Return of The Requests: The Little Mermaid

All right, guys we have made it to Return of The Requests.  What is Return of The Requests? Well, it is a follow up event to my Request Month. People have given me requests and I will review them but unlike last time when I went in order of how I received the requests, I won't this time. Sorry but I have decided I'm going to mix it up but I will give you a clue as to what the next review will be. An example. Today's review is The Little Mermaid. The clue could  be "Jodi Benson" or  "Grimbsy". 

Anyways with that out of the way, today's request comes from Gomu69.  He has been waiting for me to cover this film ever since blog # 90, where I listed it as my 6th favorite Disney movie. I will admit that The Little Mermaid has made quite a few appearances on A Look at Disney. Join me now as we go "Under The Sea" for this classic film.






The Plot

The plot of The Little Mermaid boils down to a young girl who wants more out of her life. Ariel has interest in things that her father, Triton disapproves of.  Though, Ariel doesn't understand why and it frustrates her. Ariel is willing to do anything to get her wish even entrust her voice to someone she shouldn't have.



The Characters

There are many characters to talk about. Per standard form, I'll be breaking this down by main characters, supporting characters and villains.  Let's begin.


Ariel voiced by Jodi Benson





Ariel has always been one of my favorite female Disney characters. Ariel is character that is adventurous, spunk and willing to stand up for what she believes in. Ariel is also somewhat gullible as seen when she is willing to go with Floatsam and Jetsam to the Sea Witch.  Though at the same time, one could say that when she went with them , she left in a rage of fury as she was upset with her father. With all this said, I like Ariel because she shows the birth of the Disney Renaissance era princesses who stood up for themselves and would not take no for an answer and wanted more in life than a man.


King Triton voiced by Kenneth Mars





Triton is the ruler of the sea. He has seven daughter with  Ariel being the youngest and he is the most protective of her. He hates humans and thinks they are evil. Ariel doesn't agree with this attitude and she tries to stand up to Triton but he doesn't take to it very well. As he explodes. Though part of the reason he explodes though is becuase he deeply cares for Areil and that is understandable as she is his youngest daughter. Triton is the type of character that rough edges but once you get to know him, you realize that he is a nice guy.
Prince Eric voiced by Christopher Daniel Barnes




Eric is the love interest for  Ariel in this film and he also serves as a plot device for the film.  Because if Ariel doesn't get him to kiss her, she'll return to her mermaid form.  Besides that he is very brave, courageous and outgoing. He doesn't like people making a big deal out of his status as seen in the beginning of the film when he is embarrassed by the statue of him that is given to him as his birthday present. Quite understandable as that thing is a bit over the top.





I'd have to agree with Eric that is a bit much.


Supporting Characters

Flounder voiced by Jason Marin




Flounder is  Ariel's best friend. Even if their personalities could not be anymore different. As Flounder is a worry wart and doesn't like getting to trouble.  He is as Ariel called him a "Guppy".  Even if Flounder is a "Guppy", he is willing to help Ariel and just wants to see her be happy. 


Sebastian voiced by  Samuel E. Wright



This Jamaican crab is Triton's second hand crab and he is also the conductor of the girls' music choir.  Triton also has Sebastian keep an eye on Ariel because of her hobbies.  Sebastian takes this job with a grain of salt as he cares for Ariel but he feels that he shouldn't have to do this. However he is the one that tries to convince Eric to kiss Ariel with that classic song. Even though he doens't agree with what Ariel is doing he is willing to support her and I think part of that comes from the fact that he realizes that you can't stop people from falling in love. 

Scuttle voiced by Buddy Hackett





Scuttle is the bird who Ariel gets her often incorrect information about the human world from.  He is the only talking land animal that Ariel interacts with.  He is meant to be the comedic relief. Now this is one area where the film almost falls flat and part of the reason why I only placed it at # 6 as one of my favorite Disney films. I never cared for Scuttle as I always thought this character was not needed for the film and he is in my humble opinion, the most annoying Disney comic relief character. I feel as though they tried too hard to make this character funny but it did not work.


The Music


Part of Your World





Now for Part of Your World, I have decided to use a special video. As you see, Gomu requested this film because of the new Little Mermaid that opened in Disney's California Adventure. You see one of the sites I visit, Inside The Magic went to the opening of the new ride and there they had a live performance of Part of Your World as sung by Jodi Benson.


Now as for the song, it shows Ariel dreaming of another life and she is ready to get what she wants. This song shows that she is curious about life on our world and wants to leave the sea.She is just curious. She has all these human things but she knows so little about the human lifestyle.

As for this performance, Jodi Benson still has it and this is why I like Ariel. Jodi Benson brings that character to life and even after all these years she is still able to give a great performance singing this song. There may be covers of this song but no one can deny the beauty of Miss Benson's voice.


Under The Sea





This song is one of the highlights of The Little Mermaid for me. This is the fun song for this film. It has a catchy upbeat tune as Sebastian sings about life Under The Sea and how it is much better down where it's wetter. Okay, I'll stop but honestly this song is one that can easily get stuck in your head after hearing it. It feels like a big Broadway style production number and I think that is part of the charm for this song.


Poor Unfortunate Souls





This is a great example of a villain song as it shows Ursula's motive while tricking Ariel into giving her voice away. She teases Ariel with a taste of what Ariel wants by showing the others she has helped so to speak. Ursula tries to pass off her work as charity for the depressed merpeople. Though everything comes with a price. You can really  hear Ursula talking down to Ariel at certain points in this song.  My favorite part of this song/scene is when Ariel signs away her voice.


Kiss The Girl





Another great song, Sebastian certainly got two of the best songs in this film. It is is simple in it's romantic tone.  Talk about putting on a show though with all the other animals singing along.  Though I will admit that I don't care for the break in the song where Eric tries to guess Ariel's name.  While it is important part of the song, I feel that it breaks the song for bit too long. Though I can handle that better than when Scuttle tries to join in on the song. It is just a nice simple romantic song.


Villain

Ursula voiced by Pat Carroll



Ursula is quite a unique villian in that she knows what she wants and it is power. Though isn't what makes her unique while the audince can tell she is evil as shown by her song it is the way she goes about it. She  pertends to help people and tries to paint herself in a good light. Even if she is evil and she knows.  She is also able to play mind games with the ones she helps by showing them what they could get if they struck a deal with her but again it comes at a price. While she is over the top she is a logical thinker. That is a rare combo but it works. Perhaps her only weakeness is her love for Floatsam and Jetsam, her pet eels who she puts before herself. Also I love her final appearance when she is wearing the crown and has grown huge.





That right there says threatening and she is ready for business. No one is going to get in her way. Just love it.


My Finals Thoughts

I love this movie. It holds up well. Also it is no suprise that many consider this film the start of the Disney Renaissance. It is on par with the films of Walt's time but still works in it own way. The  princess character may not be the same as what they were when Walt was alive. I'd like  to think though with each new generation that the princess characters have evolved to reflect the women of today's society. Also it is rather funny that this movie is considered the start of the Renaissance when Walt himself had plans to make The Little Mermaid into a film when he was alive. That leaves one to wonder if the people behind this film knew that.

Again, I hope you have enjoyed this look at one of my favorite movies. Here is your clue for the next film review.





Clue: Viewmaster