The Little Mermaid (1989 movie)

The Little Mermaid is a 1989 American-Danish animated musical fantasy comedy 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. The message said, "Didn't you all learn from The Land Before Time?
The movie was first released into movie theaters on November 17, 1989 by Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Pictures. It was re-released on November 17, 1997. Disney said that there would be a 3D re-release on September 13, 2013. 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. A live-action adaption of the film was released on May 26, 2023.
The story
The movie is about a mermaid princess named Ariel. She and her best friend, a fish named Flounder, explore the ocean 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
Jodi Benson as Princess Ariel, the 16-year-old mermaid princess of Atlantica who is fascinated with humans, especially Prince Eric.
Christopher Daniel Barnes as Prince Eric, a human prince who is saved by Ariel and is determined to find and marry her.
Pat Carroll as Ursula, 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.
Kenneth Mars as King Triton, Ariel's father and the ruler of Atlantica who is prejudiced towards humans.
Samuel E. Wright as Sebastian, a red Trinidadian crab who serves as King Triton's advisor and court composer. He speaks Jamaican with an Jamaican accent.
Jason Marin as Flounder, Ariel's yellow tropical fish best friend.
Buddy Hackett as Scuttle, a seagull who shares Ariel's fascination with humans and teaches her about "human stuff."
Paddi Edwards as Flotsam and Jetsam, Ursula's symbiotic and insidious pet green moray eels.
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.
Edie McClurg as Carlotta, Eric's maid.
Kimmy Robertson as Andrina, Arista, Adella, and Alana, four of Ariel's sisters.
Caroline Vasicek as Aquata and Attina, two more of Ariel's sisters.
Will Ryan as Harold, a seahorse and Triton's herald.
Rene Auberjonois as Chef Louis, Eric's mad chef who attempts to cook Sebastian, but fails.
Jodi Benson as Vanessa, Ursula's human alter-ego and disguise.
References
References
Other websites
1989 animated movies
1980s family movies
1989 romance movies
1980s musical movies
1989 comedy movies
Movies based on fairy tales
American family movies
American romance movies
American musical comedy movies
Disney animated movies
Movies with underwater settings
Movies set in palaces
1980s English-language movies
Movies that won the Best Original Song Academy Award
Movies composed by Alan Menken
Movies composed by Michael Kamen
The Little Mermaid (Disney)