The Little Mermaid Review: Part of Your World

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Continuing with our “Disney through the ages”, we have reached the 80s/90s. When it came to deciding what film I would review for this era it actually wasn’t a hard selection. Do not get me wrong these decades have so many films that I love and hold dear. I may be a 2000s kid but my parents showed me all of their favourite Disney movies and most of them are from this era. This era is also where we have started to see live-action remakes, including The Little Mermaid. 

My favourite may be Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast might be the most influential, and The Lion King may be the most epic. Those might be three of my favourite Disney films but the one I am reviewing is the other in the top four and it might just be the most important movie of all of them from this decade. That film is The Little Mermaid.

The Little Mermaid which was released in 1989 ended up being potentially the most important Disney film since Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.  The late 70s and early 80s had not been kind to Disney and their dominance in family entertainment had begun to falter in that regard.  They really needed a win to turn around their animation studio as well as the company as a whole.  

Luckily two directors at Disney, John Musker and Ron Clements asked the head of Walt Disney Studios, Jeffery Katzenberg, if they could make the film. With Alan Menken and Howard Ashman at the helm musically the film would go on to become one of the most well-known animated films of all time. It also would begin what is now known as the Disney Renaissance where the studio success with all of their major animated films. So for me, there was no other choice when it came to which film would represent these decades.

 Obviously, you can see my rating. I love this film and I think it is expertly made.  I don’t really have much for critiques except one. Overall in the film, Ariel is a very independent character who takes charge of her own life and is not a passive protagonist. However, in the final battle, she doesn’t really get to do much in the defeat of Ursula.  I wish she had more of an impact in defeating Ursula and saving the day. 

Now with that said I want to talk about why this film was such a success and remains a key part of the Disney vault to this day. The first thing I want to discuss and perhaps what skyrocketed this film beyond what Disney had been putting out at the time is the music. The music is a crucial part of this film. Howard Ashman and Alan Menken took a Broadway approach to crafting the music and included many elements that had made Broadway musicals popular for decades. This decision gave a structure to the music and helped weave it in with the story in a way that complimented both. 

I could talk about each song and I think I will. Fathoms Below is pretty short but it sets the tone of the sailors and the myths they believe about the sea. Daughters of Triton is even shorter and is fine. Les Poissons is very funny but you really need the context and the slapstick for this song. Kiss The Girl is a beautiful song that is very distinct and while it might be the slowest it is very romantic. It also has a jazz sound which I like. 

Poor Unfortunate Souls is in my opinion one of the best Disney villain songs that has ever been released. Ursula is just a great villain in general but the energy and the swagger with which she sings the song and really the that they were able to slip in exposition without making it boring is brilliant. My two favourite songs are Under the Sea and Part of Your World but for different reasons.   

Part of Your World is like the emotional piece known as the “I want song” where the character sings about their desires. I think that it perfectly encapsulates Ariel and her motivation for the film. The melody always sticks in my head after watching it. Under the Sea is a fun song with lots of energy that kind of feels like your showstopper song. It has this huge big band feel to it that really drives home the energy that the song brings. I can sing this song word for word and it’s not because it’s just sung by another Sebastian.

 There are many more positives besides the music that this film has to offer. For one the jump from Sleeping Beauty to The Little Mermaid in terms of characterisation is huge.  The characters in The Little Mermaid are so much more alive and have such distinct personalities. My favourite may be Sebastian and how proper he tries to be but I mean Ariel is a fantastic protagonist who demonstrates such curiosity and wonder. Flounder is her adorable best friend. Scuttle brings comedy to every scene. 

Triton is intimidating but you can tell he loves his family.  Ursula is a menacing and fun-cackling villain. Even Eric has his own desires and dreams. He doesn’t even want to be a prince in many ways. It’s just easier to connect with these characters and they feel more like real people. Also, once again the animation is stunning. 

I know I have said that in every one of these Disney reviews but hey it’s true. What’s really impressive in this film is the movement underwater particularly Ariel’s hair and the way it is constant motion. The element that I think Disney took away from this film is the music as many of their most successful modern films are still musicals.

 All in all, this is a home run.  This film excels on all fronts.  It needed to be a huge success and it managed to exceed expectations. It has wonder and whimsy and will have you wishing you could party Under the Sea!