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Disney Studios initiated a more sophisticated form of animated entertainment with the release of 1989's The Little Mermaid, a captivating and charming story that was the first time that Disney attempted to meld the animated comedy, the love story, and the Broadway musical to maximum effect, a groundbreaking piece of cinema that I suspect was the genesis of Pixar Animation.
The film is the story of Ariel (voiced by Jodi Benson), a teenage mermaid who is fascinated by the lives of humans on the surface of the sea, despite lifetime warnings from her father, King Triton (voiced by Kenneth Mars) to stay away from the surface. Her encounter with a handsome human prince named Eric (voiced by Christopher Daniel Barnes) motivates her to enter into an unholy alliance with Ursula (voiced by Pat Carroll), an evil sea witch who agrees to turn Ariel into a human for three days in order to make Eric fall in love with her and all she has to do is give up her voice.
Animators Ron Clements and John Musker have created a deliciously entertaining world that provides a wonderful bridge between classic Disney like Snow White into a more sophisticated form of animated entertainment, that would be molded into perfection with work like Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, but what works here is the simple good vs evil story with effective comic relief and not complicated by multiple and unnecessary endings, which seems to be a fixture of Disney Pixar films.
The story is simple and straightforward and Ariel is the first in a new series of independent Disney heroines that you can't help but fall in love with instantly. Jodi Benson's sweet speaking voice and clear soprano are a perfect match for the character as is the voice work of Carroll, Barnes, and especially the fabulous Samuel Wright as a very wise and loving crab named Sebastian.
The film features a handful of charming songs by Alan Mencken and Howard Ashman including "Your Part of the World", "Kiss the Girl" and 1989's Oscar winner for Best Song, "Under the Sea." A lovely animated gem whose intended demographic was definitely 13 year old girls, but I found myself enchanted as well.
Disney Studios initiated a more sophisticated form of animated entertainment with the release of 1989's The Little Mermaid, a captivating and charming story that was the first time that Disney attempted to meld the animated comedy, the love story, and the Broadway musical to maximum effect, a groundbreaking piece of cinema that I suspect was the genesis of Pixar Animation.
The film is the story of Ariel (voiced by Jodi Benson), a teenage mermaid who is fascinated by the lives of humans on the surface of the sea, despite lifetime warnings from her father, King Triton (voiced by Kenneth Mars) to stay away from the surface. Her encounter with a handsome human prince named Eric (voiced by Christopher Daniel Barnes) motivates her to enter into an unholy alliance with Ursula (voiced by Pat Carroll), an evil sea witch who agrees to turn Ariel into a human for three days in order to make Eric fall in love with her and all she has to do is give up her voice.
Animators Ron Clements and John Musker have created a deliciously entertaining world that provides a wonderful bridge between classic Disney like Snow White into a more sophisticated form of animated entertainment, that would be molded into perfection with work like Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, but what works here is the simple good vs evil story with effective comic relief and not complicated by multiple and unnecessary endings, which seems to be a fixture of Disney Pixar films.
The story is simple and straightforward and Ariel is the first in a new series of independent Disney heroines that you can't help but fall in love with instantly. Jodi Benson's sweet speaking voice and clear soprano are a perfect match for the character as is the voice work of Carroll, Barnes, and especially the fabulous Samuel Wright as a very wise and loving crab named Sebastian.
The film features a handful of charming songs by Alan Mencken and Howard Ashman including "Your Part of the World", "Kiss the Girl" and 1989's Oscar winner for Best Song, "Under the Sea." A lovely animated gem whose intended demographic was definitely 13 year old girls, but I found myself enchanted as well.