posters are interestingly unique, but drab and uninteresting.

Trailer Rating: B+ / B

SEE ALL TRAILERS BELOW
Review: (#1) Two musical cues in the trailer help conjure memories of the original while subtle underwater elements are given more attention leading up to the singing of one of the important songs from the original all make this feel like something that is designed to build interest and that’s the best thing about a movie trailer. Give the audience just a taste and then give them more later.

(#2) We finally get more details about the film and as these types of adaptations do, it feels overly familiar. There aren’t enough embellishments other than the live-action element to make it looks anything more than passably appealing.

Oscar Prospects:

The Disney cash grab that is adapting their animated films into live-action offerings hasn’t produced a lot of major Oscar consideration outside of the craft categories. I wouldn’t expect much of anything from this one, though there might be some polite chatter over Halle Bailey, but that will be bolstered by all the vitriol she’s received to date, but it won’t ultimately materialize into anything concrete.