The Mermaid

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1:10

The Mermaid

R

2016

1h 33m

Comedy

Fantasy

Action

Adventure

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

95%

Tomatometer

40 Reviews

60%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

A beautiful mermaid (Jelly Lin) falls for a developer (Deng Chao) who threatens the ecosystem of her species.

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Critics Consensus

The Mermaid requires a willingness to embrace the strange, but backs up its wacky flights of fancy with a big-hearted fairy tale and a resonant message.

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Jesse Hassenger

AV Club

Sep 14, 2018

B

Arguably Chow's most accessible movie since Hustle.

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Chuck Bowen

Slant Magazine

Jul 5, 2016

2.5/4

It offers a visual reprieve from the cumbersomely mechanized aesthetic of so much contemporary fantasy.

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Michael Nordine

Village Voice

Feb 26, 2016

You've already seen most of what Chow and his seven(!) co-screenwriters have crafted, and you've usually seen it with greater coherence and more impressive CGI.

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Jamie Healy

Radio Times

Jul 31, 2024

3/5

This is a short, sweet and charmingly strange story populated by all manner of colourful characters, two-legged and otherwise.

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Josh Slater-Williams

Vague Visages

Nov 13, 2023

Chow’s comedies, though, are alive in every frame. His key stars are all wonderful, but he uses the technology at his disposal to enhance and maximise the full comedic potential of everything...

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Leigh Paatsch

Herald Sun (Australia)

Apr 29, 2020

3/5

A little wacky, a little off-kilter in its world view, and deceptively clever throughout. As has been the case for many of the best-known works of director Steven Chow.

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Mar 26, 2026

The worldwide gross is $553,810,228.00.

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An V

@ilikeeatingflans Mar 2, 2026

Can't believe I have to say this but this movie cracked me up again and my friends love it (with buckets of tears). Definitely a gem

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Anjum K

@RT90179324 Nov 30, 2024

It was unconventional, witty & funny although a bit bromide, but unconventionality and intelligent wit does make it an original piece.

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Mar 10, 2022

Movie is quite good, story is awesome, comedy, heart touching as well as helpful and informative. Definitely five out of five.

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Jan 1, 2022

De tão bizarro e exageradamente cômico (pelo menos tenta ser) pode ser que se torne bom, para alguém, eu não consegui vencer, perdi o interesse nos minutos iniciais, não o recuperei, e deixei rolar ao léu…

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Feb 19, 2021

There wasn't a single box on my list this movie didn't check.

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Stephen Chow

Director

Chao Deng

Liu Xuan

Lin Yun

Shan

Yuqi Zhang

Ruolan

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Si Ye

Kris Wu

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Synopsis

A beautiful mermaid (Jelly Lin) falls for a developer (Deng Chao) who threatens the ecosystem of her species.

Director: Stephen Chow
Screenwriter: Chan Hing-Kai, Stephen Chow, Chi Keung Fung
Distributor: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Production Co: Bingo Movie Development
Rating: R (Some Violence)
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Original Language: Chinese
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 19, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 25, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $3.2M
Runtime: 1h 33m
Sound Mix: Dolby Atmos

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