What’s “The Little Mermaid About?

Ariel, A young mermaid (Halle Bailey) makes a deal with a Seal Witch (Melissa McCarthy) to trade her beautiful voice for human legs so she can discover the world above and impress a Prince (Jonah Hauer-King).

Life Underwater With Ariel: The Little Mermaid

Living life underwater with Ariel, the Little Mermaid would seem to be pure heaven. Literally living and constantly being under water enjoying the pleasures of the open seas and swimming across oceans, rivers, lakes, and finding unknown and hidden treasures. But, for our Ariel, she wanted the one thing that was forbidden – LOVE.  The Little Mermaid always wanted to see what life was like above the sea instead of below it all. I had the opportunity to see the film two days early and in the DOLBLY 3D formatting and I will tell you that the imagery in the film seeing it in that specific formatting was a dream! It was a dream come true for me.

Halle Bailey as The Little Mermaid

Halle deserves a standing ovation for her role in the film! She was outstanding! That’s the one thing that perplexes me with musicals though – I cannot decipher whether or not its really the actor/actress using their own unique voice to sing or if its a voiceover or if they are lip syncing. When audiences applaud for them in movies that are musicals such as this one, that is the immediate thought that comes directly to my mind. Having a production made like this iconic fairy tale which had been re-done and made a varied amount of times is one thing, but to have an African American actress portray the leading role of Ariel. That is a blessing and recognition!

Finding Love Above or Below the Water

Both Eric and Ariel were in search of finding love. For Ariel, finding love was forbidden because her Father forbid it due to him hurting over his wife’s untimely death and never really getting over it so he projected his hurt feelings onto Ariel and the rest of his sea daughters never fully understanding how Ariel felt or how she wanted to explore “above the sea.” Ultimately, her father was the reason she wanted to visit above ground to see if it was as bad as he was telling her it was for as long as she could remember.

Free Reign To Make Your Own Decisions

As for Eric, when you are wealthy – your parents choose your life, your Bride, you choose nothing. Therefore, Ariel and Eric both struggled with trying to find their own identities.

They each tried profusely to reach their parents to to no avail and when they saw that their attempts, hard works, and efforts were getting them no where, that is when they chose the only other options that they saw available and of course, they were the wrong options.

The Sea Witch

Eric chose the option to go and find the mysterious girl who saved his life on his own and got himself injured never knowing all the while she was with him in his home and Ariel made a deal with her Aunt, the Sea Witch and she struck a deal with the Little Mermaid to allow her to take her voice if she could not find true love and have him kiss her in 7 days and the Sea Witch tried her best to sabotage her. Never allow evil to prevail no matter what is at stake – including love. REMEBER that! The Little Mermaid forgot …but she remembered…The Little Mermaid.

Trav’s Conclusions …on Land…

Parents always say to their children that they do know best – which is not always true or necessarily the case even; I will not agree to that, because if they were right, they never would make mistakes and be perfect – would they not? Sometimes kids have to do what? Fly. Children are resilient little creatures and they bounce back just as easily as they get upset at their parents. ADVICE: You find it on YOUR OWN …on YOUR OWN terms …YOUR OWN way …and let NO ONE dictate a single thing to you! YOU control your heart, your voice, and most importantly – when the music stops …you just KEEP ON DANCING and soaring and living life!