The long-awaited proof that Disney animation could, in fact, return almost the quality and beauty of its Golden Age.
Comment
11/25/09
The Little Mermaid (1989)
90
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
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... [More]
Starring: Jodi Benson, Rene Auberjonois, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Pat Carroll
Director: John Musker, Ron Clements
Get This Movie
Rent DVD
Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.
Buy DVD
Reviews for The Little Mermaid
Disney returned to form with this animated musical classic, setting off a decade-long string of success for the studio's children's entertainment.
08/02/02
No review available.
11/01/02
Marks the end of an era of good -- even very good -- Disney animated features, and the start (one hopes) of a new period of great ones.
03/24/03
The start of a run of modern Disney animated classics.
12/17/04
Relying on a simple, recognized tale, great songs and marvellous animation, it turned its fortunes around.
09/03/08
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.
09/03/08
Top CriticA movie that's so creative and so much fun it deserves comparison with the best Disney work of the past.
01/01/00
Top CriticA movie to love.
10/15/02
Still a great entertainment and a welcome addition to any Disney library.
10/27/06
This is unquestionably the best animated film in many years and is therefore highly recommended.
10/18/08
...cute, romantic, well-animated, well paced, and filled with more good music than Disney had produced in quite some time.
10/01/06
An instant classic with a great story, great animation, great music, and a great villain.
05/12/05
No review available.
07/27/02
No review available.
12/18/04
Delivers exactly the right quotient of laughs, sniffles, scares and songs to remain sparkling family fun.
01/01/00
This was the rebirth of Disney in the modern era and due to superb songs, enduring humour and a touching plot it remains an animation classic.
01/01/00
A coming of age fable for both Disney and the mermaid heroine
07/20/07
The Little Mermaid was a mirage, not an oasis.
01/10/07
All the voice actors do an excellent job, particularly Carroll, who practically steals the show as Ursula, and Wright, whose Jamaican crab accent is funny and lovable.
02/08/03
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...
RT On Current TV
What’s Hot On RT
Fresh Links
Featured
Wes Anderson on Fox 
The director talks about puppetry perfection and his film, Fantastic Mr. Fox
Animated Oscar?
Hollywood.com ponders whether or not an animated film could win Best Picture.
TIME's Holiday Movie Preview
Richard Corliss previews the season's best offerings and hottest tickets.
Scenic Routes
The AV Club's Mike D'Angelo airs his beefs with Alfonso Cuaron's Children of Men.
Promos
Follow RT on Twitter
Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!
IGN RSS Feeds