The movie that gave voice to a generation is as dazzling as ever.
The 1980s were a rocky time for the Walt Disney Animation Studios. A string of failures and very minor successes like The Black Cauldron, The Great Mouse Detective and Oliver and Company made the condition of feature-length animation at Disney look rather bleak. Costs were escalating and returns diminishing, and feature animation at Disney was close to being shut down, but a risk in the form of a princess fairytale, The Little Mermaid, paid off. Disney returned to relevance with the very formula that made the company what it is - the animated musical fairytale.
The Little Mermaid reignited interest in Disney animation all over again. The decade-long period from 1989 to 1999 is now retrospectively looked at as the Disney Renaissance, the start of which is attributed to The Little Mermaid.
Based on the Hans Christian Anderson story (with all the dark bits thankfully removed), and expertly directed by legendary Disney duo John Musker and Ron Clements (the first in a long list of collaborations, the most recent being 2009's The Princess and the Frog), Disney's Mermaid tells the story of Ariel, a sixteen-year old mermaid princess who is obsessed with everything out of the sea - including a human prince of the kingdom on the shore. Defying her father's rules and desperate to be with the prince, Ariel strikes a bargain with the sea witch Ursula, trading her voice for a pair of legs. But does Ariel have what it takes to make the prince fall in love with her before it's too late?
The Little Mermaid is a masterwork of storytelling and animation. The story is well laid out, perfectly paced and brilliantly executed. It doesn't tend to drag or resort to gags to keep little kids happy (with the exception of maybe one short scene). Characters are wonderfully drawn, relatable and real. Ariel is the typical rebellious teenager, something we all can relate to. Her relationship with Triton, her father, is the core of the story, another great element that plays to the viewer's sentiments. The movie's villain, Ursula, is one of Disney's most memorable; scary, devious and scheming all at once. The film's cast of supporting characters, Sebastian the crab, Flounder the fish and Scuttle the seagull all add to the film in their own way, without taking the spotlight upon them too long. The movie doesn't fail to pack an emotional punch as well, with the father-daughter relationship played out in full.
Credit must be given to the stellar voice cast which not only brings the characters to life, but grants them immortality. Jodi Benson (in her most famous role to date), voices Ariel, injecting the character with plenty of teenage angst and longing (not to mention the first time a Disney Princess ever said "Oh my gosh!"). Benson couldn't be more perfect for the role, as is evident in her stirring rendition of Part of Your World. If only Ariel got to sing more than one song in the movie! More vocal standouts are Pat Carroll as Ursula and Samuel E. Wright as Sebastian the crab.
The movie's animation is dazzling, and truly a wonder to behold. The Little Mermaid was the first Disney movie to incorporate CGI animation, as is evident is a few scenes involving ships and a staircase. The movie features literally thousands of hand drawn bubbles, a real feat for the time. Some of the movie's most iconic moments, Ariel singing on a rock, then later splashing upwards to the surface of the sea, are gorgeously animated.
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The real highlight of the movie, however is the music. The Little Mermaid was the Disney movie which introduced the world to the duo of lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken, responsible for many of Disney's most beloved songs of the 1990s. Little wonder, the Broadway-influenced songs of The Little Mermaid are one showstopper after the other. Nearly every single song of the movie - Part of Your World, Under the Sea, Poor Unfortunate Souls, Kiss the Girl - are rightful Disney classics today. They're witty, catchy and incredibly well- crafted. Of course, it's worth mentioning that this was the Disney movie that kickstarted Disney's 90s streak of winning Best Original Song and Best Original Score at the Oscars nearly every year.
The Little Mermaid put "Disney" back into public consciousness, much like Cinderella did about forty years earlier. The result was a renewed interest in the Disney Animation Studios, and the emergence of the modern corporate Disney, with millions of Little Mermaid home video sales, dolls, toys and everything else. Succeeding Disney animated films like Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King (joining Mermaid to become the "Big Four") were box office smash-hits and Oscar babies.
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The Little Mermaid still stands as one of Disney's most endearing, beloved animated films.Nearly twenty five years old, the film continues to sparkle as one of Disney's best, and one that revived not only the Disney name, but animation in general.
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RATING: ★★★★★
Disney's The Little Mermaid is now available for the first time on Blu-ray as part of Disney's prestigious Diamond Collection. Buy it now from Amazon (US). Visit the official The Little Mermaid site here.
