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The Little Mermaid

  • 19891989
  • GG
  • 1h 23m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
256K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,275
110
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Jodi Benson in The Little Mermaid (1989)
A mermaid princess makes a faustian bargain with an unscrupulous seahag in order to meet a human prince on land.
Play trailer1:32
16 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Animation
  • Adventure
  • Comedy

A mermaid princess makes a Faustian bargain in an attempt to become human and win a prince's love.A mermaid princess makes a Faustian bargain in an attempt to become human and win a prince's love.A mermaid princess makes a Faustian bargain in an attempt to become human and win a prince's love.

IMDb RATING
7.6/10
256K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,275
110
  • Directors
    • Ron Clements
    • John Musker
  • Writers
    • John Musker
    • Ron Clements
    • Hans Christian Andersen(based on the fairy tale by)
  • Stars
    • Jodi Benson(voice)
    • Samuel E. Wright(voice)
    • Rene Auberjonois(voice)
Top credits
  • Directors
    • Ron Clements
    • John Musker
  • Writers
    • John Musker
    • Ron Clements
    • Hans Christian Andersen(based on the fairy tale by)
  • Stars
    • Jodi Benson(voice)
    • Samuel E. Wright(voice)
    • Rene Auberjonois(voice)
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 317User reviews
    • 112Critic reviews
    • 88Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 2 Oscars
      • 14 wins & 8 nominations total

    Videos16

    U.S. Version
    Trailer 1:32
    U.S. Version
    What We Know About 'The Little Mermaid' ... So Far
    Clip 3:44
    What We Know About 'The Little Mermaid' ... So Far
    The Little Mermaid: Diamond Edition
    Clip 2:27
    The Little Mermaid: Diamond Edition
    The Little Mermaid: Diamond Edition
    Clip 1:29
    The Little Mermaid: Diamond Edition
    The Little Mermaid: Diamond Edition
    Clip 1:00
    The Little Mermaid: Diamond Edition
    The Little Mermaid: Diamond Edition
    Clip 0:54
    The Little Mermaid: Diamond Edition
    The Little Mermaid: Diamond Edition
    Clip 2:08
    The Little Mermaid: Diamond Edition
    The Little Mermaid: Diamond Edition
    Clip 1:08
    The Little Mermaid: Diamond Edition
    The Little Mermaid: Diamond Edition
    Clip 1:09
    The Little Mermaid: Diamond Edition
    The Little Mermaid: Diamond Edition
    Clip 2:02
    The Little Mermaid: Diamond Edition
    The Little Mermaid: Diamond Edition
    Clip 1:51
    The Little Mermaid: Diamond Edition
    The Little Mermaid: Diamond Edition
    Clip 1:36
    The Little Mermaid: Diamond Edition

