The Little Mermaid Review: 5 Ups & 5 Downs
2. Eric's More Nuanced Characterisation
Though many of the creative additions to the remake don't actually add much of interest at all, Oscar nominee David Magee's script does at least bring some worthwhile extra dimension to the character of Eric.
In the animated film Eric felt less like a person than he did a prop - a symbol of what Ariel wanted to achieve - but in this remake he's given substantially more shade, and mostly for the better.
Here Eric is reimagined as a young man ambivalent about his own station as the heir to an unnamed Mediterranean kingdom, who clashes with his mother, the Queen, over his desire to open channels of communication with the outside world.
It's an improvement for sure, and in turn actually makes his whirlwind romance with Ariel feel more believable. It's a shame the rest of the film isn't up to this level of shrewd reinvention, though.