The Little Mermaid (1989) User Reviews

Loved this film when I was younger and still love it now

[thomvic · 9/10 · 1 May 2011]

The Little Mermaid is one of those films I grew up with when I was a kid - something that the whole family can watch and never really get sick of. The imagination brought into this fairy tale (despite the fact that the ending is vastly changed from the original to please the kids) is simply superb. Songs, music, characters are all terrific.

While I think Beauty and the Beast stands as Disney's best animated film, The Little Mermaid is still one of the top ones to check out. A story about Aeriel - the young mermaid curious about the human world who ends up falling for Prince Eric of the human race.

And all the other cute characters such as Sebastian, Flounder, not to mention a very sinister villain with the Sea Witch. It all makes for a great time and has a good deal of emotion in it too.

I really miss Disney films made in this era - they were done so well and I will always be a huge fan of them. The ones nowadays - while they aren't horrible, just seem to be a bit too modern and hence don't have that magic as the old ones - probably because they focus more on doing references to other things rather than coming up with original ideas that felt fresh.

May Have Saved Disney's Movie Franchise.

[tfrizzell · 3 July 2002]

Disney animated films had become somewhat second-rate by 1989 and it appeared that one of the great genres in the cinema was on life-support. But that all changed with "The Little Mermaid". The film is a cinematic classic that tells the story of a young mermaid princess who just wants to be human so she makes a deal with an evil sea witch to get her wish, but she loses her beautiful voice in the process and she must be kissed by her true love to get it back. A really great motion picture that has some really memorable songs in it. 5 stars out of 5.

This is my favourite movie of all time...

[BigAir · 10/10 · 17 December 1998]

I probably never would have seen this movie if my mother hadn't persuaded me to take my little brother to see it. I enjoyed it a lot the first time, but it was only when I saw it again a couple of years later on video I realised just how superb a movie it is. It's not a clever or complex movie, it's not the kind of film which works on an adult level as well as on a children's one. However, three aspects of it make it truly great:

1: The music. 'Under The Sea' richly deserved its Oscar, but 'Part Of Your World' deserved it even more.

2. The animation. Quite simply, it's absolutely gorgeous. The underwater scenes in particular take your breath away.

3. The Story. How can you resist a love story that touching?

I urge anyone with even a touch of sentimentality about them to set their predjudices aside and see this movie.

An incredibly romantic movie!

[cLoNe · 10/10 · 6 August 1999]

Yeah, yeah... It's the little mermaid, the same cute barbie-like character little girls love so much... But the movie is great. If you just free yourself from the sissy pink image of the movie you're in for a treat.

The songs are great, by the same team who gave us Little Shop Of Horrors: Alan Menken and Howard Ashman who teamed up in Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin as well. Aladdin was their last project together with Ashman's untimely death from AIDS in 1991.

The story is funny and romantic, so who cares if it's not following the original tale? A perfect movie for everyone, not just little girls.

Under the Sea with Disney

[evanston_dad · 7/10 · 4 September 2008]

"The Little Mermaid" revitalized Disney's animation department and would make it a force to be reckoned with over the next several years, before Pixar came along and picked up the mantle.

"Mermaid" isn't one of my favorites (I prefer "Beauty and the Beast," "Aladdin" and "The Lion King" over it), but it is a beautiful and now nostalgic throw back to hand-drawn animation, and it does boast one of the best scores written for a Disney film. It kicked off the trend of show-stopping production numbers that every Disney musical must have; in this one it's "Under the Sea."

Grade: A-

Life must be great under the sea!

[Smells_Like_Cheese · 10/10 · 20 January 2004]

The Little Mermaid is one of the best Disney films of the 80's! It's such a wonderful film and is such a tear jerker, lol. The songs, the story, the animation, the voices, were just so wonderful and perfect. This is the film that I'm sure will go on for generations to come, I just showed it to my cousin recently, he's 6, and he just loves it as well. I remember watching this movie when I was a little girl and I just wanted a friend like Sebastian, he was so much fun, even though he's somewhat of a buzz kill, he can really get the party going. Just the whole story is a blast to watch and is so beautiful.

