Tuesday, January 7, 2014

The Little Mermaid (1989)


Excellent, another Disney film added to my collection! I usually wait until after the holidays to grab whatever Disney film just came out of the "vault" because I'm hoping somebody will get it for me for Christmas. And guess what was under the tree! 

Most girls (and boys) of a certain age have very fond memories of this movie. I remember having a little stuffed Flounder that I would hold by its fins like Ariel did. I would swim in my grandparents' pool and pretend I was a mermaid. You know, typical little girl stuff. What's nice about a lot of these classic Disney films is that while you grow up loving them for one reason, you can revisit them as an adult and appreciate them on a totally different level. What makes this movie great for me now is the amazing musical work by Howard Ashman (RIP) and Alan Menken. Those songs! I hate to think of a world without "Under the Sea". And let's not forget the hilariously violent "Les Poissons" sequence! The blu-ray is pretty great, featuring a great making-of documentary and lots of other fun behind-the-scenes tidbits for superfans. Did you know Ursula the sea witch was based on Divine? Awesome! I'm so glad Ashman's legacy will live on as people continue to love this movie. And with a great voice cast (Jodi Benson as Ariel is flawless), beautiful animation, and top-notch music, there will be no shortage of love for The Little Mermaid anytime soon.






1 comment:

  1. There was a lot of mermaid time in the pool for me as well. I still get choked up when I sing "Part of Your World" in the car.

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