The promotional poster for Disney’s live-action film “The Little Mermaid” has sparked outrage among biologists due to significant scientific inaccuracies.
The film “The Little Mermaid” , produced by Disney, has faced mixed reactions from audiences, especially regarding the casting of actress Halle Bailey, a woman of color, in the role of Ariel. This character is traditionally depicted as a white girl with red hair in the animated film released in 1989.
Recently, the film has become a controversial topic again, with many netizens mocking it for its scientific errors.
In an effort to promote the live-action film “The Little Mermaid,” set to hit theaters at the end of May, Disney released the official poster. The poster features Halle Bailey as Ariel sitting in the center, surrounded by various sea creatures.
However, many biologists quickly identified issues with the poster.
According to Spark Chao, a marine biology Ph.D. currently working at the National Museum of Marine Science and Technology in Taiwan, the marine creatures depicted in the poster could not coexist, as they inhabit different oceans.
Notably, the poster also includes freshwater fish, which cannot survive in saltwater. This is basic scientific knowledge, yet it is unclear why the film crew made such a significant oversight.
Official poster of The Little Mermaid.
Spark Chao also noted that Sebastian the crab, Ariel’s friend, is depicted as a red land crab in the live-action version, while he was originally portrayed as a royal blue crab in the animated film. Importantly, land crabs live on land, not in the sea, making it impossible for Sebastian to be Ariel’s swimming companion.
Chao’s Facebook post quickly went viral, with many netizens ridiculing Disney for these unacceptable mistakes in an ocean-themed movie.
“It seems the Disney filmmakers forgot to consult with biologists while making this film. Or do they consider these details so minor that no one would notice?” commented a Facebook user.
Some believe that “The Little Mermaid” is a fantasy film adapted from a fairy tale, and therefore, real-world scientific knowledge should not apply. However, many have rebutted this view, arguing that the errors in the film’s poster reflect an unacceptable level of carelessness on the part of the production team.
Along with the poster, Disney also released the full trailer for “The Little Mermaid” on YouTube. Within just a few days, the video garnered over 8.5 million views, but it faced a “storm” of dislikes, with 90% of viewers expressing their discontent and only 10% liking it.
Ariel playing with a pufferfish in the trailer, although the pufferfish’s inflated appearance suggests it is scared rather than enjoying playtime with Ariel. (Image from the clip).
The reactions from the audience and netizens indicate that Disney’s significant deviations from the original story have left many feeling dissatisfied, especially since the animated film “The Little Mermaid,” released in 1989, was highly successful and tied to the childhoods of many. Numerous critics have accused Disney of ruining their childhood with this live-action adaptation of “The Little Mermaid.”
Trailer for The Little Mermaid.
