The Little Mermaid

Plot

A mermaid princess makes a faustian bargain with an unscrupulous seahag in order to meet a human prince on land.

Release Year: 1989

Rating: 7.5/10 (60,213 voted)

Director:
Ron Clements

Stars: Jodi Benson, Samuel E. Wright, Rene Auberjonois

Storyline
Loosely based upon the story by Hans Christian Andersen. Ariel, youngest daughter of King Triton, is dissatisfied with life in the sea. She longs to be with the humans above the surface, and is often caught in arguments with her father over those "barbaric fish-eaters". She goes to meet Ursula, the Sea Witch, to strike a deal, but Ursula has bigger plans for this mermaid and her father.

Writers: John Musker, Ron Clements

Cast:

Rene Auberjonois
–

Louis

(voice)

Christopher Daniel Barnes
–

Eric

(voice)

Jodi Benson
–

Ariel
/
Vanessa

(voice)

Pat Carroll
–

Ursula

(voice)

Paddi Edwards
–

Flotsam & Jetsam

(voice)

Buddy Hackett
–

Scuttle

(voice)

Jason Marin
–

Flounder

(voice)

Kenneth Mars
–

Triton

(voice)

Edie McClurg
–

Carlotta

(voice)

Will Ryan
–

Seahorse

(voice)

Ben Wright
–

Grimsby

(voice)

Samuel E. Wright
–

Sebastian

(voice)

Hamilton Camp
–

Additional Voices

(voice)

Debbie Shapiro Gravitte
–

Additional Voices

(voice)
(as Debbie Shapiro)

Robert Weil
–

Additional Voices

(voice)

Taglines:
Somewhere under the sea and beyond your imagination is an adventure in fantasy.

Details

Official Website:
Disney [United States] |

Release Date: 17 November 1989

Box Office Details

Budget: $40,000,000

(estimated)

Opening Weekend: $9,814,520
(USA)
(16 November 1997)
(2054 Screens)
(reissue)

Gross: $109,859,444
(USA)
(1 February 1998)
(re-issue)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Did You Know?

Trivia:

This film was the most effects-animation heavy Disney animated feature since
Fantasia. The two minute storm sequence alone took 10 special effects animators over a year to finish. Effects animation supervisor Mark Dindal estimated that over a million bubbles were drawn for this film, in addition to the use of other processes such as airbrushing, back lighting, superimposition, and some flat-shaded computer animation.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes:
When Prince Eric and Max the dog are first seen, the ship's balustrade that Max's paws are resting on is clearly visible through his paws.

Quotes:

[first lines]

Prince Eric:
Isn't this great? The salty sea air, the wind blowing in your face… aaah, the perfect day to be at sea!

Grimsby:
[leaning over rail]
Oh, yes… urp… delightful.

User Review

This is my favourite movie of all time…

Rating: 10/10

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.