The Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid (1989)

Directed and Written by Ron Clements and John Musker

THE ANIMATION

The best looking Disney film in thirty years (since Sleeping Beauty), it’s obvious that Disney went all out on what was their last chance at a big animated hit (it was their most expensive film in decades). Sure, there’s the rare failure to lip sync dialogue or a model that doesn’t quite hit the mark, but man is the animation and art direction otherwise breathtaking. Ariel’s facial expressions, the flow of her hair; the energy of the action, the seamless use of early CGI, the vibrant colors and detail of both the nautical world (down to the bubbles) and Eric’s bustling kingdom—it’s all great stuff.

THE HEROES

Let me just say off the bat that Ariel and Prince Eric were, at the time, the best Disney princess and prince combination the studio had produced. Snow White and Cinderella were likable enough as protagonists (there wasn’t enough of Aurora to really leave an impression either way), and the Prince, Charming, and Phillip were serviceable to the extent that they were needed for their respective narratives, but that was just it—they were serviceable; the princesses too. Ariel and Eric were the first prince and princess characters to actually leave a strong impression. And the funny thing about it is, they still get a bad rap. I guess I can understand why, as I haven’t always thought as highly about the two as I do these days, but I mark it up to a failure to appreciate how their written all the same.

Ariel from the get-go is on another level from her princess predecessors just for having a deliberately defined goal: she wants to explore, and even live in, the human world. Compare this to Snow White, whose only ambition was to find her true love, and Cinderella, who was a dreamer (she also wanted to escape her life as a slave, which was well and good, but there’s more to sink your teeth into with Ariel’s ambitions, and her curiosity is a joy to watch). She acts rashly and immaturely, but she’s a sixteen-year-old girl; that comes with the territory. And she does ultimately learn the error of her ways in the film’s climax; it’s not like she’s never reprimanded for her mistakes, or she never tries to remedy them. Also, no, she doesn’t “sell her soul” for a man. The film made sure to define her love and desire for the human world well before she’s even aware that Eric even exists—her admittedly typically swift falling in love with him was just icing on the cake.

Now, let’s look at Eric. While you may contest my saying that Ariel is on a whole other level above her predecessors (you’d be wrong, but I digress), there is simply no denying it with Eric. The only prince before him who could even hope to give him a run for his money would be Phillip, and he still doesn’t come close. Eric’s a great guy—and you might even argue that he’s too great of a guy; but it’s Ariel’s story anyway, who cares about Eric’s imperfections. Eric gets props from me because not only is he a courageous guy who is willing to lay his life on the line (like Phillip when he fought Maleficent), but I appreciate that he actually falls for Ariel as a person before he falls for her as an ideal. Sure, he claims after only vaguely seeing her and hearing her voice that he’s going to marry her as soon as they’re reunited, but when they are (and he doesn’t recognize her) he ends up getting to know her and falling for this new person—the person he actually gets to know. Again, the fact that she ended up being the same person he’d idealized before was just icing on the cake; by the time he’d figured that out, he’d already decided to marry her. While these two aren’t the most complexly written hero and heroine we’d get from the studio, they definitely broke the mold when they first debuted, and they’ll always be loved just for that.

THE SIDE CHARACTERS

The rest of the cast here is just as strong as the primaries—so strong that a few of them would actually become templates in themselves for side characters in future films (Sebastian will later be reincarnated in the savannahs of Africa as the similarly both strict and cloddish Zazu in The Lion King, though as “The Morning Report” will show, Sebastian is clearly the more musically gifted of the two).  Flounder makes for a pretty vanilla, doting sidekick to Ariel; and Scuttle is amusing because at first you’re not quite sure if he’s a pathological liar or just out of his mind (spoiler alert: it’s the latter, but he’s still a good guy). Similarly, the chef, Louis, makes for some manically entertainingly sadistic comedic relief, and Grimsby is more or less to Eric what Sebastian and Flounder are to Ariel, but combined. The standout, though, is King Triton, the father of Ariel.

