The Little Mermaid

With The Great Mouse Detective (1986), it looked like Disney was beginning to get back on track when it came to making superior animated films. 1988's Oliver & Co. though not as fancifully animated still carried that inimitable Disney spark. But the latest, The Little Mermaid, surpasses both, and indeed outshines anything the studio has released in a couple of decades. Based on Hans Christian Anderson's fairy tale, the story follows the trials and tribulations of Ariel, a young mermaid who longs to become a human. When she meets up with the evil Ursula, her wish is granted--for a price. Ariel must make a handsome young man fall in love with her; but Ursula has taken away her voice. Richly detailed animation (the underwater dancing sequences are simply spectacular), some of the best Disney tunes in recent memory (including the standout "Kiss the Girl") and a host of wonderfully drawn supporting characters make this a treat that the whole family can enjoy. Affordably priced and highly recommended. (R. Pitman) [DVD Review—Oct. 17, 2006—Walt Disney, 2 discs, 83 min., G, $29.99—Making its second appearance on DVD, 1989's The Little Mermaid (2-Disc Special Edition) sports a solid but unexceptional transfer—certainly not up to par with the usual Disney films—and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. DVD extras include audio commentary (by co-writers/co-directors Ron Clements and John Musker, and composer Alan Menken), the option to view just the musical numbers with optional onscreen lyrics, the 46-minute 'making-of' documentary 'Treasures Untold,' seven deleted scenes (26 min.), a 12-minute 'The Story Behind the Story' featurette, the 'Under the Sea Adventure: A Virtual Ride' letting viewers experience the ride that was almost built, as well as 'Behind the Ride that Never Was' (10 min.), a 'DisneyPedia: Life Under the Sea' segment on the real-life animals that inspired the characters (9 min.), a nine-minute 'Storm Warning' special effects featurette, the exclusive animated short 'The Little Match Girl' (7 min.), an 'Early Presentation Reel' (3 min.), art galleries, the music video 'Kiss the Girl' performed by Ashley Tisdale, a musical sneak peek at The Little Mermaid III, and trailers. Bottom line: a fine extras package for one of Disney's best.] [Blu-ray Review—Oct. 8, 2013—Walt Disney, 83 min., G, $39.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1989's The Little Mermaid features a great transfer and a DTS-HD 7.1 soundtrack. Bonus features new to this release include 'Howard's Lecture' archival footage with lyricist Howard Ashman (17 min.), a 'Crab-E-OKE' sing-along option (15 min.), the production featurettes 'Under the Scene: The Art of Live-Action Reference' (13 min.) and '@DisneyAnimation' (11 min.), 'Part of Her World: Jodi Benson's Voyage to New Fantasyland' (5 min.), 'Deleted Character: Harold the Merman' (2 min.), the music video 'Part of Your World' by Carly Rae Jepsen, and a bonus DVD copy of the film. Extras carried over from the previous release include audio commentary (by co-writers/co-directors Ron Clements and John Musker, and composer Alan Menken), a viewing option for musical numbers with optional onscreen lyrics, the 'making-of' documentary 'Treasures Untold' (46 min.), deleted scenes (26 min.), a 'The Story Behind the Story' featurette (12 min.), 'Under the Sea Adventure: A Virtual Ride' and 'Behind the Ride that Never Was' on the scrapped Disneyland attraction (10 min.), a 'DisneyPedia: Life Under the Sea' segment on real-life animals that provided inspiration (9 min.), a 'Storm Warning' special effects featurette (9 min.), the 2006 animated short 'The Little Matchgirl' (7 min.), an 'Early Presentation Reel' (3 min.), 'John & Ron Make Caricatures of Each Other' (2 min.), 'Animators Comment on Their Character' (2 min.), the brief demo 'Clements and Musker Demonstrating The Little Mermaid Handshake,' and the music video 'Kiss the Girl' by Ashley Tisdale. Bottom line: a beloved Disney classic sparkles on Blu-ray.] [Blu-ray Review—Sept. 4, 2018—Disney, 83 min., G, Blu-ray: $39.99—Making its latest appearance on Blu-ray, 1989’s The Little Mermaid features an excellent transfer with DTS-HD 7.1 audio. Extras new to this release include an 'Alan Menken and the Leading Ladies' featurette with the composer (16 min.), 'What I Want From You Is...Your Voice' voice actor featurette (6 min.), and 'Stories From Walt's Office: Gadgets and Gizmos' (6 min.). Extras carried over from earlier releases include audio commentary by Menken and filmmakers Ron Clements and John Musker, the production featurettes 'Howard’s Lecture' (17 min.), 'Under the Scene: The Art of Live Action Reference' (13 min.), '#Treasuresuntold' (6 min.), and 'Deleted Character: Harold the Merman' (2 min.), as well as the music video 'Part of Your World' featuring DCapella, a collection of digital extras, and bonus DVD and digital copies of the film. Bottom line: this is the best version of this Disney animated classic currently available.]