The Little Mermaid (1989)

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

Directors:

Ron Clements, John Musker

Writers:

John Musker, Ron Clements

Stars:

Jodi Benson, Samuel E. Wright, Rene Auberjonois

Won 2 Oscars. Another 10 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rene Auberjonois	...	Louis (voice) (as René Auberjonois)
Christopher Daniel Barnes	...	Eric (voice)
Jodi Benson	...	Ariel (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)

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

fork | 2d animation | mermaid | princess | old english sheepdog | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Animation | Family | Fantasy | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

G

Did You Know?

Trivia

Movie was adapted as a Broadway musical in 2007.

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Goofs

When Sebastian looks through a pair of glasses, his right claw disappears for an instant.

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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. Delightful.

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Alternate Versions

During the re-release in 1998, a new Austrian German-dubbed version was made and shown in Austrian theaters starting in June 1998. All dialogue for this version was adapted to Austrian expressions and slang. Another dubbed version was made in the Viennese dialect, with Jazz Gitti as the voice of Ursula, but this version has never been commercially available.

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Connections

Spoofed in Harley Quinn: Bachelorette (2020)

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Soundtracks

Can-Can
(1858) (uncredited)
from "Orphée aux enfers"
Written by Jacques Offenbach
Played in the score after "Les Poissons" number

User Reviews

A Good Disney Film

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

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

17 November 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Little Mermaid 3D

Filming Locations:

Walt Disney Feature Animation - 500 S. Buena Vista Street, Burbank, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,031,914, 19 November 1989

Gross USA:

$111,543,479

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$211,343,479

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Pictures, Silver Screen Partners IV, Walt Disney Animation Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo Dolby Atmos (Ultra HD Blu-ray release) (2019) SDDS (re-release) Dolby Digital (re-release) DTS (re-release)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1