Look, this is the direct-to-video sequel nobody asked for. The original Little Mermaid is a legitimate classic; this is what happens when a studio sees dollar signs and churns out a sequel on a fraction of the budget.

The plot is literally the original in reverse: instead of a mermaid wanting to be human, we have a human wanting to be a mermaid. Melody is basically Ariel 2.0, and Morgana is Ursula-lite. The animation is noticeably cheaper, the songs are forgettable (you won't be humming these), and the 20% Rotten Tomatoes score tells you everything you need to know.

That said, it's harmless. If your 5-year-old is in a mermaid phase and has watched the original 47 times, this will buy you 75 minutes of peace. It's safe, it's inoffensive, and it won't rot their brain. But it also won't enrich their lives in any meaningful way. This is the definition of 'fine'—and in a world with thousands of viewing options, 'fine' just doesn't cut it anymore.

The real lesson here? Sometimes the original is enough. You don't need to watch every sequel just because it exists.