When this movie was released I was 10 years old, and all boy. I remember hearing all the acclaim and thinking, yuck, it's a movie about a mermaid... how dumb. Well, my mother dragged me to it with two of my sisters, and of course I loved it! 19 years and about 50 viewings later here is my review.

Cast -

Ariel - Jodi Benson
King Triton - Kenneth Mars
Sebastian - Samuel E. Wright
Flounder - Jason Marin
Prince Eric - Christopher Daniel Barnes
Ursula - Pat Carroll

Characters
Like any Disney movie The Little Mermaid is full of wonderful characters. You have the star, Ariel. She is rebellious and free spirited. She has a very romantic and idealized view of the world, and is blinded to danger by her infatuation with Prince Eric. She is also gentle, loving, compassionate, courageous, and has an amazing singing voice.

Her father is King Triton. He is the ruler of the sea. Despite all his power, authority, and strict adherence to rules he has a soft spot for his youngest daughter. I really love the way you can see he is trying to protect his daughter because he loves her, but he knows how strong willed she is, and ultimately knows he has to let her follow her heart if she will ever be happy.

Sebastian is the Carribbean accented crab Triton appoints to watch Ariel. No matter how hard he tries to be strict he melts when she looks at him, and ends up sucked into her whirlwind fantasy adventures.

Flounder is Ariel's best friend. He is kind of timid and cautious, but like all the characters in this story he is influenced by Ariel. He gets caught up in many situations with her that he would have never dreamed of being in without our red haired heroine.

Ursala is not called the sea witch for nothing. She is malevolent and deceitful. She puts on a facade of sweetness and a longing to help, and then traps you in a deal that will ensure she owns you by the end. She has no honor, when she is threatened to be bested in one of her deals she merely interferes and schemes.

Plot - Contact between the mer-world and the human world is strictly forbidden. When the youngest daughter of King Triton falls for a handsome human, and then saves his life during a storm, it sets off a chain of events that will change everything. She can not get him out of her head, and in her adolescent fog she goes to the sea witch, a dark and sinister purveyor of magic, for the means to be with the prince. Ursula offers her legs, in exchange for her voice. When Ariel accepts she must hurry and make the prince fall in love with her before time runs out, and Ursula wins.

Songs - This film contains some of the most memorable songs in the Disney catalog. Who can forget the youthful yearning of Part Of Your World? The incredibly entertaining calypso Under The Sea, and the romantic Kiss The Girl. It also has the wickedly amusing Poor Unfortunate Souls performed by the sea witch. All in all this has a very strong soundtrack, even as far as Disney movies go.

Audience - This movie is the favorite of girls and women everywhere, including the one I'm married too. The appeal is not limited to girls though, anyone with a romantic bone in their body, or anyone that enjoys a good song will love this one.

Overall - This is a truly special movie. It has adventure, romance and great songs. The characters are memorable and the animation is top notch.

If there is a flaw it would have to be its departure from the original ending. The original Little Mermaid was a poignant allegory for love, the new is kinda sappy and Disnyfied as I've heard it called. I can't really blame them, as this plays to the audience far better, they have to pay their bills after all.

All in all it is a fantastic movie you should not miss.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up to Age 4