The Mermaid
Shan, a mermaid, is sent to assassinate Xuan, a developer who threatens the ecosystem of her race, but ends up falling in love with him instead.
Despite a respectable budget of $60.7M, The Mermaid became a commercial juggernaut, earning $553.8M worldwide—a remarkable 812% return.
8 wins & 13 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Liu Xuan celebrates his purchase of the Green Gulf wildlife reserve, demonstrating his wealth and disregard for environmental concerns as he plans a massive development project.. Significantly, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 11 minutes when The mermaid elders decide Shan must infiltrate the human world and assassinate Liu Xuan to save their dying colony. This disrupts both worlds - the mermaids' isolation and eventually Liu Xuan's comfortable existence.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 24 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Liu Xuan becomes genuinely interested in the mysterious Shan and pursues her romantically despite Ruolan's objections. He chooses to seek her out, crossing from pure business mode into emotional vulnerability., moving from reaction to action.
At 47 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Structural examination shows that this crucial beat Liu Xuan discovers Shan is a mermaid but instead of being horrified, he's fascinated and his feelings deepen. False victory - he believes love has conquered all obstacles, unaware of the coming threats from both his business world and hers., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 71 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Ruolan's mercenaries attack the mermaid sanctuary in a brutal massacre. Shan is gravely wounded protecting her people. The violence is shocking - mermaids are slaughtered, and it appears Shan may die along with her entire species., reveals the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 75 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Liu Xuan makes his choice: he turns against Ruolan, stops the development project, and commits to saving Shan and the remaining mermaids. He synthesizes his business power with his newfound love and environmental conscience., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Mermaid's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping The Mermaid against these established plot points, we can identify how Stephen Chow utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The Mermaid within the comedy genre.
Stephen Chow's Structural Approach
Among the 3 Stephen Chow films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.8, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. The Mermaid exemplifies the director's characteristic narrative technique. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Stephen Chow filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Bad Guys, Ella Enchanted and The Evening Star. For more Stephen Chow analyses, see CJ7, Shaolin Soccer.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Liu Xuan celebrates his purchase of the Green Gulf wildlife reserve, demonstrating his wealth and disregard for environmental concerns as he plans a massive development project.
Theme
Octopus warns Shan about humans: "They don't care about life, only money." This establishes the film's central question about whether profit matters more than preserving life and nature.
Worldbuilding
The mermaid colony's sanctuary is revealed to be threatened by Liu Xuan's sonar devices that drive away sea life. The mermaids suffer injuries and losses. Liu Xuan's ruthless business world is established alongside his partnership with Ruolan.
Disruption
The mermaid elders decide Shan must infiltrate the human world and assassinate Liu Xuan to save their dying colony. This disrupts both worlds - the mermaids' isolation and eventually Liu Xuan's comfortable existence.
Resistance
Shan trains to walk on legs and learns human customs with Octopus as her guide. She infiltrates Liu Xuan's party and makes contact with him. Multiple comedic assassination attempts fail as Shan struggles with her mission.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Liu Xuan becomes genuinely interested in the mysterious Shan and pursues her romantically despite Ruolan's objections. He chooses to seek her out, crossing from pure business mode into emotional vulnerability.
Mirror World
Shan and Liu Xuan share their first genuine date. She represents everything he's lost touch with - simplicity, nature, authentic connection. Their relationship becomes the vehicle for his potential transformation.
Premise
The comedic romance blossoms as Shan continues failing at assassination while falling for Liu Xuan. Slapstick sequences with Octopus, romantic dates, and the absurdity of a mermaid-human relationship deliver the film's promised fun.
Midpoint
Liu Xuan discovers Shan is a mermaid but instead of being horrified, he's fascinated and his feelings deepen. False victory - he believes love has conquered all obstacles, unaware of the coming threats from both his business world and hers.
Opposition
Ruolan discovers the mermaids' existence and sees them as threats to eliminate. The mermaid colony grows more desperate and suspicious of Shan's loyalty. Liu Xuan is caught between his business empire and his love for Shan.
Collapse
Ruolan's mercenaries attack the mermaid sanctuary in a brutal massacre. Shan is gravely wounded protecting her people. The violence is shocking - mermaids are slaughtered, and it appears Shan may die along with her entire species.
Crisis
Liu Xuan witnesses the devastation his business indirectly caused. He holds the dying Shan, confronting the ultimate cost of his greed. Everything he built means nothing if it destroys what he loves.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Liu Xuan makes his choice: he turns against Ruolan, stops the development project, and commits to saving Shan and the remaining mermaids. He synthesizes his business power with his newfound love and environmental conscience.
Synthesis
Liu Xuan uses his resources to rescue the mermaids and stop the sonar pollution. Ruolan is defeated. He transforms Green Gulf into a protected sanctuary rather than a development site, proving real wealth is preserving life.
Transformation
Shan recovers and the mermaids thrive in their protected waters. Liu Xuan, once a ruthless tycoon who saw only profit in nature, now stands as its guardian. He and Shan swim together - human and mermaid united in a healed world.