Once upon a time, Disney make bank by re-releasing their classic animated films to theaters every six to eight years so that a new generation of children could see them. Home video brought in more money, but ruined the first scheme. Still, the House of Mouse discovered a new way to get children into theaters, by remaking their own animated movies in "live-action" versions, which attracted both new viewers and children who already had the cartoon in their home library. The latest of these was The Little Mermaid, released in May and coming to Disney+ on September 6.
The Little Mermaid made tons of money in a hurry, $567.5 million globally to date. The welcome change from the 1989 version was setting the story in the Caribbean and casting Halle Berry, a young Black singer and actor, as Ariel. The drawback was making a hit movie that will just encourage Disney to keep on remaking their own films instead of coming up with new stories. According to Screen Junkies, Berry was the bright spot in the film, which was crucial because none of the other characters had much to add. It's all explained in this Honest Trailer. They also did a second reaction video, in which a fish critiques The Little Mermaid.