#28 The Little Mermaid

Title: The Little Mermaid

Release Date: November 17th, 1989

Voice Cast: Jodi Benson, Pat Carroll, Samuel E. Wright, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Jason Marin, Kenneth Mars

Recap: In a kingdom of merfolk under the ocean, a mermaid princess Ariel is longing to live on the surface with humans. Her father, King Triton, does not understand and is furious when she rescues a drowning human prince from a shipwreck. Ariel is then tempted by the evil sea witch, Ursula, who promises to give Ariel three days on the surface in exchange for her beautiful voice. As if this wasn't enough, Ariel now has these three days to make the prince fall in love with her (specifically, kiss her) or Ursula will harness Ariel's soul. All is going well with this challenge until Ursula decides to step in further.

Review: There is SO much I want to say about The Little Mermaid, but if I said it all in full context, it would be the length of 2-3 reviews. I suppose I'll start with the facts, and relate them into the movie.

This film was an extremely significant installment in the Disney Classics series. It marked the beginning of what is known as the Disney Renaissance, an era that would last for the next ten years. It's obvious why, too. It had been a while since Disney had released such a musical film, the kind of film that made them famous in the late 30s/early 40s as well as the 50s-70s. Also, it was the first fairy tale since 1959's Sleeping Beauty, 30 years previous.

Oh, the music. The music the music the music. I'm lost for words on this one. The first song is "Part of Your World" sung by Ariel. It's... it's one of the most beautiful ballads I've ever heard, not just of Disney songs. It hits all the right notes with fierce emotion, and Jodi Benson could not have knocked this one out of the park anymore than she did. The poppy "Under the Sea" is a delicious Caribbean counterpart, gigantic and grand as it needs to be. "Kiss the Girl" is wonderfully romantic, and dominates the mood of that particular scene.

You know how I've commented on recent Disney films having particular fortes? The Little Mermaid doesn't have one. No, it has every single one imaginable. It's the royal package, every aspect taken to it's limit and beyond. Humor, animation, music, story, characters; I could go on. All tremendous, all deserving equal and glorious applause. It's probably the first Disney film I've seen to have perfect cinematography, something enormously difficult to achieve for animation.

My words cannot do justice for this movie. I'm sure most of you have seen it; it's one of the most popular Disney movies of all time. To end with a lame metaphor, The Little Mermaid is as golden as King Triton's palace. :P

A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes