film a bit better as Disney likes to makes sure the films are family friendly not discriminating Disney that is why I gave it a high star rating.

from there if it's something your particular child would be up to watching. However, I could be overreacting, because it's no more scary than the Wizard of OZ. *** on a more personal note.... Some of the other reviewers said that the acting was bad. I have to disagree with that completely.I really liked the movie. Enjoyed seeing Shirley MacLaine in her Cameo part. Especially at the ending.We are all entitled to our opinions... But I think the movie deserves more credit than it has received. I thought the acting was pretty good, the cast seemed to work together quite well. You would never guess that it was a lower budget film. The wardrobe, scenery and props, etc... were superb.The character "Cam" played by William Moseley reminded my of "John-Boy" on the Waltons TV show, which was played by Richard Thomas. They were both writers, dressed alike and even had a similar look and mannerisms about them.** Well overall I personally found the movie to be an "8" out of 10. Was it an adult movie? Geared a little more towards the older person, yes. But it also has NO foul language and NO inappropriate actions or innuendos. So it is completely safe for a young child to watch.. other than the little bit of scary parts. Which isn't really that scary. * As I said earlier, I read a bunch of reviews before watching. For me the bad reviews only made me more curious to form my own opinions. So my advice is to not pay any mind to those awful reviews. Especially if you are a real movie buff, such as myself. Gather your own opinions. Watch and enjoy!

fresh take on a classic tale!Aside from some ambiance and backgrounds, there wasn't alot of CGI, really, and what there was looked decently realstic. I mean, c'mon, fish scales and fins, like hair, are challenging! Plus, the magical elements had the fantasy look they should. "Magic" has many forms, so who are we to say what magic doesn't look like? The last clip in the ending itself could've been longer, barely enough time to notice what was in the water. Perhaps the worst thing I could say about this is that as for poor acting, the only character that was unbelievable was Locke and his goons trying too hard to be evil. But their acting is not worth docking an entire 7 points, as another reviewer implied. After all, there are 6+ OTHER characters who did a wonderful job. On the positive side: Visually, the lighting moonlight had a very ethereal, yet underwater look most of the time. The song Poppy Drayton sang was amazing! Despite what other reviewers think, it makes sense for her song to be there. If there is going to be comparison to the story were used to, then some version of Disney Ariel's call/song should be in this movie.All critiquing aside, this movie is a great rendition in its own right. Provided you keep an open mind rather than a critical one, you can see this for the unique adventure story it is rather than comparing it to the "traditional" story. It walso refreshing to see a movie sans explosions, swearing, inuendos, or lack of appropriate covering!