6.5
Viewer Rating
Combines user and critic ratings from four sources
The Little Mermaid (2023)
The Little Mermaid (2023)
Overview
The youngest of King Triton’s daughters, and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea, and while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric. With mermaids forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, which gives her a chance to experience life on land, but ultimately places her life – and her father’s crown – in jeopardy.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Rating & Dimensions
Bias Rating
Analyzing...
Progressive
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: High
Gender Swap: Yes
Race Swap: Yes
Viewer Rating
6.5
Overview
The youngest of King Triton’s daughters, and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea, and while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric. With mermaids forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, which gives her a chance to experience life on land, but ultimately places her life – and her father’s crown – in jeopardy.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Detailed Bias Analysis
Analyzing...
Progressive
Primary
The film's narrative champions themes of inclusivity, challenging traditional restrictions, and female autonomy, aligning with progressive values. This is further underscored by its diverse casting choices, which became a focal point of public discourse.
The movie demonstrates significant DEI through the explicit racial recasting of its traditionally white lead character. However, its narrative maintains a largely traditional framing, without explicitly critiquing traditional identities.
Secondary
The character Scuttle, a prominent sidekick in the original animated film, was canonically male but is portrayed as female in the 2023 live-action adaptation.
Ariel, a character widely established as white in the 1989 animated film, is portrayed by Halle Bailey, a Black actress, in the 2023 live-action adaptation, which constitutes a race swap.
The Little Mermaid (2023) does not explicitly feature any identifiable LGBTQ+ characters or themes within its narrative. While the character of Ursula draws inspiration from drag culture, this is not an explicit portrayal of queer identity within the film itself, resulting in no direct LGBTQ+ representation.
The Little Mermaid (2023) does not feature any identifiable transsexual characters or themes. The story centers on a mermaid's transformation into a human, which is a species change, not a gender identity transition. Consequently, there is no portrayal of transsexual individuals or related themes to assess within the film.
The film does not depict any female characters engaging in or winning close-quarters physical combat against one or more male opponents. The primary antagonist, Ursula, uses magical abilities, and her defeat is achieved by a male character, Prince Eric.
Viewer Rating Breakdown
User Ratings
7.2
6.3
Critic Ratings
6.7
5.9
Who Made This
Actors
| Name | Role | Gender | Race | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Javier Bardem | Acting | Male | White |  Spain |
Jacob Tremblay | Acting | Male | White |  Canada |
Awkwafina | Acting | Female | Southeast Asian, East Asian |  United States |
Melissa McCarthy | Acting | Female | White | United States |
Jonah Hauer-King | Acting | Male | White |  United Kingdom |
Daveed Diggs | Acting | Male | White, Black | United States |
Jessica Alexander | Acting | Female | White | United Kingdom |
Halle Bailey | Acting | Female | Black | United States |
Noma Dumezweni | Acting | Female | Black |  Eswatini |
Actor Breakdown
Gender
Male
Female
44%
56%
Race
White
56%
Southeast Asian
11%
East Asian
11%
White
11%
Black
33%
Nationalities
Spain
11%
Canada
11%
United States
44%
United Kingdom
22%
Eswatini
11%
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