A More Modern Ariel
The most significant point of comparison begins with Ariel herself. In the 1989 classic, Ariel is a spirited 16-year-old whose longing for the human world is deeply intertwined with her instant infatuation with Prince Eric. The 2023 film, starring Halle
Bailey, makes a deliberate effort to broaden her motivations. This Ariel is driven less by a boy and more by a profound sense of curiosity and a desire for personal discovery. While the love story is still central, her fascination with the human world feels more like an anthropologist's quest than a fleeting crush. The film also gives Ariel more agency, especially in the climax. In a notable reversal, it is Ariel, not Eric, who deals the final blow to Ursula by steering a ship into the enlarged sea witch. This change empowers Ariel, making her the primary hero of her own story.
An Expanded World and Backstory
The live-action remake uses its longer runtime to flesh out characters and context only hinted at in the original. Prince Eric, once little more than a handsome face, is given a backstory. In this version, he is an adopted royal who, much like Ariel, feels like an outsider and yearns to explore the unknown seas, creating a stronger parallel between the two leads. We also learn the tragic fate of Ariel's mother, who was killed by humans, providing a concrete reason for King Triton's fierce prejudice against the surface world. Ursula’s connection to the royal family is also made explicit: she is Triton’s sister, a detail dropped from the original animated film but present in some stage adaptations. These additions aim to provide a richer emotional foundation for the story's central conflicts.
New Songs and Lyrical Tweaks
The iconic soundtrack by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman is largely preserved, but not without changes. Menken returned, collaborating with Lin-Manuel Miranda to write three new songs. Prince Eric gets his own "I want" song, "Wild Uncharted Waters," Ariel sings "For the First Time" to convey her thoughts upon gaining legs, and Scuttle and Sebastian perform a rap titled "The Scuttlebutt." Beyond new additions, some classic lyrics were updated for modern sensibilities. Lines in "Poor Unfortunate Souls" were altered to avoid suggesting women should remain silent, and "Kiss the Girl" was tweaked to more clearly emphasize the importance of consent. These musical changes reflect a conscious effort to align the story with contemporary values.
A Different Kind of Magic
Visually, the two films are worlds apart. The 1989 version is a masterpiece of traditional hand-drawn animation, bursting with vibrant color and expressive, cartoony characters. The 2023 remake opts for photorealistic CGI, creating a world that is visually darker and more grounded in reality. This approach extended to the animal sidekicks; the hyper-realistic designs for Sebastian, Flounder, and Scuttle were a point of debate among audiences, with some missing the exaggerated expressions of their animated counterparts. Furthermore, Ursula's spell on Ariel includes a new, insidious twist: she adds a magical clause that makes Ariel forget she needs a kiss to break the curse, raising the stakes and explaining why she doesn't simply write a note to Eric.
