The best Disney animated classic since 'The Rescuers'!

Rating: 10/10 (28 December 2010)

'The Little Mermaid' brought back Disney firmly into the map after a period of crisis and less successful movies, even if not all of them were that bad. For instance, 'The Fox and the Hound' and 'The Great Mouse Detective' are not bad. The horrifying 'The Black Cauldron' and the frankly poor 'Oliver & Company' belong to a dark age at Disney, though, and were made during that period.
'The Little Mermaid' came precisely after 'Oliver & Company'. And what a difference comparing to that one! You can say that Disney went from one extreme to another. That is, from a deplorable and very cheap-looking movie they went to this which happens to be one of their finest.
This film is fresh, lively, charming, humorous, romantic and artistic. It has beautiful artwork and colors, made to a quality level comparable to 'The Rescuers'. Besides, it isn't just a movie about merpeople, it has a story. And it isn't too girly. The idea of a movie about merpeople might sound too feminine for males's tastes, but men and women can be pleased with it in the same way. Take it from me.
Since I was a child this has been one of Disney's best to me. And yet somehow it seems to improve with time. My explanation to this is that it ages better than you might think at some point in your life.
The soundtrack is always nice, but variable in genre and temperament. There are jolly songs ("Under the Sea" and "Les Poissons"), a love song ("Kiss the Girl"), a song of hope, anxiety, dreams and optimism ("Part of your world") and a dark-spirited song ("Poor Unfortunate Souls").
Ursula is one of Disney's big villains. Strangely she was never scary to me as a kid and I even used to find her funny, particularly when she puts lipstick and the kiss she simulates next. Also, her figure used to amuse me: half fat woman, half octopus. Now as an adult, she doesn't scare me but I can see how pure evil she is and I've gotta admit that there are some pretty disturbing and creepy scenes with her.
Scuttle is hilarious. He's a self-claimed "expert" on human stuff and makes up funny names for objects (in his language, a fork is a "dinglehopper" and he says people use it to comb their hair; a pipe is a "snarfblatt" and he tells people use it to play music like a trumpet).
Ariel (nice name, by the way) is one of my Disney princesses of election. She looks pretty as a mermaid, but I prefer her as a human. She is simply hot as a human. Plus, as a human she is more shy and adorable, looks more cute and even more innocent, as her face and those expressive, enormous blue eyes suggest. Like the movie itself gets better with time, Ariel looks more attractive with time. Her looks grow on you - at least they did on me. Ariel has qualities I highly appreciate on a woman.
Title in Portugal: 'A Pequena Sereia'.