The Little Mermaid (1989)
★★½ — The Little Mermaid (1989)
The Little Mermaid (1989) is the film that kicked off Disney’s animation renaissance, and while its historical importance is undeniable, as a standalone movie it’s merely pleasant, not profound. The story is a heavily sanitized retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s melancholic fairy tale, swapped for a sunnier, simpler narrative about a mermaid who trades her voice for legs to win a prince’s love. It’s charming in a familiar, formulaic way, but lacks the emotional complexity or narrative ambition of Disney’s later hits like Beauty and the Beast or The Lion King. The animation is decent for its time (fluid underwater sequences, expressive faces, and vibrant sea life) but it hasn’t aged as gracefully as some of its successors. Backgrounds can feel flat, and the human characters (especially Prince Eric) are stiff and forgettable. Where the film truly shines is in its music: “Part of Your World” is a heartfelt anthem of yearning, and “Under the Sea” bursts with calypso energy and Oscar-winning flair. But beyond those two standouts, the rest of the soundtrack fades into filler, serviceable, but rarely memorable. Ursula the sea witch (voiced with delicious camp by Pat Carroll) is a highlight (glamorous, menacing, and dripping with theatrical flair) but even she can’t carry the thin plot alone. The romance feels rushed, the stakes low, and the resolution tidy to the point of predictability. The Little Mermaid is fine, bright, tuneful, and kid-friendly, but it’s more notable for what it started than what it is.
Rating: ★★½ | Year: 1989 | Watched: 2026-04-21
