The long-awaited proof that Disney animation could, in fact, return almost the quality and beauty of its Golden Age.
The Little Mermaid (1989)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:52
Fresh:47
Rotten:5
Average Rating:8/10
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
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Release:
Dec 7, 1999
Reviews for The Little Mermaid
This is unquestionably the best animated film in many years and is therefore highly recommended.
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.
Relying on a simple, recognized tale, great songs and marvellous animation, it turned its fortunes around.
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.
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.
May represent Disney's best animated feature since the underrated Sleeping Beauty in 1959.
Still a great entertainment and a welcome addition to any Disney library.
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.
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.
...cute, romantic, well-animated, well paced, and filled with more good music than Disney had produced in quite some time.
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.
An instant classic with a great story, great animation, great music, and a great villain.
A surprising success, thanks largely to Alan Menken and Howard Ashman's brilliant songs.
Latest News for The Little Mermaid
September 29, 2009:
Exclusive: Mandy Moore Talks Rapunzel
Earlier in the month, John Lasseter took to stage in London to unveil a host of fresh Disney/Pixar announcements, among them the news that Mandy Moore would voice Rapunzel in a... More...
December 15, 2008:
RT on DVD: Mummy 3, Grindhouse on Blu-ray!
This week we've got CG spectacles (Mummy 3: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor), Meryl Streep letting loose (Mamma Mia!), Joss Whedon's online superhero musical (Dr. Horrible's Sing... More...
December 28, 2007:
Disney's Little Mermaid Heads to Broadway
Given all the success Disney has found by bringing animated hits like Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King to Broadway, it stands to reason that they'd eventually go back to... More...
March 09, 2007:
"Toy Story 3" Leads Locked, Hand-Drawn "Frog Princess" Also a Go
Tom Hanks and Tim Allen are officially signed up to reprise their beloved roles in "Toy Story 3," which I believe is a sequel to "Toy Story" and "Toy... More...
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