MEOW!
{SIDE-NOTE: Yes, my fourth grade teacher introduced us to the Hans Christian Andersen version of this story. A rather dark day at Skinner Road School.}
Time for some fish and water puns!
Nosealgic Inseaghts: Because I unfortunately didn't own a VHS copy of The Little Mermaid back when I was a wee young lad, I never got a chance to watch it as much as most of the Disney films. Thankfully, I was able to watch it more when I bought a DVD copy of the special edition at Stop + Shop. And of course, like most of the Disney films I saw as a wee young lad, I loved it. From the beautiful hand-drawn animation, to the beautifully written sea-score, this was one movie musical that I enjoyed from start to finish. I also saw the musical adaptation on Broadway, and Ariel was portrayed by none other than Sierra Boggess. Let me repeat those two words again: SIERRA. BOGGESS. She was wonderful. -cue giddy smiley face-
But getting back on land, what do I think of it today? Is it worth diving under the sea once again?
NOT THAT C!
-sigh- Moving on...
Ten-Seacond Analysis: Despite a couple of traditional flaws, The Little Mermaid is able to stand on its own two feet thanks to wonderful animation, colorful characters, and a magical, musical sea-score.
The Good Sea: The opening credit sequence of this film never fails to give me that good ol' fashioned movie magic. The animated environments, the colors on those animated environments, the non-diegetic music surrounding the colorfully animated environments, the fishes and mermaids swimming to the tune of the non-diegetic music surrounding the colorfully animated environments--all of it is just wonderful, and I can't think of a more appropriate way to introduce a film like this.
But that doesn't just stop there. The whole film has a color palette that could have only been thought up by some child-like dreamers. Ursula (the great-and-fortunate voice that is Pat Carroll) is a fantastic design for a villain, almost a little too fantastic for the youngest of children. Whenever Ariel (beautifully and appropriately voiced by Jodi Benson) has a conversation with her fish-friend Flounder (Jason Marin), or whenever Sebastian (brilliantly voiced by Samuel E. Wright) and King Triton (Kenneth Mars) have a conversation of their own, their colors are integrated so well into their environments that just looking at the film would be more than worth ninety minutes of your life. The animation of Ariel's expressions during when she is human is also incredibly fun to watch. Props to Disney animation!
But again, that also doesn't stop there. The soundtrack, with a magical sea-score by Alan Menken, who also wrote the songs with the late-yet-great Howard Ashman, is one of the best soundtracks Disney has ever released. I can't think of one song that I do not enjoy, even though there are a few stand-outs. Both of the songs sung by Sebastian, "Kiss the Girl" and especially the Oscar-winning "Under the Sea," are AWESOME songs, and they provide some of the most joyous moments I've seen in animation in general. "Poor Unfortunate Souls" is a great villainess song appropriate for a great villainess, and the moment when Ariel is forced to give her voice to Ursula is one of those movie-musical-chill inducing moments. The sea-score on a whole is marvelous, with compositions such as "Bedtime," "Happy Ending," and "Wedding Announcement" that dive deep into your emotions.
The characters are all memorable as well. While I think Ariel can be a shellfish woman at times, she does have a free spirit that can inspire others to go out and achieve their dreams. Hopefully not at the expense of putting their fathers in danger, however. Speaking of fathers, King Triton is a surprisingly well-thought out father figure; you can sense how he personally hates the human world while wanting to let his daughter be as free as she can. Ursula, as I've written before, is simply a great villainess, hungry not only for Triton's castle, but the entire ocean as well. Prince Eric (Christopher Daniel Barnes), while not a particularly deep character, is likable enough to prove to Triton that not all humans are 'spineless, savage, harpooning fish eaters.' Well...OK, maybe, but he's still a good guy. Sebastian is an awesome Jamaican crab, Flounder is a good guppy, and Scuttle...he's a seagull...and voiced by the late-yet-great Buddy Hackett.
Oh, and Mom? Can I have a dog like Max? Pweeeeeeeeeeease?
The Bad Sea: There isn't anything terrible to say about The Little Mermaid, although I do think it has some serious pacing issues. Some moments of the film revolve around some unneeded slapstick to fulfill the running time of ninety minutes (with the exception of some slapstick during "Les Poissons," which is freakin' hilarious). Also, as bright and beautiful as Ariel is, she can be a bit careless when chasing her dream; her father almost turned into a charming collection of Ursula's garden, for Max's sake. WOOF. And it would have been great to see Ariel and Triton have a mature conversation before she {OBLIGATORY SPOILER} at the end. But how it turned out in the end made me feel satisfied enough.
Sea it or Spray it?: Absolutely sea it!
In Conclocean...er...Conclusion: The Little Mermaid is a wonderful animated musical with colorful animation, memorable characters, and fantastic songs that will infect you healthily. Out of five Jamaican crabs, I give this little mermaid...
Until next time,
ugh...
Mamma mia...
No seriously, that's the film I'm reviewing next. And I can't think of a more appropriate title. Mamma mia...
Meow.
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