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The Little Mermaid
- Color
- Closed-captioned
- Animated
- Special Edition
- NTSC
The Editors Desk:
From the moment that Prince Eric's ship emerged from the fog in the opening credits it was apparent that Disney had somehow, suddenly recaptured that "magic" that had been dormant for thirty years. In the tale of a headstrong young mermaid who yearns to "spend a day, warm on the sand," Ariel trades her voice to Ursula, the Sea Witch (classically voiced by Pat Carroll), for a pair of legs. Ariel can only succeed if she receives true love's kiss in a few day's time and she needs all the help she can from a singing crab named Sebastian, a loudmouth seagull, and a flounder. The lyrics and music by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken are top form: witty and relevant, and they advance the story (go on, hum a few bars of "Under the Sea"). Mermaid put animation back on the studio's "to do" list and was responsible for ushering Beauty and the Beast to theaters. A modern Disney classic. --Keith Simanton
Avg. Customer Review: 
A true Disney classic!
This has always been a favorite movie of mine since childhood and I still love it as much as I did back in 1989 when it was in the theatres. It's truly a magical experience watching The Little Mermaid on DVD and both sound and picture quality is excellent. I just wish it had a good bunch of extras just like Beauty And The Beast had. (Another classic Disney movie!) I had The Little Mermaid in norwegian on video a few years ago but I played it so much it got worn out. Now I finally have it in top quality DVD format, but some scenes are a bit longer and scarier than on the norwegian video version I had. The scene towards the end where Ursula enlarges herself and creates a storm there is a bit where she shoots Ariel off a rock making her fall into the maelstrom that Ursula created with King Triton's fork. Ursula then tries to shoot Ariel but she manages to avoid being hit. Other longer scenes are Ariel and Flounder being chased by the shark in the shipwreck and Prince Eric discovering the dynamites onboard his ship just before it explodes. These small cuts were removed from the norwegian edition of the film, which I think is really stupid, cos they add that extra dramatic touch to it all. Overall, this is a fantastic movie with great animation, unforgettable characters and top class songs with "Part Of Your World" being my favorite, escpecially in the end where Ariel finally gets to marry Prince Eric. That whole scene just makes me cry and - don't laugh - I'm a 21 year old boy here...lol. However, I think this movie suits for people all ages, and it will always remain a true classic for years to come!
 Under the Sea
This highly imaginative and beautiful movie is one I recommend to every American--it is definitely a part of our history. The movie that, largely brought Disney back to the scene--just as Cinderella did for the Studio in 1950.The movie itself gets 5 stars, but the DVD gets 3 because there are not any bonus features. But I found the picture to be great...and Ariel's movie deserves the highest honors. I unfortunately missed the theatrical release of this film in 1989, but have fallen in love ever since. Ursula is a divine villainess...Ariel a fine heroine, and Sebastian and Flounder exceptional friends for her to have! And the songs! Wow! The Little Mermaid is such a hit, and stellar of a movie, that Disney has put it into its Platinum line--tentatively scheduled for 2008 (Just 6 years!). While I have this DVD, and it makes me very happy (free with my preorder of Snow White--another gem!) I will definitely buy the 2 disc set, bursting with bonus features too! Great movie to have...enjoy! Great songs, great characters...a great theme...great animation! You'll find yourself bee-boppin' under the sea.
 Disappointing DVD Transfer
save your $ on ebay auctions and wait for the platinum series release. this version's sound is excellent (dolby 5.1), but the bland/dull colors is a big disappointment. poor visibility, below average clarity and very dark throughout the entire movie. i've seen better second generation VHS recordings. this being a classic Disney release, it deserves a new high definition transfer like Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion King (outstanding DVD's).
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