After last evening’s (May 8) premiere of the Little Mermaid remake at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles there were mixed reactions from critics about the film set to be released in theatres in the US on Friday, May 26.

The film which is an adaptation of the 1989 animated musical fantasy, The Little Mermaid stars American actress and singer Halle Bailey, English actor Jonah Hauer-King, American actor Daveed Diggs, American actress Nora Lum, Canadian actor Jacob Tremblay, British actress Noma Dumezweni, Spanish actor Javier Bardem and American actress Melissa McCarthy.

Little Mermaid is centered on the young and adventurous mermaid Ariel who makes a deal with the deceiving villain Ursula, a sea witch, to trade her voice for human legs to impress Prince Eric.

Some critiques praised Hailey Bailey for her acting skills and the infectious chemistry between her and Jonah Hauer-King who plays the role of Prince Eric.

In a tweet, one movie critic said that: “Little Mermaid is a live-action remake that retains the heart and soul of the story we know and love, and it’s elevated even further by a note-perfect star-making performance from Halle Bailey – she was born to be on the big screen, & she’s why this new take is worth watching.”

While another critic said that the film was charming but spotty noting that: “Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Melissa McCarthy & Javier Bardem put their heart & souls into a film that can’t escape its animated legacy, best when it leans into campy bonkers, yet limits its fantasy elements for no reason.”

Halle Bailey on the other hand said that she was honored to be in the position to represent people of colour on such as large scale.

“My hopes for this film are just for people to take away such love and joy and happiness when they leave and especially for all of the Black and brown little… boys and girls to be able to see themselves being represented on such a big scale,” she said in an interview with Reuters.