Ariel is one of the many princesses of King Triton's mighty kingdom under the sea, but she has a different dream. She goes up constantly to the shore to collect human items and wonders what it would be like to be a human instead of a mermaid. One day when she gets into a nasty fight with her father, Ursella, an evil octopus woman who wants to take over King Triton's kingdom, grants Ariel's wish, but she can only stay human if she can get her crush, Eric, to say her name, sounds easy, right? Well, Ursella takes her voice away, but her intentions are for Ariel to fail and make sure that she takes over the kingdom.

The Little Mermaid is such a fun Disney film and is a great treasure of our time. I just love the song "Under the sea", it's so much fun to sing and dance too, I admit it, I'm a dork, I still sing and dance to it when I see it. I highly recommend this movie for anyone, it's a true Disney classic that is so much fun, I guarantee you that you might shed a tear when Ariel says "Daddy", you'll see what I mean when you watch it.

10/10

The Little Mermaid

[auuwws · 7/10 · 10 December 2020]

Medium movie for Disney movies. I loved Sebastian. The movie's songs were great, especially Ariel's songs, who had a beautiful voice. I was hoping to show people the bad side. Ariel's character was not excellent despite her beauty and being one of the most beautiful Disney princesses, but her character was bad

Love this movie.

[desiraelily · 10/10 · 1 December 2019]

Pretty annoyed they're screwing up the live action movie.

Great fantasy about breaking away

[briancham1994 · 7/10 · 4 August 2020]

This film is great fuel for those who fantasise about breaking free. This is all due to Ariel who longs to see the world and feels trapped by her strict father. It's not the only Disney film with this plot, but it's an effective one as she expresses her longings through music and collections. The music in particular stands out in this film.

Wait a minute - there are actually people who HATE this?

[Victor Field · 10/10 · 6 October 2002]

I was definitely no kid when I saw "The Little Mermaid"; in fact, I was 20. I was thoroughly captivated by this movie - one of the last real delights from Disney's regular animation crews (before they had to get help from Pixar and Tim Burton) - and the Mouse couldn't have wished for a better movie to get them back on the proper road, animation-wise. (Of course, after this, "Aladdin" and "Beauty and the Beast" they've slipped a bit - though they're still better than DreamWorks.)

Though not exactly loyal to the original story - Hans Christian Andersen was much more keen on unhappy endings - it's doubtful it would have worked as well if it had. The movie has just about everything going for it... lush animation, spirited musical numbers (this started Alan Menken's run of success for Disney, and he's surely had enough time to refresh himself by now, and for us all to forget "Pocahontas"), wonderfully evil villain, likeable supporting players, and my all-time favourite Disney heroine, the endearing and lovely Ariel (remember the episode of "Cheers" when Norm said he fancied her? She got a lot of real life guys' hearts - beat that, Princess Fiona from "Shrek").

And as a plus, the subsequent TV series (set before the movie) even managed to capture some of the spirit of the movie. But go for the original... a classic.

The studio finds its feet.

[Pjtaylor-96-138044 · 7/10 · 1 July 2020]

'The Little Mermaid (1989)' pretty much acts as a blueprint for all the Disney musicals that follow it, establishing the studio's 'modern day' formula from its story structure to its song choices. There's no denying how influential the picture is, really. Having said that, its own influences are equally as evident and it's clearly an extension of its predecessors. The film tells the tale of a young mermaid princess who longs to be on land and so, in a moment of pure face-palming naïveté, makes a deal with a soul-collecting sea-witch. Along the way, there are several catchy songs and plenty of water-logged chuckles. The thing has oodles of charm, which mostly mitigate its few story issues and typically predictable nature. It's vibrant, well-animated and lively, as fun to look at as it is to listen to. I mean, 'Under The Sea' is an absolute bop, and Sebastian's face-off against an angry chef is almost just as enjoyable. As a whole, the flick is constantly entertaining. It sits in the upper tier of Disney's catalogue, for sure. 7/10

One of the greatest things ever to come from Disney!

