Disney is at it again with its remake of The Little Mermaid, where hyperrealism continues to be a problem. The House of Mouse has faced criticism for going over the top to make their live-action remakes a little too 'live,' which results in a far less fantastical film than the animated version. The bright colors, adorable characters, and marvelous villains are reduced to something a little less whimsical—which goes against the entire point of these fairytales to being with.

Of course, these live-action remakes have several wonderful elements, and Disney wouldn't continue to make them if they weren't ultimately profitable for the studio. The Little Mermaid remake has fantastic casting, and the improvements made to Ariel and Eric's relationship have resolved some of the more problematic aspects of the mermaid's story. However, compared to the animated version, the live-action remake lacks a particular flavor that made audiences fall in love with the story and characters back in 1989—and it all comes down to the realism.

6 Ariel’s Natural Red Hair Looks Dull Compared To The Disney Original

Ariel's flaming red hair made the character an instant hit in the original The Little Mermaid movie. It was this feature that made audiences weary of a live-action remake since such a color might not come across the same way on a real actor. When Halle Bailey was cast, there was some outrageous backlash regarding the actor's race since her skin color differed from that of Ariel's original design. Of course, skin color is by no means an essential factor for the character, so these criticisms were baseless. It's the red hair that mattered most, and though Disney delivered, it wasn't in the way many expected.

In the live-action The Little Mermaid, Ariel's red hair is a much more muted tone—which seems far more believable as a natural hair color. However, believability isn't a factor that needs much consideration when it comes to the design of a mermaid. The vibrant red hair made Ariel special, even when she had been transformed into a human. Therefore, by giving her a natural red color instead, The Little Mermaid didn't do the character any favors.

5 The Little Mermaid's Underwater Scenes Are Too Dark

It's entirely logical that the depths of the sea will be dark, but The Little Mermaid created a problem by taking this a little too far. Though several of the underwater scenes in the original animated film were set at night, Ariel's bright hair and tail perfectly contrasted with her dark cavern, so there was still a sense of vibrancy. However, in an attempt to embrace realism, Disney's remake set up some scenes that look dull in comparison.

When it comes down to it, the deeper parts of the ocean would be so dark that even the amount of visibility in the Little Mermaid remake wouldn't be realistic. Therefore, Disney seems to pick and choose the realism it wants to embrace. Logic applies in some aspects but not in others. Ultimately, it would have been perfectly reasonable to adjust the lighting and color grading while still making it clear that it was nighttime—or even to give the mermaids a kind of lighting alternative such as bioluminescence.

4 Realistic Sea Life Hurts The "Under The Sea" Whimsy

One of the most iconic scenes of the original The Little Mermaid is the "Under the Sea" musical number, in which Ariel dances around with a variety of whimsical sea creatures as Sebastian sings a song about the benefits of living in such a fantastical world. In the 1989 version, realism wasn't much of a concern, and the fish came in every shape and color that could be imagined. They wore seashells as hats, had coloring that sometimes imitated clothing, had fins that draped across their face like hair, and one even played a coral saxophone. It was complete creative chaos, perfect for child audiences.

The real world under the sea is certainly colorful and full of variety, but the remake film lost the whimsy by embracing a more realistic look at the sea life. The whole point of Sebastian's The Little Mermaid song is to show Ariel what a magical world she lived in, and human-like animals are always a great way to do this. In fact, it tends to be a staple of Disney-style fantasy. Unfortunately, it's entirely missing from the 2023 The Little Mermaid.

3 Realistic Talking Animals Lack Personality

Sebastian's chorus of sea creatures weren't the only ones who got a realistic makeover. The crab himself was made to look far more realistic (and like an actual crab rather than the lobster that audiences often mistook him for), complete with a tiny little mouth and rigid exoskeleton. Flounder, who had been more beachball shaped in the 1989 animated The Little Mermaid was redesigned to look more like a real flatfish, and Scuttle was changed from a seagull into a hyperrealistic northern gannet diving bird—altogether resulting in a rather unsettling crew for the Little Mermaid remake.

Realistic-looking animals that talk have always been a problem for Disney's live-action remakes. The Lion King demonstrated how without the expressiveness that is seen in animation, beloved animal characters could quickly fall flat. This is made even worse in The Little Mermaid since real-life fish and birds tend to have blank staring eyes that can feel unsettling even when they aren't being puppeted by a voice actor. Unfortunately, this means that characters like Flounder and Sebastian seem to lack any personality.

2 The World Of The Little Mermaid Remake Lacks Contrast

It could be argued that the poor color grading in the underwater scenes of The Little Mermaid was done purposely to create more contrast between the world Ariel was born into and the one she longed to be a part of. However, even once Ariel was on land, the colors of her surroundings and the characters were dull compared to the animated version. This comes down again to the mermaid's design, since in the original The Little Mermaid, Ariel still popped in comparison to the other characters.

The Little Mermaid remake added more characters than the original, especially regarding Eric's royal family. His mother, Queen Selina, is always dressed regally, and her home is a beautiful sight to behold. However, the palace still lacks the whimsy of its predecessor. Its muted tones lack the fun often associated with Disney animation, and though the setting may seem like a paradise to adults, there isn't much there to grab children's attention.

1 The Little Mermaid Remake Feels Less Like Fantasy

There have been countless live-action fantasy films over the years, and many have perfected the art of making real-life actors look part of a magical world. Of course, The Little Mermaid, by its nature, will be fantastical. Still, by trying too hard to make the animals, scenery, and character details so realistic, Disney seems to have forgotten that it is still a fantasy.

The House of Mouse was under no obligation to stick to the rules with The Little Mermaid, so vibrant red hair, well-lit ocean scenes, and slightly more expressive animals would have been entirely acceptable. However, the idea of realism was taken so seriously that the flavor of The Little Mermaid was altered to the point that it simply isn't as fun anymore. Overall, there is much to enjoy and love, but when it comes down to it, child audiences are far more likely to be drawn to the animated The Little Mermaid than its overly realistic remake.