An Aquatic Tale of The Little Mermaid (2023)
The live-action remake brings adventure and shows viewers why representation is important in a Disney Princess movie.

For many years, Ulrich, the hereditary forester, and Steinbach, the landowner, were the best of friends. But one day, this friendship is put to a severe test: Driven by financial need, Steinbach wants to have the forest cleared, which Ulrich condemns as brutal exploitation of nature – and therefore refuses to grant permission for the project. To clear the way for his plan, Steinbach ensures that Ulrich is dismissed as forester. When, a few days later, the dam built by Steinbach is blown up and the floodwaters inundate Steinbach's sawmill, suspicion immediately falls on Ulrich. The hereditary forester is ostracized, threatened, and even fears for his life.
The live-action remake brings adventure and shows viewers why representation is important in a Disney Princess movie.
Throughout Brendan Fraser’s career, he has played a plethora of unique, layered characters who explore the importance of not being afraid to display your emotions, something that is often seen to not be a masculine trait. This idea of regulating emotion and what traits men are able to possess creates a toxic atmosphere for men who are often told they should not cry or represent their emotions in any physical way. These characters represent that men can be joyful, emotionally conscious, and sensitive, while also representing their masculine identity instead of painting those qualities as fighting against their masculinity.
Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 film "Pyscho" is an American film classic that still resonates today.
Where is Lilo's face? Disney marketing sends a chilling signal: that even in 2025, an alien is more palatable and marketable than a brown girl.
The “gay best friend”, an age-old trope, has been done in countless films and television series. Ranging from one-note (Sex and the City's Stanford and Mario) to nuanced (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's Tituss), the gay best friend exists to support and advise the main protagonist, with their conflicts swept to the side.
I understand that this would have been consistent with the language used by that generation, due to its role in the medical profession, however as someone who has family members with Down Syndrome I took it very personally.