Aquamarine

Best friends Hailey and Claire think that hunky lifeguard Raymond is the most exciting thing to happen on their Florida beach – until mermaid Aquamarine (Sara Paxton) splashes into their lives. Like many tweenie protagonists before them, the young teenagers find their lives enriched by their secret and become empowered by proxy. While Aqua can teach them a thing or two about confidence, the girls can school her in the ways of love – but not necessarily the boy-girl romance she desires. As a sweet little message-driven story about female friendship, this girly comedy (based on Alice Hoffman’s novel) has some appeal. Unfortunately, the performances are often clunky and the art direction and CG are wanting, so anyone over the age of eight is likely to find it cheap around the edges. One for very little mermaids.