Today is the day the embargo lifted for reviews of Disney’s latest live-action remake “The Little Mermaid.” So far, the Rotten Tomatoes score has gone up as more reviews have been added, moving from 50% earlier today to its current score of 70%. So it’s listing as “Fresh.”

At the time of writing, there have been 74 reviews counted in that score. This is likely to change as more reviews come in, however, they are mixed so far. If you read them, the critical consensus seems to be that Halle Bailey is great but the rest of the movie is spotty.

However Rotten Tomatoes posts the consensus:

“With Halle Bailey making a major splash in the title role, Disney’s live-action Little Mermaid ranks among the studio’s most enjoyable reimaginings.”

Top Critics are set at 10-12, with “Rotten” being the higher number.

Here are some of the “Top Critic” reviews:

“Bailey gives a glowing performance of effortless starshine; her singing voice has both sweetness and power, and her smile is the sort on which dreams dance.“-Moira McDonald Seatle Times

“What’s on-screen too often feels like wan, second-rate imitation, and the few differences seem motivated less by a spirit of imagination than one of joyless anxiety.” – Justin Chang LA Times

“This Little Mermaid feels more or less like two-hour-plus cosplay with the texture and gravitas of a Disneyland sideshow.” -Greg Nussan Slant Magazine

“Despite real actors, CGI and brand new material, “Mermaid” is the studio’s latest flesh-and-blood cash grab that’s more lifeless than far better two-dimensional painted drawings.” – John Oleksinski New York Post

“A star-making turn from newcomer Halle Bailey and some poignant subtext about fathers and daughters elevates this latest Disney live-action remake.” – Kevin Maher – Times UK

“The Little Mermaid is arguably the best live-action Disney remake since Kenneth Branagh’s Cinderella. The splendor is there; the romance is crafted with care — but something’s still missing.” – Lyvie Scott Inverse

“Its most iconic moments are borrowed and copied wholesale, serving as little more than a reminder of simpler days watching clamshell VHS tapes released from the Disney Vault. Maybe that’s enough for some people. But maybe, like Ariel, we should want more.” – Leigh Monson AV Club

“As the studio has done with other live-action remakes, Disney betrays its own lack of imagination and an essential misreading of what made its original children’s fare such a joy to audiences in the first place.“- Angelica Jade Bastién New York Magazine/Vulture

“While not everything goes swimmingly, Halle Bailey splendidly buoys this “Mermaid” as the naive underwater youngster with dreams of exploring the surface.” – Brian Truitt USA Today

“With Halle Bailey, life under the sea is better than anything Disney live-action has done in nearly a decade.” – Maureen Lee Lenker Entertainment Weekly

“A ho-hum adaptation buoyed by a lovely lead turn.“-Lovia Gyarkye Hollywood Reporter

There are more. These are just some of the “top critic” reviews.

Now it is important to note that the “Audience Score” has yet to be released. It is completely possible that audiences will give the film a higher score. We’ve seen it with ‘Super Mario Bros.’ and other films. Audience scores can also be artificially influenced both upward or downward with fan effort. So take it all with a grain of salt.

What do you think? Comment and let us know!