    Photos231

    Pat Carroll in The Little Mermaid (1989)
    Jodi Benson, Jason Marin, and Samuel E. Wright in The Little Mermaid (1989)
    Jodi Benson and Jason Marin in The Little Mermaid (1989)
    Jodi Benson in The Little Mermaid (1989)
    Kenneth Mars in The Little Mermaid (1989)
    Pat Carroll in The Little Mermaid (1989)
    Jodi Benson and Pat Carroll in The Little Mermaid (1989)
    Samuel E. Wright in The Little Mermaid (1989)
    Jodi Benson and Jason Marin in The Little Mermaid (1989)
    Jodi Benson in The Little Mermaid (1989)
    The Little Mermaid (1989)
    Christopher Daniel Barnes, Jodi Benson, and Jason Marin in The Little Mermaid (1989)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Jodi Benson
    Jodi Benson
    • Arielas Ariel
    • (voice)
    Samuel E. Wright
    Samuel E. Wright
    • Sebastianas Sebastian
    • (voice)
    Rene Auberjonois
    Rene Auberjonois
    • Louisas Louis
    • (voice)
    Christopher Daniel Barnes
    Christopher Daniel Barnes
    • Ericas Eric
    • (voice)
    Pat Carroll
    Pat Carroll
    • Ursulaas Ursula
    • (voice)
    Paddi Edwards
    Paddi Edwards
    • Flotsamas Flotsam
    • (voice)
    • …
    Buddy Hackett
    Buddy Hackett
    • Scuttleas Scuttle
    • (voice)
    Jason Marin
    • Flounderas Flounder
    • (voice)
    Kenneth Mars
    Kenneth Mars
    • Tritonas Triton
    • (voice)
    Edie McClurg
    Edie McClurg
    • Carlottaas Carlotta
    • (voice)
    Will Ryan
    Will Ryan
    • Seahorseas Seahorse
    • (voice)
    Ben Wright
    Ben Wright
    • Grimsbyas Grimsby
    • (voice)
    Hamilton Camp
    Hamilton Camp
    • Additional Voicesas Additional Voices
    • (voice)
    Debbie Shapiro Gravitte
    • Additional Voicesas Additional Voices
    • (voice)
    • (as Debbie Shapiro)
    Robert Weil
    Robert Weil
    • Additional Voicesas Additional Voices
    • (voice)
    Ed Gilbert
    Ed Gilbert
    • Additional Voicesas Additional Voices
    • (voice)
    Charlie Adler
    Charlie Adler
    • Additional Voicesas Additional Voices
    • (voice)
    Jack Angel
    Jack Angel
    • Additional Voicesas Additional Voices
    • (voice)
    • Directors
      • Ron Clements
      • John Musker
    • Writers
      • John Musker
      • Ron Clements
      • Hans Christian Andersen(based on the fairy tale by)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    In Disney's beguiling animated romp, rebellious 16-year-old mermaid Ariel is fascinated with life on land. On one of her visits to the surface, which are forbidden by her controlling father, King Triton, she falls for a human prince. Determined to be with her new love, Ariel makes a dangerous deal with the sea witch Ursula to become human for three days. But when plans go awry for the star-crossed lovers, the king must make the ultimate sacrifice for his daughter. —Jwelch5742
    • mermaid
    • fork
    • 2d animation
    • storm at sea
    • rescue from drowning
    • 442 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Sea it
    • Genres
      • Animation
      • Adventure
      • Comedy
      • Family
      • Fantasy
      • Musical
      • Romance
    • Certificate
      • G
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In the opening scene when King Triton arrives at the arena, Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck and Kermit the Frog can be briefly seen in the crowd of sea-people as mermen when he passes over them.
    • Goofs
      During "Kiss the Girl", the fish swim up from a depth, but later, when Ariel and Eric fall out of the boat, they are shown in Ursula's ball standing in shallow water.
    • Quotes

      Sebastian: Hm. Teenagers. They think they know everything. You give them an inch, they swim all over you.

    • Alternate versions
      For the re-release in 1998, some of the international versions were entirely re-dubbed. It has been claimed this was due to a bureaucratic error, but the real reason for this action was because the international companies were unhappy with the scripts on the earlier releases and wanted to be more faithful to the original dialogue. Many international fans disliked the new dubs, especially in Germany, where several petitions were set up to restore the old dub on DVD (which actually resulted in Disney including the old dub on the 2013 DVD/Blu-ray release). Other countries affected by the change were France, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Poland, Thailand, Japan and Brazil.
    • Connections
      Edited from Pinocchio (1940)
    • Soundtracks
      Fathoms Below
      (1989) (uncredited)

      Music by Alan Menken

      Lyrics by Howard Ashman

      Performed by Disney Chorus (Ship's Chorus)

    User reviews317

    Review
    Top review
    "The Little Mermaid" Surprised Me
    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.
    helpful•30
    5
    • JKearse
    • Apr 28, 1999

    FAQ6

    • What is the reason behind King Triton's hatred towards the humans?
    • What is 'The Little Mermaid' about?
    • Is 'The Little Mermaid' based on a book?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 17, 1989 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official site
    • Languages
      • English
      • French
    • Also known as
      • The Little Mermaid 3D
    • Filming locations
      • Walt Disney Feature Animation - 500 S. Buena Vista Street, Burbank, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Walt Disney Pictures
      • Silver Screen Partners IV
      • Walt Disney Animation Studios
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $40,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $111,543,479
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $6,031,914
      • Nov 19, 1989
    • Gross worldwide
      • $211,343,479
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 23 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

    Samuel E. Wright Dies: ‘The Little Mermaid’s Sebastian The Crab, Broadway’s Mufasa Was 74
    Samuel E. Wright Dies: ‘The Little Mermaid’s Sebastian The Crab, Broadway’s Mufasa Was 74
    May 25Deadline Film + TV
    Brandy Announces Her Version of ‘Cinderella’ is Coming to Disney+
    Brandy Announces Her Version of ‘Cinderella’ is Coming to Disney+
    Feb 4Rollingstone.com

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