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Today, Disney’s The Little Mermaid is seen as a beloved classic—the film that ushered Disney into a shining new era of animation. But, to me, it will always be the movie that inspired me as a kid—the one that made a teenaged me laugh and sing, that made me fall in love and dream of exploring a world outside my little hometown. To me, it will always be one of my favorite films.
Based on the classic tale by Hans Christian Andersen, The Little Mermaid tells the story of Ariel (voiced by Jodi Benson), a headstrong young mermaid who’s fascinated with everything that the human world has to offer—much to the dismay of her father, King Triton (Kenneth Mars).
When Ariel rescues a human prince named Eric (Christopher Daniel Barnes) from a shipwreck, she instantly falls in love with him. She makes a deal with Ursula the Sea Witch (Pat Carroll) to become human, but there’s a catch: Ursula takes away her beautiful voice and gives her just three days to win Eric’s heart. If she succeeds, she’ll remain human forever. If she fails, she’ll have to suffer the consequences.
In 1989, The Little Mermaid was unlike anything that audiences had seen in decades. This magical, musical adventure was Disney’s first fairy tale since 1959’s Sleeping Beauty. It was playful and adventurous and irresistibly romantic—and that made it easy for audiences of all ages to fall madly in love with the characters and the story and the infectious sing-along songs.
Now, nearly 25 years later, The Little Mermaid is still a magical film. The playful musical numbers—from the island tunes performed by Samuel E. Wright’s Sebastian to Ursula’s theatrical, over-the-top number—are as infectious as they are unforgettable. And even if it’s been years since you last heard “Under the Sea” or “Les Poissons,” there’s a pretty good chance that you’ll still remember the lyrics.
The animation, too, is just as beautiful now as it was all those years ago. In fact, it might seem even more beautiful today. In recent years, we’ve become so accustomed to the eerie perfection of computer animation that the watercolor backdrops and artistic nature of the film’s hand-drawn animation gives it more personality—which is made even brighter and more vibrant by the film’s new HD restoration.
Still, it’s the characters that truly make the film—like hopeful, headstrong Ariel to her adorable sidekicks, Flounder the fish (Jason Marin) and Sebastian the uptight crab. There’s just something about this stubborn, naive teenager that you can’t help but love. And while Ursula makes a menacing villain, the creepiness of the sea witch is perfectly balanced by the comic relief provided by Flounder and Sebastian and some of the other supporting characters.
Of course, now that I’m 25 years older—and I have a daughter of my own—I have a different perspective on the film and its headstrong heroine. But the romance and adventure of the story is still as magical to the grown-up me as it was years ago, to the teenaged me. And I can’t wait to share this Disney classic with my own headstrong little princess.
Blu-ray Review:
Thanks to the additional storage space available on Blu-ray discs, Disney’s Diamond Edition Blu-ray release of The Little Mermaid is loaded with extras. In addition to the commentaries, deleted scenes, making-of features, and more found on the film’s original DVD release, you’ll also find a number of new features—like @DisneyAnimation, which goes behind the scenes at the legendary animation studios with some of Disney’s directors and animators. Another making-of feature, Under the Scene, discusses the art of live-action reference, showing some of the video used to inspire the animation of The Little Mermaid.
Other extras include Part of Her World, which follows Jodi Benson, the voice of Ariel, and her kids on a tour of Disney World’s new Fantasyland. Directors Ron Clements and John Musker introduce fans to Harold the Merman, a deleted character. And fans of the film’s memorable music will love both the Crab-e-oke feature—which allows you to sing along with your favorite songs—and Harold’s Lecture, which shows video footage of a lecture that legendary lyricist Harold Ashman gave to Disney’s animators during the film’s production.
There are so many special features included on this must-have release that watching them could fill a long, rainy day. But if you’ve got time for just a couple of extras, don’t miss out on the animation insights found in @DisneyAnimation and Under the Scene.
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