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... [More]
Starring: Jodi Benson, Rene Auberjonois, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Pat Carroll
Director: John Musker, Ron Clements
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Reviews for The Little Mermaid
| Tomatometer | Critic | Review | Category |
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 9/10 |
The long-awaited proof that Disney animation could, in fact, return almost the quality and beauty of its Golden Age. Full Review |
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4/4 |
This is unquestionably the best animated film in many years and is therefore highly recommended. Full Review |
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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 |
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Relying on a simple, recognized tale, great songs and marvellous animation, it turned its fortunes around. Full Review |
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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 |
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3/4 |
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 |
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3.5/4 |
A fantastic success. Full Review |
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May represent Disney's best animated feature since the underrated Sleeping Beauty in 1959. Full Review |
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A coming of age fable for both Disney and the mermaid heroine Full Review |
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 1.5/4 |
The Little Mermaid was a mirage, not an oasis. Full Review |
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Still a great entertainment and a welcome addition to any Disney library. Full Review |
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4/4 |
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 |
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2/4 |
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 |
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8/10 |
...cute, romantic, well-animated, well paced, and filled with more good music than Disney had produced in quite some time. Full Review |
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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 |
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4/5 |
Huggable, lovable Disney. Before the corporation went dumpster diving.
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5/5 |
An instant classic with a great story, great animation, great music, and a great villain.
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4/5 |
No review available.
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4.5/5 |
A surprising success, thanks largely to Alan Menken and Howard Ashman's brilliant songs. Full Review |
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5/5 |
The re-birth of the Disney musical.
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CommentLatest 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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