The Little Mermaid (1989)

The Little Mermaid (1989)

8/10

Starring the voice of

René Auberjonois

Christopher Daniel Barnes

Jodi Benson

Pat Carroll

Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker

The Little Mermaid is the 28th Disney animated feature film, and this animated musical fantasy film is credited as the film that brought Disney animation back to the limelight.

The plot is based on Hans Christian Andersen fairytale, “The Little Mermaid.” The book was about a young mermaid who is willing to give up her life in the sea and her identity as a mermaid to gain a human soul.

Disney took the tale from the book and turned it all around.

Disney’s plot introduces the lead, Ariel who is madly in love with life in the human world and goes exploring to find human artifacts to keep in her storage. She goes on this exploration with her best friend Flounder (who is a fish). When Ariel and Flounder find something new they swim to the surface to meet Scuttle a seagull who tells them the name and use of the items they find. Scuttle who knows nothing about human life makes up the name and use of the items shown to him.

Watching over Ariel is Sebastian a crab, who is rigid and always trying his best to keep Ariel safe.

One night while watching a celebration upon a ship, a wave hit the ship causing it to flip over. Ariel saves the human Eric, whom she fancied when watching the celebration. After saving him, she runs back into the sea leaving Eric with only a memory of her voice.

Now hell bent to get to meet him again, Ariel desire gets her in the clutches of the sea witch Ursula. Ursula who has plans of her own on how to use Ariel to get her father to part with rulership Atlantica (Ariel’s father King Triton, presently rules Atlantica).

Ursula used her magic to make Ariel human, but at a cost. Ariel will be human for three days and in exchange Ariel will have to part with her voice. This means Ariel will not be able to speak or sing, and within those three days she must receive the "kiss of true love" from Eric or her entire being will belong to Ursula.

The movie from there on is all Ariel’s friends (including the grumpy Sebastian) try their best to get Eric to fall for Ariel and kiss her, while Ursula is working behind the scene to make sure this does not happen.

It won many numerous awards for the movie’s soundtrack, especially that memorable scene when Sebastian sang under the Sea (which won two Academy Awards for Best Original Score and Best Song). The Little Mermaid’s soundtrack album was a hit, selling out in millions.

Now there is more to this movie than just the music, The Little Mermaid was a critical and commercial success. This romantic fantasy movie marked the start of the era known as the Disney Renaissance and it has further been developed into a Broadway and a live-action adaptation is in the works.