[Jack the Ripper1888 · 3 May 2002]

No other Disney movie is a good as THE LITTLE MERMAID. It is one of my favorite Disney films of all time. It is truly a classic film that will forever live in film history. While I didn't really enjoy the songs, I still love the remainder of the movie. I like the ending most of all. It is one of the darkest endings ever seen in a Disney film. I really don't have much to say on this film at the moment, but if anything is going to be said about this movie, let me say this: If you haven't yet seen this wonderful movie, see it now! Having not seen it is a crime! This one gets 5/5.

a bubbly and thoroughly enchanting classic

[aminifatimaaa · 10/10 · 7 January 2019]

The Little Mermaid harkens back to the simple, straightforward qualities of Disney's golden era. A classic celebrating the impulsivity of youthful love and the search for a new identity. It's a faithful and brilliant showcase for animation as an enchanting, lively medium; and ushered in a new era of masterpieces from Disney. There's certainly some nostalgia attached to my love for this film but I don't even care...it's a wonderful little movie.

One of the greater classics beyond Walt Disney himself.

[OllieSuave-007 · 10/10 · 25 October 2013]

This is one of the greater full length animated feature films that was made after Walt Disney. A story about Ariel the Little Mermaid, who yearns to be part of the human world and who fell in love with human Prince Eric in the process. She makes a deal with Ursula the Sea Witch and traded her voice for legs so she could rise to the surface of the waters. What follows is a romantic story in how Ariel tries to win Eric's heart without her voice and an exciting race against time to ensure Ariel remains human, otherwise, returning back to the ocean and into the evil Ursula's custody.

Ron Clements and John Musker did an outstanding job in directing this movie, grasping the audience's attention at the start of the film with a musical sequence on the Prince's ship, and then a spectacular entry under the sea when we are introduced to the mermaids, helped by a powerful music score. The solid plot quickly identifies the story's main issue, Ariel, who is tired of being treated like a child by her father King Triton. The issue is then expanded as Ariel struggles to win Eric's heart when she goes to the human world while, at the same time, not knowing that Ursula has devious plans of her own to control the sea. All these plot elements and twists make this a very exciting Disney movie from start to finish.

The characters are very lovable and memorable, especially Flounder, Sebastian (my favorite) and Scuttles. They added humor and spirit in the movie as they help Ariel with her issues. The music score and songs are some of cinema's best work - Alan Menken and Howard Ashman did a marvelous job. "Under the Sea" is a very lively and dynamic Calyso-type song and "Part of your World" is a moving and commanding song; Jodi Benson had the perfect voice for Ariel - very soothing and serene. And, the artwork and graphics are some of the best I have seen in an animated film.

Overall, one of the best movies from Disney and remains a timeless fairytale for all ages.

Grade A

The beginning of Disney Renaissance

[TaylorYee94 · 7/10 · 24 November 2020]

The movie itself is great. The story flows whether you agree on the moral of it; the animation is realistic especially scenes in the water with the effects of wave; 'Part of Your World' and 'Under the Sea' signals the advent of 'Disney songs'. However, the story is not relatable anymore. Like Sebastian said, the seaweed is always greener in somebody else's lake. Ariel is a 'hopeless child' who throws away her talent, her family, and her life for the boy she has met for seconds. She is impetuous and selfish, putting others in danger with her with stupid contract. As the movie heads toward the ending, it loses focus; the storyline becomes childish and excessive. 'Little Mermaid' tried its best at that time, but it does not impact today's audience that much.

The magic Disney once created

[moritzherz · 7/10 · 15 June 2023]

In a time Disney releasing one heartless live action remake after another, fortunately losing a lot of money with them, the only possibility to get the old Disney magic is by watching the classics. Yes, I have not seen The little Mermaid until today, shame on me.

The combined power of a great story, consisting of adventure, danger and of course love worked back in 1989 and is still working in 2023. The songs hit immediately, you wanna dance with the rhythm.

This was a time, entertainment was the highest priority of making a movie. No political agendas pushed, no race swapping, no bad cgi, just a great story to tell.

With this sad, if you want to feel the good old Disney magic watch The little Mermaid.

Among the best fantasy films of all time

[Spleen · 10/10 · 23 August 1999]

The mermaid herself is charming. She is animated with real passion - and voiced with real passion too, by Jodi Benson, who provides a powerful argument that whoever provides the speaking voice should also provide the singing voice. She is an innocent heroine but by no means a colourless one. That the prince should fall in love with her, on just seeing her and hearing her voice, is entirely credible.

