The Little Mermaid (1989)
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AUDIENCE SCORE
Critic Consensus: The Little Mermaid ushered in a new golden era for Disney animation with warm and charming hand-drawn characters and catchy musical sequences.
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Cast
as Ariel
as Sebastian
as Ursula
as Scuttle
as Louis
as Eric
as Flotsam & Jetsam
as Flounder
as King Triton
as Carlotta
as Seahorse
as Grimsby
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Critic Reviews for The Little Mermaid
All Critics (65) | Top Critics (13) | Fresh (60) | Rotten (5) | DVD (16)
Audiences of all ages are bound to fall in love with this bubbly, thoroughly enchanting fish story.
The Little Mermaid -- impudent, grandiose, a multilevel crowd-pleaser -- almost returns the Disney animated features to their glory traditions of the '30s and '40s.
It may not be a transcendent masterpiece of the Disney canon, but The Little Mermaid is still very heartening: It suggests the Disney magic isn`t lost after all.
The latest Disney offering looks back to the studio's unrivaled heritage. It has the look of classic animation. More important, it has the skill required to make it work.
In adapting this animated film from Hans Christian Andersen's sad and beautiful fairy tale, writers/directors John Musker and Ron Clements came up with a bright and perky movie.
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.
Audience Reviews for The Little Mermaid
The best film of the studio in more than twenty years and an excellent return to the golden age of fairy tale classics, with wonderful songs, a delightful animation and a wonderfully-written story that set a new standard to be followed by the studio in the next decade.
Super Reviewer
If there is an entertaining tale about a mermaid, Ron Clements and John Musker get it right in The Little Mermaid.
The plot details come and go at a solid pace. While sounding like a brief run time, 80 minutes turns out to be the perfect solution to this story that is fitting for adults and children alike.
The bright colors give the picture life and the musical numbers create a memorable soundtrack. It's safe to say that the visuals and music compliment the story without fail.
Sure, the lead character is a mermaid with an excellent voice, thanks to Jodi Benson, but it's the supporting cast of characters that get the job done. Sam E. Wright as Sebastian. That says it all.
Not much else to say except The Little Mermaid swims to the surface and explodes out of the water as a fantastic watch.
Super Reviewer
Definitely not one of the better Disney-animated films out there, feeling a little dull at times, but the heart of the film is always in the right place, making it a very enjoyable film to watch. Ariel's character is very likeable as she is given a chance to have legs and fall in love with a prince. Sure, the idea is as old as the hills, but when it's done right, time never makes a difference. "The Little Marmaid" is a classic tale that will never get old, but it's not one of their efforts that will stay in my heart. It's fun and then it's over. There is not much to this one, but it's very likeable!
Super Reviewer
The Little Mermaid Quotes
| Ariel: | Flounder, hurry up! |
| Eric: | (first lines) Isn't this great? The salty sea air, the wind blowing in your face. Aaah, the perfect day to be at sea! |
| Grimsby: | (first lines) Oh, yes, urp delightful. |
| Scuttle: | We're out to discover! |
| Ariel: | Flounder, don't be such a guppy. |
| Flounder: | I'm not a guppy. |