I recently experienced The Little Mermaid: Second Screen Live at my local AMC Theatre. I was not quite sure what to expect but despite that, I can say it was not what I expected.
I have downloaded many of the Second Screen apps that sync with Disney home video releases. For the most part, these have left me wanting more. It is not truly a second screen experience as it was really just used to show concept art and factoids from the film. Often times, if you read all the info on the app, you would no longer be “in sync” with the movie. This did not matter, however, as the app did not really rely on what was being shown on the TV.
Second Screen Live was different. You played games and participated in activities that were directly related to the film. But perhaps I am getting ahead of myself. Let me set the stage. Before we went to the theater we downloaded the app from the App Store. We opened the app to find that it gave instructions on some settings to adjust to ensure everything goes smoothly. Being prepared, we went to the theater and got in our seats.
Following the typical ads, including one ironically for Microsoft’s Surface tablet, and trailers the main feature was about to begin. I should point out that the theater did omit the “no talking, or texting” video, which made some sense. Jodi Benson popped on screen from Legends Plaza to tell us about the settings and joining the Second Screen Wi-Fi network. I am glad we prepared in advance as this info came at you very quickly. With all the formalities out of the way, The Little Mermaid began.
It was quickly apparent that something was different. Sebastian and Flounder were talking over the opening of the film, discussing the games we should play. Ursula interrupts the two of them by stealing their voice. For the most part, after that, the instructions appeared “Pop-Up Video”-style on the bottom of the screen. At other times, the film would pause to play a game or additional animation was added. I did not expect this. I figured we would be watching the normal film with the app being the only thing that made this showing special.
We were quickly separated in to two teams. Team Flounder and Team Sebastian. There were a nice variety of games from trivia, puzzles, mazes, and more. During musical numbers our app also displayed lyrics so we could sing-a-long. Professor Owl would be proud. As the film progressed, the two teams were combined into Team Ariel in an effort to try and beat Team Ursula. After the film, the team and individual scores were displayed and we were given a plug for he upcoming Nightmare Before Christmas Second Screen Live experience.
I really enjoyed the experience, but it is not for everyone. To be clear, this is not a way to enhance viewing of The Little Mermaid. The film gets lost in all the game playing. This is definitely NOT the way to show the film to your children for the first time. It is, however a fun interactive experience that uses the film as a guide through game playing. It is more a theme park attraction than a cinematic experience. That is the key point… If you want a fun interactive experience then check out Second Screen Live. If you want to watch the animated classic, get the Blu-Ray.