More Disney Movie Reviews you might like: *Frozen
*Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
*Cinderella
*The Lion King
*Mulan
*Tangled
The 1980s were a rocky time for the Walt Disney Animation Studios. A string of failures and very minor successes like The Black Cauldron, The Great Mouse Detective and Oliver and Company made the condition of feature-length animation at Disney look rather bleak. Costs were escalating and returns diminishing, and feature animation at Disney was close to being shut down, but a risk in the form of a princess fairytale, The Little Mermaid, paid off. Disney returned to relevance with the very formula that made the company what it is - the animated musical fairytale.The Little Mermaid reignited interest in Disney animation all over again. The decade-long period from 1989 to 1999 is now retrospectively looked at as the Disney Renaissance, the start of which is attributed to The Little Mermaid.
Based on the Hans Christian Anderson story (with all the dark bits thankfully removed), and expertly directed by legendary Disney duo John Musker and Ron Clements (the first in a long list of collaborations, the most recent being 2009's The Princess and the Frog), Disney's Mermaid tells the story of Ariel, a sixteen-year old mermaid princess who is obsessed with everything out of the sea - including a human prince of the kingdom on the shore. Defying her father's rules and desperate to be with the prince, Ariel strikes a bargain with the sea witch Ursula, trading her voice for a pair of legs. But does Ariel have what it takes to make the prince fall in love with her before it's too late?
The Little Mermaid is a masterwork of storytelling and animation. The story is well laid out, perfectly paced and brilliantly executed. It doesn't tend to drag or resort to gags to keep little kids happy (with the exception of maybe one short scene). Characters are wonderfully drawn, relatable and real. Ariel is the typical rebellious teenager, something we all can relate to. Her relationship with Triton, her father, is the core of the story, another great element that plays to the viewer's sentiments. The movie's villain, Ursula, is one of Disney's most memorable; scary, devious and scheming all at once. The film's cast of supporting characters, Sebastian the crab, Flounder the fish and Scuttle the seagull all add to the film in their own way, without taking the spotlight upon them too long. The movie doesn't fail to pack an emotional punch as well, with the father-daughter relationship played out in full.
Credit must be given to the stellar voice cast which not only brings the characters to life, but grants them immortality. Jodi Benson (in her most famous role to date), voices Ariel, injecting the character with plenty of teenage angst and longing (not to mention the first time a Disney Princess ever said "Oh my gosh!"). Benson couldn't be more perfect for the role, as is evident in her stirring rendition of Part of Your World. If only Ariel got to sing more than one song in the movie! More vocal standouts are Pat Carroll as Ursula and Samuel E. Wright as Sebastian the crab.
The movie's animation is dazzling, and truly a wonder to behold. The Little Mermaid was the first Disney movie to incorporate CGI animation, as is evident is a few scenes involving ships and a staircase. The movie features literally thousands of hand drawn bubbles, a real feat for the time. Some of the movie's most iconic moments, Ariel singing on a rock, then later splashing upwards to the surface of the sea, are gorgeously animated.
.png)
The real highlight of the movie, however is the music. The Little Mermaid was the Disney movie which introduced the world to the duo of lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken, responsible for many of Disney's most beloved songs of the 1990s. Little wonder, the Broadway-influenced songs of The Little Mermaid are one showstopper after the other. Nearly every single song of the movie - Part of Your World, Under the Sea, Poor Unfortunate Souls, Kiss the Girl - are rightful Disney classics today. They're witty, catchy and incredibly well- crafted. Of course, it's worth mentioning that this was the Disney movie that kickstarted Disney's 90s streak of winning Best Original Song and Best Original Score at the Oscars nearly every year.
The Little Mermaid put "Disney" back into public consciousness, much like Cinderella did about forty years earlier. The result was a renewed interest in the Disney Animation Studios, and the emergence of the modern corporate Disney, with millions of Little Mermaid home video sales, dolls, toys and everything else. Succeeding Disney animated films like Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King (joining Mermaid to become the "Big Four") were box office smash-hits and Oscar babies.
.png)
The Little Mermaid still stands as one of Disney's most endearing, beloved animated films.Nearly twenty five years old, the film continues to sparkle as one of Disney's best, and one that revived not only the Disney name, but animation in general.
.png)
RATING: ★★★★★
Disney's The Little Mermaid is now available for the first time on Blu-ray as part of Disney's prestigious Diamond Collection. Buy it now from Amazon (US). Visit the official The Little Mermaid site here.
More Disney Movie Reviews you might like: *Frozen
*Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
*Cinderella
*The Lion King
*Mulan
*Tangled