''Something out of SpongeBob'': The Little Mermaid trailer draws heavy criticism from fans

The Little Mermaid has dropped a new 30-second teaser trailer, and fans on Twitter have a lot to say about it. Unfortunately, this largely includes criticisms levied against what the movie appears to promise. Netizens have drawn heavy comparisons between the movie and another recent record-breaking film, criticizing the former's visuals.

The official synopsis of The Little Mermaid reads:

“The Little Mermaid” is the beloved story of Ariel, a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. 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."

It continues,

"While mermaids are forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel must follow her heart. She 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."

Despite millions having anticipated the movie for months, the teaser trailer drew heavy backlash for various reasons, with one fan saying that it looked more like a video from Spongebob Squarepants.

A fan's reaction to The Little Mermaid's new teaser trailer (Image via Twitter/Sportskeeda)

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Netizens say that The Little Mermaid looks lackluster, compare it to Avatar: The Way of Water

Avatar: The Way of Water, is currently the fourth highest-grossing movie of all time and has been praised for its stunning visuals and excellent CGI. The movie looks quite realistic, and this has even secured for it a 2023 Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects. The film has managed to set very high standards, making The Little Mermaid an unfortunate victim of comparison.

Many fans have pointed out the difference between the VFX of the two movies, while others commented on how it does not live up to viewer expectations. Check out some fans reactions below:

Fan reactions (Image via Twitter/Sportskeeda)

Fan reactions (Image via Twitter/Sportskeeda)

Fans are saying that the upcoming movie looks dull and soulless and compared it to the desaturated Marvel movies released in the mid-2010s. Back then, Marvel was infamous for their terrible color palettes in their films. In fact, some fans feel that it looked worse than the CGI in the 2019 Sonic movie.

Netizens further compared the upcoming movie to the CGI of Avatar: The Way of Water, noting how the upcoming Disney movie is not even close to the former. Many claimed that the production team didn't even understand the point of making a live-action movie instead of an animated one, while others joked that James Cameron will likely be disappointed by this trailer.

Fans are also hoping that the trailer does not reflect what to expect from the final product.

Fan reactions (Image via Twitter/Sportskeeda)

Moreover, one fan blatantly said that the inspiration for the film's color palette was taken from sewage and cinder blocks and preferred to stick to the original 1989 animated movie. After watching Avatar, they wished that the visual wasn't this dark and weren't too impressed with the teaser.

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The Little Mermaid cast and crew details

The Little Mermaid stars Halle Bailey as Ariel in the lead. The film also sees notable actors in important roles, such as Jonah Hauer-King as Eric, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Noma Demezweni as Queen Selina, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, Art Malik as Grimsby, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, and Awkwafina as Scuttle.

The film is directed by Rob Marshall and is based on a screenplay by David Magee and Jane Goldman. Rob Marshall, John DeLuca, Marc Platt, and Lin-Manuel Miranda are the official producers of the movie.

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The film is scheduled to be released theatrically in the United States on May 26, 2023.