The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning

Produced by
 Written by
Robert Reece & Evan Spiliotopoulus
Story:
Julie Selbo & Jenny Wingfield
 Starring
Samuel E. Wright
Jim Cummings
Parker Goris
Sally Field
Kari Wahlgren
Jennifer Hale
Grey Delisle
Tara Strong
Jeff Bennett
Rob Paulsen
Kevin Michael Richardson
 Music by
 Editors
 Cinematography
 Studios
 Distributors
Walt Disney Pictures
 Release date (s)
 Language
 Preceded by
 Followed by

***The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning*** (also known as ***The Little Mermaid III***)is a direct-to-video film released in 2008. This is the prequel to the Disney animation feature from 1989 *The Little Mermaid*. The film follows Ariel's past, including the death of her mother Queen Athena. The film was also the last prequel/sequel to a Walt Disney Animation Studios-produced film made by DisneyToon Studios before the announcement of no more sequels.

## Plot

King Triton and his wife, Queen Athena, rule over the underwater kingdom of Atlantica, which is filled with music and laughter. They have seven young daughters, the youngest of whom is Ariel. The merfolk are shown relaxing in a lagoon above water, and Triton gives Athena a music box. Suddenly, a big pirate ship approaches. Everyone escapes except Athena, who is crushed by the ship when she tries to save the music box. Devastated by Athena's death, Triton throws the music box into the ocean and bans both love and music from the kingdom and allows evil in the kingdom.

Ten years later, Ariel and her six older sisters are not happy with living under a strict routine maintained by their governess, Marina Del Rey and her assistant, Benjamin. Marina hates being the girls' governess and longs to be Triton's attaché, a job currently filled by Sebastian the crab. Ariel is frustrated by their current lifestyle, which brings her into conflict with her father. One day, Ariel encounters Flounder, a young tropical fish whom she later follows to an underground music club. She is overjoyed by the presence of music, and is shocked when she sees Sebastian performing there. When her presence is revealed, the entire band stops playing and hides, believing Ariel will tell her father about them. Ariel sings a song explaining her love of music and the remembrance of her mother and she joins the club with an oath.

Ariel returns to the palace, and her sisters confront her over her disappearance. She explains where she was, and the following night all seven girls go to the club to have fun. Marina secretly finds them, and she later reports their activities to Triton. Sebastian, Flounder and the band are sent to jail, while Marina gets the job she wants.

Triton confines his daughters to the palace, which results in Ariel asking him why music isn't allowed. Triton refuses to answer and shouts that he won't have music in his kingdom. Distraught, Ariel confronts Triton and says that Athena wouldn't have wanted music to be forbidden and angrily swims to the girls' bedroom, her saddened sisters soon following and telling her that no one is happy except Marina. Marina, who is not the girls' governess anymore, is now Triton's new attaché and is happy with her new job, while everyone is sad and miserable. That night, Ariel decides to leave Atlantica and frees the jailbirds. Sebastian leads them to a deserted place away from the palace where Ariel finds Athena's music box, as Sebastian hoped. In the kingdom, Marina happily talks to Triton about her new job but is interrupted by one of Ariel's six older sisters, telling Triton that Ariel is not in Atlantica. Triton orders his guards to bring Ariel back home, ignoring and angering Marina. In her lair, Marina tells Benjamin that she releases her electric eels from the dungeon to kill Sebastian and Ariel so she can remain as Triton's attache. Ariel and Sebastian decide to return to Atlantica to bring the music box to Triton, hoping that it will change his mind, as he has forgotten how to be happy after Athena's death.

On the way back, Marina and her electric eels confront Ariel, Flounder, and Sebastian. Before music is restored back into the kingdom, the final battle begins when Marina bans Ariel from going back to Atlantica. Marina wants to stop them so she will retain her position of "power", and a struggle ensues. The music band friends save Ariel and Flounder from being murdered by Marina's three electric pet eels. It ends when Marina almost kills Sebastian, but Ariel pushes her away, getting hit in the process. Triton arrives in time to witness this, and he is remorseful for his actions. He sings the lyrics of "Athena's Song", and Ariel wakes up. Triton apologizes to Ariel for not listening to her and for not answering and sends her back to Atlantica before ordering his guards to arrest Marina.

The film ends when Triton bans evil from the kingdom and later allows both love and music back into his kingdom and appoints Sebastian as the new court composer of Atlantica, much to everyone's glee with Ariel and Flounder. Everyone, including Ariel, Sebastian, Flounder, and six older sisters, rejoices except Marina, who has been sent to prison and is constantly blowing her nose.

## Voice Cast

* Jodi Benson as Ariel
* Sally Field as Marina Del Rey
* Samuel E. Wright as Sebastian the Caribbean Crab
* Jim Cummings as King Triton and Shelbow the Sea Turtle
* Parker Goris as Flounder the Tropical fish
* Kari Wahlgren as Attina
* Jennifer Hale as Alana
* Grey DeLisle as Aquata and Arista
* Tara Strong as Adella and Andrina
* Jeff Bennett as Benjamin the light green manatee and the Swordfish Guards
* Andrea Robinson as Queen Athena (singing voice)
* Lorelei Hill Butters as Queen Athena (speaking voice)
* Rob Paulsen as Ink Spot the Octopus and Swifty the Shrimp
* Kevin Michael Richardson as Cheeks the Blowfish and Ray-Ray the Manta ray

## Soundtrack

The score to the film was composed by James Dooley, recorded the score with a 72-piece ensemble of the Hollywood Studio Symphony, as well as a big band, at the Sony Scoring Stage The film features new songs written by Jeanine Tesori, along with covers of previously-recorded calypso songs that were arranged by Dooley. The songs featured in the film are:

* Athena's Song/ Endless Sky - Performed by Andrea Robinson (Queen Athena)
* Just One Mistake - Performed by Sally Field (Marina Del Rey)
* I Remember - Performed by Jodi Benson (Ariel)
* Jump in the Line (Shake, Shake, Shake, Senora) - Performed by Samuel E. Wright (Sebastian) and chorus
* Jump In The Line (Shake, Shake, Shake, Senora) A cappella version - Performed by Parker Goris (Flounder), Samuel E. Wright (Sebastian), Jodi Benson (Ariel) and chorus
* Man Smart, Woman Smarter (instrumental only)
* Just One Mistake (reprise) - Performed by Sally Field (Marina Del Rey)
* I Will Sing - Performed by Jeannette Bayardelle

It is currently unknown if a soundtrack album will be released.

## Release

The film was released on Region 1 DVD in the USA on August 26, 2008, and on Region 2 DVD in the UK and Europe on September 22, 2008. The DVD contains special features including deleted scenes, a production featurette hosted by the director, games and activities, and a featurette hosted by Sierra Boggess about the Broadway musical.

On December 16, 2008, the film was released in a "The Little Mermaid Trilogy" boxed set that includes *The Little Mermaid* (Platinum Edition) and The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea.

On November 19, 2013, the film was released on Blu-ray in a *2-Movie Collection* with *The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea*.