Much has been said about Disney’s live-action version of The Little Mermaid, and while some complaints are purely based on bigoted viewpoints, there are legitimate criticisms to be made. The one dominating conversations right now, though, is the film’s underwater CGI.

No, a film doesn’t have to be perfect to win over audiences, but when it comes to underwater scenes, nothing can compete with Avatar: The Way of Water. Despite having little in the way of lasting cultural impact, the Avatar sequel completely blew it out of the park with the perfectly balanced use of CGI in underwater scenes. This is a reason to celebrate, of course, but for armchair critics and general film enthusiasts, it’s impossible not to compare all new movies to the new standard set by James Cameron.

Naturally, The Little Mermaid cannot escape these comparisons, and so far, it seems to be taking a beating online.

This issue has been brought up before, with audiences predicting The Little Mermaid‘s doom in the CGI department just from its trailers. Of course, the infamous reveal of Flounder’s new look was enough to raise alarm bells in fans’ minds, but some were still holding out hope, wishing the film would pull through with vibrant underwater scenes.

Not all viewers are feeling defeated, though. Some people actually enjoyed The Little Mermaid‘s water-filled sequences, but even those can admit that Avatar simply does it better.

All that said, disappointment over lackluster CGI is no reason for The Little Mermaid‘s review bombing. At the end of the day, this is a children’s movie, and they sure seem to be enjoying it.

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