Review of The Little Mermaid (1989) by Timothy S — 17 Nov 2011

For Disney, "The Little Mermaid" marked something of a return to excellence for the studio, recapturing the magic of their most-loved films. They spent most of the decade relying on mostly re-releases of those classic films to generate income rather than focusing on making future classics. This is the film that started the wave of new classics for them, and it's easy to see why it connected so much with people. It's their last feature to be made using hand-painted cells, and it's a beautifully drawn film with an amazing attention to detail. But the filmmakers didn't stop there.

The picture is filled with wonderful characters, a fun script, great vocal talent and a couple of terrific songs. The best of them are the delightful "Kiss the Girl" and the Oscar-winning "Under the Sea", but I also enjoyed the under-appreciated "Poor Unfortunate Souls" from the wonderful villain Ursula. Pat Carroll is terrific as the voice behind the beast, but even better is Jodi Benson as Ariel. She has a wonderful singing voice, and it's a great strong female character.

As with most Disney features, however, the lead characters are out-shined by the supporting ones. It's just more of that attention to detail that we've come to expect from the animators. If you love movies, it's really impossible to not love "The Little Mermaid", a joyous treat that restored my faith in the Mouse House. It's not their greatest achievement, but it is a solid step in the right direction with all of the quality elements that make the best of their films so enduring.