A Return to Form for Disney

Rating: Null/10 (21 June 2015)

The Little Mermaid (1989)
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
Mermaid princess Ariel always dreams what it must be like being human and after getting in trouble by her father, the King, she decides to take an bet with an evil witch. The deal allows her to be human for three days but she must make the man she loves love her in return.
THE LITTLE MERMAID was an incredibly important picture for Disney because they animated features were really lacking any classics but this film came along and put them on the map and it would kick off a tremendous run of titles that would include BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, ALADDIN and THE LION KING. This here was certainly a return to the highest form for the studio and it's easy to see why this was such a hit back in the day and continues to gather new fans with each passing year.
All of the classic Disney things can be found here. You've got a good story. You've got a beautiful princess who wishes for something more. You've got a terrific villain. You've got a great group of supporting characters. Then there's the beautiful animation, the wonderful songs and of course there's just a good-nature that runs throughout the picture. The fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen certainly fits in well with Disney as it contains a story that's easy to follow and the studio just gave us characters to like and care for.
The Ariel character is just so sweet-natured that you can't help but hope she gets her dreams. Then there's the crab and Flounder who are both funny in their own way and of course there's a rather dumb seagull who can't really do anything right. The animation is some of the best stuff the studio did since their films in the 1940s as it's just so colorful that it really does creature a terrific world and the "Under the Sea" song really captures a certain spirit that makes it one of the best songs from the studio.