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Movies / On DVD / The Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid

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The Little Mermaid (1989)

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Reviews Counted: 48

Fresh: 43

Rotten:5

Average Rating: 7.9/10

Consensus: The Little Mermaid ushered in a new golden era for Disney animation with warm and charming hand-drawn characters and catchy musical sequences.

Runtime: 83 mins

Genre: Childrens

Synopsis: THE LITTLE MERMAID is Disney's animated version of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale about a mermaid who falls in love with a handsome prince whom she rescues from drowning. Disobeying her... THE LITTLE MERMAID is Disney's animated version of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale about a mermaid who falls in love with a handsome prince whom she rescues from drowning. Disobeying her father, lord of a great sea kingdom, the mermaid makes a deal with an evil enchantress. In exchange for a pair of legs, the mermaid must sacrifice her exquisite voice to the witch, who, unbeknownst to the mermaid, uses it to beguile the prince into marrying her. [More]

Starring: Jodi Benson, Rene Auberjonois, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Pat Carroll

Starring: Jodi Benson, Rene Auberjonois, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Pat Carroll, Paddi Edwards, Buddy Hackett, Jason Marin, Kenneth Mars, Ben Wright, Samuel E. Wright, Edie McClurg, Will Ryan

Director: John Musker, Ron Clements

Director: John Musker, Ron Clements
Screenwriter: John Musker, Ron Clements
Story: Hans Christian Andersen
Producer: Howard Ashman, John Musker
Composer: Alan Menken

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Dec 7, 1999

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • The Little Mermaid
  • All the music, fun, and excitement under the sea resurface in this magical, special edition of Disney's 28th animated masterpiece. Awash with breathtaking animation, unforgettably colorful characters, and two Academy Awards(R) for score and song, "Under The Sea," THE LITLE MERMAID is one of Disney's most cherished films. Ariel, the fun-loving and mischievous mermaid, is enchanted with all things human. Disregarding her father's order to stay away from the world above the sea, she swims to the surface and, in a raging storm, rescues the prince of her dreams. Determined to be human, she strikes a bargain with the devious seawitch, Ursula, and trades her fins and beautiful voice for legs. With her best friend, the adorable and chatty Flounder, and her reluctant chaperone Sebastian, the hilarious, reggae-singing Caribbean crab, at her side, Ariel must win the prince's love and save her father's kingdom -- all in a heart-pounding race against time!
  • Source: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
  •  
     
     
     

    Reviews for The Little Mermaid

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    1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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    N/R

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    Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
    10/18/08
    Deseret News, Salt Lake City
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
    10/18/08
    Robin Clifford
    Reeling Reviews

    You could wish upon a star and not conjure up a more joyous animated movie than this graceful retelling of the Hans Christian Andersen tale.

    Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | comment Comment
    09/03/08
    TIME Magazine
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Relying on a simple, recognized tale, great songs and marvellous animation, it turned its fortunes around.

    Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
    09/03/08
    Channel 4 Film
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Within the apparently necessary aesthetic and ideological limitations (such as making the hero and heroine Americans surrounded by foreign servants a la Pinocchio), the animation manages to be fairly energetic.

    Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
    09/03/08
    Jonathan Rosenbaum
    Chicago Reader
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Overall, it's an enjoyable film, thankfully free of the computerized look of later Disney cartoons, but it really can't compare to the real Disney classics.

    Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
    09/02/08
    TV Guide's Movie Guide
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    A fantastic success.

    Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
    06/10/08
    James Berardinelli
    ReelViews
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    May represent Disney's best animated feature since the underrated Sleeping Beauty in 1959.

    Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
    05/20/08
    Variety Staff
    Variety
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    A coming of age fable for both Disney and the mermaid heroine

    Full Review Source: Film Experience | comment Comment
    07/20/07
    Nathaniel Rogers
    Film Experience

    The Little Mermaid was a mirage, not an oasis.

    Full Review Source: Film Freak Central | comment 3 Comments
    01/10/07
    Bill Chambers
    Film Freak Central

    Still a great entertainment and a welcome addition to any Disney library.

    Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
    10/27/06
    Jeffrey M. Anderson
    Combustible Celluloid

    The hand-drawn animation is terrific, and the soundtrack, which includes Part of Your World, Under the Sea and Kiss the Girl, is among Disney's best.

    Full Review Source: Reno Gazette-Journal | comment Comment
    10/09/06
    Forrest Hartman
    Reno Gazette-Journal

    The Little Mermaid is the story of one packrat pre-tween princess whose undersea kingdom is only matched in depth by her remarkable sense of consumer-minded entitlement.

    Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment 5 Comments
    10/05/06
    Eric Henderson
    Slant Magazine

    ...cute, romantic, well-animated, well paced, and filled with more good music than Disney had produced in quite some time.

    Full Review Source: DVDTown.com | comment Comment
    10/01/06
    John J. Puccio
    DVDTown.com

    This return to traditional Disney territory is geared to captivate children while allowing them to maintain their street cred, largely by combining extravagant animated technique with ranging musical styles.

    Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
    06/24/06
    Geoff Andrew
    Time Out

    Huggable, lovable Disney. Before the corporation went dumpster diving.

    comment Comment
    08/21/05
    Widgett Walls
    Needcoffee.com

    An instant classic with a great story, great animation, great music, and a great villain.

    comment Comment
    05/12/05
    James Plath
    DVDTown.com

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    04/27/05
    Robert Roten
    Laramie Movie Scope

    A surprising success, thanks largely to Alan Menken and Howard Ashman's brilliant songs.

    Full Review Source: Netflix | comment Comment
    03/03/05
    James Rocchi
    Netflix

    The re-birth of the Disney musical.

    comment Comment
    01/01/05
    Michael A. Smith
    Nolan's Pop Culture Review
     
     
    1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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