Eric Deggans NPR Nov 23, 2019

The result was an experience that often felt like a ride at a Disney theme park - great for young fans, less so for more experienced eyes, even when star Auli'i Cravalho offered a note-perfect performance as the Little Mermaid herself, Ariel.

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Monique Jones Shadow and Act Nov 7, 2019

The characters needed room to grow as the story developed, and we didn't get that story development. Instead, the production seemed to rely on viewers having already seen the animated movie.

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Caroline Siede AV Club Nov 6, 2019 B-

This is a love letter to Disney fans, not an intro for new viewers. And, as such, it mostly works as a messy but charming hybrid event.

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Ben Travers and Steve Greene IndieWire Nov 6, 2019

What was live was good, what wasn't became diminished by expectations and comparisons - that's not an ideal blend.

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Matt Roush TV Insider Nov 6, 2019

I hate to be a crab about it, but ABC's hybrid 30th-anniversary presentation of The Little Mermaid-part movie, part gussied-up concert-felt more sink than swim.

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Hal Boedeker Orlando Sentinel Nov 6, 2019

Ultimately, "The Little Mermaid Live!" didn't work as a TV show but it may have succeeded as a tribute. It could send you back to watch the movie without the intrusions of commercials and live actors.

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Darren Franich Entertainment Weekly Nov 6, 2019 D

It felt like watching The Little Mermaid with regular interruptions for commercials and karaoke.

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Robyn Bahr The Hollywood Reporter Nov 6, 2019

Watching the show became an inevitable sine wave of delight and boredom.

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Noel Murray New York Times Nov 6, 2019

All of these performers handled the material well. The stunt casting of celebrities has sometimes been a drag on live TV musicals, but this cast could sing, and the animated characters handled most of the dialogue.

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Kelly Lawler USA Today Nov 6, 2019

It was a solid, full-throated effort by the actors and chorus members, but a spectacular failure of a live TV event that couldn't get past its own awkwardness.

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Daniel D'Addario Variety Nov 6, 2019

ABC's broadcast was a lovingly made reminder of "The Little Mermaid's" greatness that cleverly didn't seek to outshine its source material.

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