When people think of Disney-dads, nine-out-of-ten times they’ll leap to Mufasa—and with good reason. But it’d be a crime to overlook Triton, who proves just as authoritative and threatening, while also loving and affectionate, as his successor. Actually, I’d argue even more so—or rather, he’s more interesting; and that’s because he’s more flawed. Triton has a temper, and he’s quick to action; but he’s just as quick to reflect on those actions. Every time he disciplines Ariel, he immediately wonders if he’s being too harsh. I adore Triton as a character because despite his fears for his daughter and his extreme actions as consequence, he still shines through as an amazingly gentle and just merman at the same time—as shown when he finally looks past his prejudices and acquiesces to Ariel’s wishes, allowing her to be with Eric.

THE VILLAINS

I can’t say that Ursula is breaking new ground here by being a great villain; Disney has never had trouble with baddies in the past (see: Maleficent), but man does she steal the show when she’s on screen. Pat Carroll gives Ursula a sassy, debonair attitude that is just a delight to watch (“Life’s full of tough choices, ‘innit?” “Don’t underestimate the importance of body language”)*, and of course, the animation brings her to life as well. Modeled after Divine (perhaps with a little Madame Medusa thrown in for good measure?), Ursula manages to channel the flamboyant extravagance of the source of her inspiration (and boy does she make for an exciting final battle when she finally lets loose with the trident).

Ursula’s, er, hench-fish, Flotsam and Jetsam, also make for memorable side-villains. With their creepy voices and magical glowing eyes, they manage to leave an impression without very interesting as characters themselves.

THE MUSIC

Alan. The Man. Menken. My love for this guy knows no depths. It is no exaggeration to say that the Disney Renaissance would never had happened if it wasn’t for the studio bringing this guy onboard to compose the score for this film as well as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Hercules. Honestly, could you picture Disney today without such classics as “Part of Your World”, “Under the Sea”, “Poor Unfortunate Souls”, or “Kiss the Girl”? I know I couldn’t, especially since “Part of Your World” is hands down one of my favorite Disney songs of all time (thank God they stopped Katzenberg from cutting this from the film. Shame “One Dance” couldn’t be saved from the same fate, but I understand why it had to be done from a narrative point of view). Not a single song here is a dud (though “Fathoms Below”, “Daughters of Triton”, and “Les Poissons” don’t share the longevity of the other four songs—but hey, every musical score has its fluff, and they’re not bad pieces), and the score itself is memorable to boot.

Also, while we’re on the subject, I can’t be the only one who thought it was a missed opportunity not to make “Vanessa’s Song” (the fan name for the short song Ursula sings while alone in human form) a reprisal of “Poor Unfortunate Souls”? Surely one of the best villain songs of all time deserved that much.

And another thing… “the blackfish she sings”? *sigh* It’s ’89, Disney. This crap ain’t gonna fly much longer, now.

The Best: “Part of Your Word” + Reprise

The Worst: “Daughters of Triton”

THE PLOT

Welcome to the undersea kingdom of Atlantica, where merfolk and fish of all sorts live in perfect contentment, safely hidden away from the savage clutches of the fish-eating mankind. Atlantica is ruled over with the iron, but just fist of King Triton, a man of such legend that even mortal seamen tell tales of his temperament, and how it affects the seas. Triton’s youngest daughter, is Ariel, the titular little mermaid, and much to his chagrin, she has a rebellious adventurous spirit, and a strong infatuation for the human world. When she ends up saving a human prince, Eric, and her father pushes her to her emotional limits, Ariel makes a deal with the devil, the vile sea witch Ursula, and becomes human for three days. However, if Ariel cannot successfully court Eric in those three days (without her voice, no less), then she will belong to Ursula, and unbeknownst to Ariel, so will the rest of the sea.

Like all other fairy tales adapted by Disney, this story has gotten an upgrade in many ways; from making it a more family-friendly experience, to making Ariel a more proactive heroine. These and the other changes are more than welcome, as I’ve mentioned before, and overall the film flows very well. While the romance between Ariel and Eric still runs at breakneck speeds, by Disney standards, it’s a nice change of pace (they get to know each other for three whole days before finally tying the knot! I say that with a hint of sarcasm, but that was a big deal for Disney at the time!).

Total Score: 28/30 = 93% = A

*Shout-out to Narcissus for the correction ;P