The Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid (G)

Grade: A-

• Directed by: Ron Clements and John Musker
• Produced by: John Musker and Howard Ashman
• Screenplay by: Ron Clements and John Musker.  Based on the novel, "The Little Mermaid" by Hans Christian Andersen
• Starring: Jodi Benson (Ariel), Christopher Daniel Barnes (Prince Eric), Pat Carroll (Ursula), Samuel E. Wright (Sebastian), Jason Marin (Flounder), Kenneth Mars (King Triton), Buddy Hackett (Scuttle), Rene Auberjonois (Louis, The Chef)
• Music: Alan Menken
• Studio: Walt Disney Pictures, Silver Screen Partners IV
• Distributed by: Buena Vista Pictures
• Released: November 14, 1989
• Running Time: 82 minutes/1 hour and 22 minutes
• Language: English, French 

"If only I could make him understand.  I just don't see things the way he does.  I just don't see how a world that makes such beautiful things could be bad."

-Ariel

Renaissance is a word that doesn't resonate much when I first hear it.  Hearing it, I think of art or the Harlem Renaissance, but when I hear Disney Renaissance, it's hard not to think of something because they're the films I grew up on (the way the original Disney films were for the adults before me). The Disney Renaissance, for those of you who don't know, is a time period from the late 1980s to early 2000s when Disney films returned to success by basing films on well-know stories, restoring interest in the genre.  Everyone I know has their own favorite film from this era, but no matter which one we think is our favorite, we all have to agree that "The Little Mermaid" started it all.  As a child, I couldn't stand the film because I hated Ariel, and it seemed too girly, but after revisiting it, I have to say the film pretty much delivers on all accounts if you're a Disney fan.

Like I said before about the Disney Renaissance, they're based on stories we've all heard before.  Even though that's the case, I'll still describe the "The Little Mermaid", which is about a 16 year old girl named Ariel.  She's the princess of King Triton and can have everything she wants, but is dissatisfied with underwater life, and wants to explore the human world.  She goes with her friend Flounder to the surface daily, but when the king and his adviser Sebastian find out, chaos ensues and he has a fit.  After that, Ariel has had enough of her father's rule, so she makes a deal with the Ursula, the sea witch, to become human for 3 days to win the love of a neighboring prince.  But the deal comes at a terrible price for Ariel, and if she doesn't succeed, she stands to lose what everyone loves about her most.

"The Little Mermaid" came out in 1989 so many years ago, but seems so fresh now.  The animation is fresh and vivid, even compared by today's Disney standards, and the characters come to life off the screen.  I liked the Sebastian character because he seemed to have a voice of reason, even though he was indecisive.  But the real star of the film is Jodi Benson, of course, who plays Ariel.  Usually when Disney casts a person to do the voice of a main character, they just do the main voice, and not the singing voice, but I loved the fact Benson got to do both because it helps the audience connect with her more.  Her voice has all of Ariel's desire and innocence in it, which is why "Part Of You World" is one of my favorite Disney songs.

With this film, comes a few flaws I have.  One being no fault of it's own, which is that it's too short.  I wouldn't mind that usually, but since I was so invested in the film, I wish it had been a little longer.  Another thing I couldn't stand was the villain Ursula (a complaint I have with many Disney films).  She's a worthy adversary to Ariel, and tries so hard to get what she wants from her, yet when she is eventually beaten, the way it's done is so quick and unsatisfying.  She's a sea witch, but goes down that easily?!  C'mon!  It seems very hard to believe.  Also, even though I love "Part Of Your World", I didn't really like any other songs from this film.

All in all, "The Little Mermaid" is quality entertainment if you're a Disney fan or just a fan of good films.  That may seem hard to believe for some, but even adults like it (It was on Gene Siskel's Top 10 for 1989).  Like a lot of Disney films, you'll like this film depending on your taste, but I think this film is worth seeing for the sole fact that it accurately represents a way we've all felt before in real life; that desire to grow up and be accepted in the world, which isn't easy, yet "The Little Mermaid" shows these things effortlessly.  It's not my favorite Disney film, but after watching this, it's not hard to see why this is one of the the film's that helped jump-start Disney in the 1990s.