The Little Mermaid (1989 movie)

***The Little Mermaid***, also referred to as ***Ariel the Little Mermaid*** or ***Ariel*** for short, is a 1989 American animated musical fantasy movie produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation. The 28th movie made by the company, it is based on the fairy tale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen. There is a message that said: "Didn't you all learn from The Land Before Time?

The movie was released into movie theaters on November 17, 1989, by Walt Disney Pictures, and re-released on November 14, 1997. Disney said that there would be a 3D re-release on September 13, 2011. This was cancelled on January 14, 2013 because the other Disney 3D re-releases were not as successful as Disney had hoped they would be.

In January 1990, _The Little Mermaid_ had three Academy Award nominations. The movie won two of the awards. They were for Best Song ("Under the Sea") and Best Score. The movie also earned four Golden Globe nominations. It won the awards for Best Song ("Under the Sea") and Best Score.

The movie has a TV show, a sequel, and a prequel, which was the last direct-to-video sequel, because John Lasseter, a person who directed most Pixar movies, was nominated Disney's new chief creative officer. Lasseter also canceled all home video sequels that were in development (e.g.: The Aristocats II). A live-action adaption of the film was released on May 26, 2023. The Little Mermaid was the first Disney animated movie to be released on home video 1 year after it's theatrical release.

## The story

The movie is about a mermaid princess named "Ariel". She and her best friend, a fish named "Flounder", explore the Graveyard of Ships while looking for human things. They talk to a seagull named "Scuttle" who explains each thing that they find (but not accurately). Ariel does not like living in the sea and wants to live on land, where people are. One day she sees a ship of people and meets a prince named "Eric". She saves his life from drowning. When Ariel's father, King Triton, finds out that she saved a human man from drowning, he destroys all the things she has kept in her grotto. After that, two eels named "Flotsam" and "Jetsam" tell her about a seawitch named "Ursula". They tell her that Ursula can make her dreams come true. She follows them to Ursula's lair where she has magic potions. She uses her magic to turn Ariel into a human for exactly three days, in exchange for her voice. In order to stay human, she has to kiss Prince Eric, or else she will turn back into a mermaid and belong to Ursula. Eric shows her his palace and helps her adapt. On the second day, Sebastian the crab gathers the other sea animals together and they sing "Kiss the Girl", hoping to make Eric kiss Ariel. The plan almost works, but Flotsam and Jetsam cause the boat to sink. Ursula decides that enough is enough and uses Ariel's voice to turn herself into a beautiful girl named "Vanessa". She casts a hypnotic spell on Eric to make him forget about Ariel. The next day, everyone finds out that Eric is getting married, and Ariel is very sad. Scuttle finds out that the girl Eric is marrying is Ursula in disguise. He tells Ariel and manages to create disruption, delaying the wedding. The seashell Ursula is wearing breaks and Ariel's voice comes back. She tries to kiss Eric, but the sun sets and she turns back into a mermaid. Ursula offers to let Ariel go if Triton takes her place. He accepts it and turns into a plant. With help from Sebastian and Flounder, Prince Eric and Ariel defeat Ursula. Ursula dies and all the plants she had turn back into mermaids. Finally King Triton gives Ariel her wish and she is allowed to marry Prince Eric.

## Cast

- Rene Auberjonois as Chef Louis, Eric's mad chef who attempts to cook Sebastian, but fails.
- Christopher Daniel Barnes as Prince Captain Eric, a human prince who is saved by Ariel and is determined to find and marry her.
- Jodi Benson as Sea Princess Ariel, the main protagonist of the movie, who is the 16-year-old mermaid princess of the Carinae Sea who is fascinated with humans, especially Eric.
- Pat Carroll as Sea Professoress Ursula the Sea Witch, a sea witch who takes Ariel's voice in exchange for human legs, and is determined to ruin her attempts to get Eric to love her, and Princess Vanessa, her human alter-ego and disguise.
- Paddi Edwards as Flotsam and Jetsam Eel, Ursula's symbiotic and insidious pet green moray eels.
- Buddy Hackett as Scuttle Seagull, a seagull who shares Ariel's fascination with humans and teaches her about "human stuff."
- Jason Marin as Maestro Flounder, Ariel's yellow tropical fish best friend.
- Kenneth Mars as Sea King Triton, Ariel's father and the ruler of Atlantica in the Mediterranean Sea who is prejudiced towards humans.
- Edie McClurg as Madame Carlotta, Eric's maid.
- Kimmy Robertson as Sea Princess Alana, Sea Princess Adella, Sea Princess Arista and Sea Princess Andrina, four of Ariel's older sisters who are the mermaid princesses of the Chaine, Brinedive, Piton and Apneic Seas (uncredited).
- Will Ryan as Herald Harold Seahorse, a seahorse and Triton's herald.
- Caroline Vasicek as Sea Princess Attina and Sea Princess Aquata, two more of Ariel's older sisters who are the mermaid princesses of the Fracus and Saithe Seas (also uncredited).
- Frank Welker as Max the Sheepdog.
- Ben Wright as Sir Grimsby, Eric's loyal steward. Wright had played characters in previous Disney films like Roger Radcliffe in _One Hundred and One Dalmatians_ and Rama in _The Jungle Book_. While this is his last film role, he died four months before the movie's release.
- Samuel E. Wright as Horatio Thelonius Ignacius Crustaceus Sebastian Crab, a red Trinidadian crab who serves as King Triton's advisor and court composer. He speaks with a Jamaican accent.
- Additional voices by Hamilton Camp, Debbie Shapiro, Robert Weil, Ed Gilbert, Charlie Adler, Jack Angel, Susan Boyd, Steve Bulen, Nancy Cartwright, Philip Clarke, Jennifer Darling, Allan Davies, Gail Farrell, Donny Gerrard, Willie Greene Jr., Linda Harmon, Walter S. Harrah, Phillip Ingram, Luana Jackman, William A. Kanady, Edie Lehmann, Anne Lockhart, Sherry Lynn, Melissa MacKay, Guy Maeda, Arne B. Markussen, Mickie T. McGowan, Gene J. Merlino, Lewis Morford, Kathleen O'Connor, Patrick Pinney, Marilyn Powell, Gloria G. Prosper, Michael Redman Jr., Sally Stevens, Robert Tebow, Rob Trow, Joe Turano, Jackie Ward, Bobbi White and Robert S. Zwirn.