This is a cute story. It was beautiful in terms of the cinematography. Unfortunately, the pacing was exceptionally slow and awkward. Only the little boy seemed to behave and speak normally throughout the film, although some of his lines were a bit adult for his age. The tension between the hunters and the hunted seemed exaggerated. There was little understanding or compassion on either side except between the children. This could have been MUCH better, especially for a fantasy film. We liked the concepts about how the mermaids live and communicate with one another, particularly their unique songs, but a lot of story lines were left underdeveloped, which made the actions of the actors appear arbitrary, The star appeal attracted us originally, but their acting prowess never really materialized on screen. Finally, was no one else upset by the ethical issues presented by the actions of the mermaid girl at the end? This shocked us to our core. I hold the director accountable for the flaws of this cute little film. It could have been so much better in the hands of more experienced, knowledgeable leadership.