Movie Review: Halle Bailey Shines In Liveaction Remake Of 'The Little Mermaid'

But is the new film, directed by Rob Marshall and starring Holly Bailey as the eponymous siren Ariel who wants to be human, still cute? No doubt.

And I, too old to have grown up with the original and probably too tired to be moved by the siren song, cried a little at the end? Well, yes, but you can blame it on Javier Bardem, who seems perfect as a dodgy dad, even if he has a mermaid tail.

Unsurprisingly, Marshall and Disney have committed a huge budget to this venture, resulting in a film that feels much larger, at times uncomfortable, than its predecessor. (The animated film is 82 minutes long; the new one is 135 minutes long, but essentially the same storyline.)

The CGI of the water is beautiful, colorful and a little too much; It looks great at first with flowing mermaid hair and iridescent fish tails, but after a while you find that too many of these scenes are a little washed out, even underwater.

A wonderful exception is the all-time favorite Under the Sea, which features the lively voice of David Diggs as Sebastian the Crab and stars an intriguing array of sea creatures. (My favorite behind-the-scenes detail: The dance moves to "Under the Sea" were created in partnership with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.)

But technology can only take you so far; What makes a Disney film tick is heart, and that's what Marshall found in his flawless cast. Diggs, Aquafina (as seabird Scuttle), and Jacob Tremblay (as Ariel's fishy friend Flounder) are both funny and endearing, especially Diggs, who injects a suicidal spirit with lines like "I'm an educated crustacean! "

Without much screen time, Bardem has a large presence as Ariel's father, King Triton, as well as the dapper Noma Dumezweni as a new character, the Queen. Melissa McCarthy, her seabed voice and impeccably raised eyebrows, cast him as the villainous Ursula, reveling in lines like "I'll catch her like a shrimp in my little secondhand game" (We knew McCarthy (she can sing like she does anyone care? Takes on Ursula's famous song "Poor Unfortunate Souls" like she's been waiting her whole life.) Jonah Hower-King, a handsome guy with a gorgeous voice, while Prince Eric is the perfect romantic charmer.

And in the end, the film rests comfortably on the scaly, wily shoulders of Ariel Bailey, a sea princess who doesn't need a man to save her, but still longs to live under the sun. Bailey delivers an effortless and stellar performance; Her singing voice is sweet and powerful, and her smile is what dreams dance upon.

Watching her bob gracefully back and forth in the water — her silver tail at one point moved by Sebastian's little pinch — you can't help but feel something that isn't often shown on screen these days. : Joy. Maybe we needed this movie after all.