Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #39551 in DVD
• Released on: 2000-03-27
• Rating: Universal, suitable for all
• Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Animated, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English, French, Italian
• Subtitled in: English, Greek, Icelandic, Dutch
• Dubbed in: Czech, Dutch, Greek, Hebrew, Polish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 79 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
From the moment that Prince Eric's ship emerged from the fog in the opening credits of The Little Mermaid in 1989 it was apparent that Disney had somehow, suddenly recaptured a "magic" that had been dormant for 30 years. In the tale of a headstrong young mermaid who yearns to "spend a day, warm on the sand", Ariel trades her voice to Ursula, the Sea Witch (classically voiced by Pat Carroll), for a pair of legs. Ariel can only succeed if she receives true love's kiss in a few day's time and she needs all the help she can from a singing crab named Sebastian, a loudmouth seagull and a flounder. The lyrics and music by song-writing team Howard Ashman and Alan Menken are top form: witty and relevant, and they advance the story (go on, hum a few bars of "Under the Sea"). Mermaid put animation back on the studio's "to do" list and was responsible for ushering 1991's Beauty and the Beast into cinemas. A modern Disney classic. --Keith Simanton

Synopsis
Disney presents life under the sea in its 28th animated classic. In this entertaining film filled with colorful musical numbers, Ariel, a curious and fun-loving mermaid, lives in an underwater paradise with her father, King Triton. However, she's fascinated by life above the ocean, especially after saving handsome Prince Eric from drowning. Against the advice of friends Flounder and the crab Sebastian, Ariel strikes a deal with Ursula, the wicked sea witch, that allows her to become human--at the cost of her beautiful voice. This choice leads to a chance at romance with the dashing prince but also endangers King Triton's realm. Soon it's up to Ariel to save the prince and her father's kingdom....

Customer Reviews

Unforgettable!
This was the first video I ever bought as a child and it's still one of my favourites. It's Disney's best film. The songs are fantastic and the story of Ariel, a mermaid who just wants to be a human and expereince all the things humans do, is brilliant.

17 years on from it's original release and the Little Mermaid is as good as it ever was. A must-see film for everyone!

The most heart endearing story above or below the seven seas
Forget that this is a childrens story, it is the best film Walt Disney ever made and is definately no.1 on my list. the fun kicks off with Ariel, a headstrong teenaged mermaid who has a burning desie to become "part of that world". the story by Hans Andersen is legend, but Disney's version does not completely stay true to this, however it is still one of the most endearing films that you will ever see and if you get the chance to pick up a copy i urge you to do so. Ariel always gives me a sense of hope and serenity when i feel down, a gray day can feel so much brighter when you listen to "under the sea", "kiss the girl" or the Classic "part of your world".

One of their best
This film was released when I was 1 year old and my mum bought it for me when I was two-ish. I fell in love with it, and watched it so much that you would have thought I'd grow sick of it. But I never have. It's THAT GOOD.

The characters are wonderful. By this point Disney seemed to have realised that all their heroines needn't be blonde, bland and harmless. Ariel is very spirited, you might almost call her a bit of a brat, but she's also insanely lovable. The relationship between her and her father is so well played out. I challenge anyone to watch the ending when she says 'I love you, Daddy' and to not shed a tear. Her sidekicks Sebastian, Flounder and Scuddle are all hilarious, especialy the Jamaican crab Sebastian.

However, my two favourite characters are the evil sea witch Ursula, and Louis the French chef. Ursualla is so fabulous yet so evil, like Cruella Devil but with tentacles. You've just got to love her, despite her nastiness. And Louis is only a bit part, but his scene where he tries to capture Sebastian (with the music for the can-can in the background) has me screaming with laughter.

In conclusion: Buy it. Watch it with your children. And your grandchildren. I know this will still be popular for generations to come.