The same could not be said for Andersen's original mermaid, who is a very cold fish indeed, solely concerned with grabbing immortality, considering the prince as no more than a handy means to it. It's this (and the high value placed on Christianity at the expense of decency) that makes Andersen's ending so insufferable. Obviously, another ending had to be found; and while it must be said that the big ending Musker and Clements came up with is a weak one, it must also be said that it's an improvement.

Musker and Clements still have a problem with their finales (witness `Aladdin' and `Hercules'), but they have countervailing strengths, and those strengths are most apparent here. The songs are all exceptionally staged (the well-known `Under the Sea' actually being the least effective), the comedy is sharp and well-timed, and - more obviously here than anywhere else - they really believe in what they're doing. They give credit to Howard Ashman for this and they could be right; whatever the reason, an air of innocence and sincerity pervades `The Little Mermaid' which makes it - and her - utterly irresistible.

A Good Disney Film

[Rainey-Dawn · 8/10 · 25 October 2014]

A good family film with a cute version the story. As it is written so it is said, Disney's movie is *loosely* based on Hans Christian Andersen's story - so you cannot compare Andersen's story with Disney's film. Disney's film is a colorful tale with quite a few comical characters.

I enjoyed this film quite a bit but I would have liked to have seen this movie a bit "darker" in tone (animation and story). Under ocean is a mysterious place - so I would have preferred this movie with more of a "gloomy" atmosphere and story instead of being mainly a bright place to live. Of course it's just a matter of personal preference.

Yes The Little Mermaid is a wonderful film. You could make this a double feature with movies like: "Sleeping Beauty" or "Beauty and the Beast".

8/10

Fun!

[brookenichole-98054 · 7/10 · 20 August 2021]

The Little Mermaid is a fun, classic movie! However, since I've been rewatching all the Princess movies, I've noticed that this one is the weakest so far. It's music is catchy and the animation is gorgeous, but the story felt weak. The best part was the characters. I loved seeing Ariel and Eric. Even the jokes were pretty funny.

Overall, it's always fun to watch Disney movies again!

Ariel Is Bad Role Model

[iquine · 5/10 · 7 November 2019]

(Flash Review)

So.... Disobeying your parents, running away, ignoring commitments, chasing a hunk you just met and giving up your speech (essentially your mind) to do so because you can just toss your hair, flutter your eyes and shake your body is message bring sent to the little girls...? Because of course everything will work out perfectly in the end. Really? This is a very shallow movie with very little character development and Ariel has no arc as she learns nothing and gets her way in the end. Aside from the good animation, for the time, and the catchy tunes and outstanding voice acting by Ursula there was literally zero message to be taken from this. Almost worse than a Barbie cartoon in terms of message.

"The Little Mermaid" Surprised Me

[JKearse · 28 April 1999]

It has been ten years since "The Little Mermaid" was released. Back when Disney originally released the film, I was both excited and apprehensive. Excited, because it is one of the best children's stories and one of my favorites. Apprehensive, because I knew Disney would change the ending and give it a happy ending, which is understandable but still unfortunate. When I first saw it, I liked it much more than I thought I would, and after each repeated viewing, I have liked it more and more. I am now convinced this is the second best American Animated film, after "Beauty and the Beast". The music, story, writing, and animation are superb as others have stated, but the villainess, Ursula, is also a major factor in the success of the film. She is the best written and performed of all Disney villains. She is purely evil but totally believable. Pat Carroll, who I have often noticed but never really considered, did a fabulous job with Ursula's characterization. The music and songs are consistantly very good. There is no deep thought to this one, but "The Little Mermaid" is artfully near-perfect entainment.

Absolutely superb!

