The film that began animation's best era to date

Rating: 8/10 (28 October 2018)

Disney was struggling to say the least during the 70s and 80s. The films released during this era are somewhat obscure today and most did only decent (in some cases, awful) at the box office. The Little Mermaid was practically the studio's last hurrah. I'm very thankful it's as good as it is or we may never have experienced the best era of animation, in my opinion -- the Disney Renaissance.
The plot of the film is not one of Disney's best, as I don't believe that Ariel (who, granted, is still a likable main character) goes through much of a character arc. It's the cast and the score that really take this film to its greatest heights. Prince Eric was probably my favorite character in the movie as he is the first real compelling Disney prince. Sebastian and Flounder, Ariel's crab and fish companion respectively, are also quite good, though I found that Sebastian's comedy to land more often than Flounder's. The main villain, Ursula, is the most entertaining character in the movie, and is played brilliantly by Pat Carroll.
All of the songs in the movie are great, with Under the Sea, Part of Your World, and Poor Unfortunate Souls being the most recognized (and for good reason). I think that my favorite of the bunch is Part of Your World but it attests to the quality of the music that I'm really not sure. The animation in the film is very good but most of the other movies in the Disney Renaissance do it better.
Despite my previous comment on the plot, The Little Mermaid is still a very entertaining film, if a bit predictable. The storm scene around the middle of the movie was executed spectacularly as was the opening sequence. In my opinion, the movie starts really finding its footing once Ariel gets on land but the very end (which features a battle with Ursula) is far too rushed.
Overall, The Little Mermaid is a great film with some minor faults. I tend to think of it as the one that set the stage for Disney's greatest films as I wouldn't consider it one of my personal favorites from their library. Still, it should definitely be remembered for practically saving Disney's animation division.
My Rating: 8.3/10
(not an average of the categories below)
Characters: 7/10
Story: 7/10
Acting: 8/10
Score: 8/10
Visuals: 7/10