Cute teenage girls and mermaids: what more could you ask?

Aquamarine didn't spend long in cinemas last year, and like most of the world I didn't go to see it then. Sky Premiere filled that gap this afternoon; if I was 20 years younger and female I'd most likely have loved it, but I still liked it. Basically Splash for the Hannah Montana generation though not in the same league as that or The Little Mermaid, it has soon-to-be-separated BFFs Joanna "Jojo" Levesque and Emma Roberts spending their last summer together in Tampa before Joanna's family moves to Australia (even though the movie was shot there with a predominantly Australian cast and crew), and neither wanting to break up the act. One dramatic wish later and a perky blonde mermaid washes into the beach resort's swimming pool, and cue life lessons and friendship... except that it's less unsubtly painful and more emotionally honest than expected, and while the effects work could've been better (along with the American accents adopted by some of the Australian actors, especially Shaun Micallef - though to be fair, US thespian Sara Paxton as the mermaid isn't as appealing as Daryl Hannah or the girls from H2O: Just Add Water), it's harmless and quite funny and easy to watch, with endearing characters and a good heart. Not too bad, though it's strange how Jojo is the only one of the three leads who doesn't sing on the soundtrack.