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 18 February 2009]

I also recommend the TV series, but not the sequel. I still think that Tarzan is the last great Disney movie, but pretty much everything else after lacks the magic that Disney once had, as far as I'm concerned.(with the exception of the surprisingly good Fantasia 2000, Bambi 2 and Emperor's New Groove) 10 years ago, this was one of my all-time favourites. I remember, every time I went swimming, I felt really inspired to be a mermaid. That's the effect this movie and the TV series had on me. The animation is absolutely gorgeous, especially the underwater scenes, and the storm. The script is intelligent and witty, and everyone involved did a marvellous job putting it across. The songs are fantastic, as always with Alan Menken. In fact, the only score of Alan Menken's I don't like is "Home on the Range". My favourites are "Part of your World"(my sister is always singing it around the house) and the wonderfully energetic "Under the Sea". The characters are probably the most memorable in a Disney movie, especially Ariel, a beautiful and feisty mermaid, with a dream of being a human. She has a beautiful voice also, well we have the talented Jodi Benson to thank for that. Sebastian is so funny here, a he was in the series, but as well as Flounder(another great character)he was ruined in the sequel. Kenneth Mars's Triton is an inspiring father-figure, who reminds me of my grandfather. The best character is without question, Ursula, who scarred me for life after watching her. Likewise with The Evil Manta from the series. Whilst her song is probably the least memorable song of the movie, it still works. Flotsam and Jetsam are also really creepy. Miles better than Ursula's really bland sister Morgana at any rate.To round off, I can't forget Louis the chef. He is so funny here, unlike in the sequel, where the same joke was repeated but badly underplayed. I can't believe some people hate this movie. It is one of Disney's best along with "Beauty and the Beast", "Lion King", "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and "Sleeping Beauty". Highly recommended for all ages. 10/10. Bethany Cox

Pure brilliance

[neil-476 · 10/10 · 4 October 2007]

There is (in my view) only one criticism which can be levelled against this film, and that is that it plays fast and loose with Andersen's original in terms of the ending. I first read Andersen's stories as a child, and The Little Mermaid had a fairly typical unhappy ending. Personally, I thought the Mermaid deserved better and, on taking my kids to see this movie when it was first released, I was delighted to see that the people at Disney had given her the ending I always wanted for her.

The very first sequence, of Prince Eric's ship looming out of the mist, took my breath away.

I can understand Under The Sea getting all the attention - it is, after all, very jolly and colourful. But, to me, it pales into insignificance next to Kiss The Girl (soulful, and with a far better vocal performance), Poor Unfortunate Souls (where sinister turns into nightmare, with a sensational vocal performance from Pat Carroll delivering clever lyrics) and, most of all Part Of Your World.

I think this may be the most perfect song sequence ever committed to celluloid - the song itself intertwines several plot elements, teenage angst and the generation gap, and bucketloads of emotion in a complex rhyming scheme loaded with clever wordplay. Jodi Benson's vocal is sublime and so are the visuals - it still brings tears to my eyes after repeated viewings. And the reprise... choreographing the final "world" to an orchestral crescendo and the crashing of the wave behind Ariel in Copenhagen mode may be corny but, by heaven, it certainly works! Howard Ashman is sadly missed!

Not a bad way to kick off a new era.

[Mr-Fusion · 7/10 · 10 September 2022]

It's easy to see how this film reinvigorated the studio's animation department. The artwork is high quality, the songs are catchy and Pat Carroll is one of the epic Disney villains. I enjoyed this as a kid and adulthood brings a newfound appreciation of its technical virtues.

One thing that nine-year-old me did not have was an ear for vocals, and I am absolutely blown away by Jodi Benson. I'm no singer, but even I can appreciate her craft and her unbelievable control. Hearing "Part of Your World" was a revelation and enriched the whole movie for me. Is there a term for a nonsexual crush on a singing voice? 'Cause I've got that, man oh man.

Ariel is a good singer 😭

[Paranoid_Indifference · 10/10 · 7 February 2020]

When you're a kid, things just seem big. Toilets look like they're 10 feet wide. I saw this when I was just a cherub. Ursula, I found her to be really scary. Now I see the rich humor in her worldview.

Ariel is cool, she's just the best. When I was a kid, Part Of Your World was my favorite song. (That was before I discovered Fatboy Slim.)

I only have one complaint: I know mermaids are magic, so that explains how they can breathe underwater. But how do fish breathe underwater? I've never understood that. Wouldn't the fishes' lungs get full of water? 🤕