The Little Mermaid (Limited Issue)
Directed by Ron Clements, John Musker



essential video From the moment that Prince Eric's ship emerged from the fog in the opening credits it was apparent that Disney had somehow, suddenly recaptured that "magic" that had been dormant for thirty 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 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 Beauty and the Beast to theaters. A modern Disney classic. --Keith Simanton Fans awaiting a revamp of The Little Mermaid on DVD should be pleased to know that the new, fully restored version gets the treatment it deserved all along. The Special Edition is presented in 1:78 aspect ratio, as opposed to the original 1:66 presentation, and gone is the grainy original transfer, which had Ariel's mottled complexion looking like she spent some time in a tanning bed. Various crew members chime in on the audio commentary track, but most dominant is composer Alan Menken, who adds in previously taped interviews with the late lyricist Howard Ashman (a welcome surprise). There's also a 45-minute "making of" documentary in which everyone from animators to Jeffrey Katzenberg and Leonard Maltin reflect the limp state of Disney animation before Mermaid kicked off its "golden reign" of the early '90s. Another revelation: Katzenberg nearly eliminated "Part of Your World" from the movie after a hyperactive kid sitting in front of him appeared restless during a test screening. Other features: a documentary on Hans Christian Andersen, and the tragedy of his personal life that inspired his much darker original ending. (The mermaid, unable to stab the prince in the heart after he marries another, turns into sea foam.) Included is an animated short of Andersen's "The Little Match Girl," a tale so depressing--again, reflecting the loneliness in Andersen's own life--it's not really clear how it ever became a "beloved bedtime story." There's also a sing-along feature, which jumps right to the musical numbers with words appearing onscreen. Deleted scenes include one unused song, "Silence is Golden," and various early sketches of alternate takes. One curious addition is a virtual Little Mermaid amusement park ride, which was originally proposed for Disneyland but failed to come to life. (Seems digitizing the experience for people to "ride" in their living room was the consolation prize.) The only blasphemous feature is a music video of "Kiss the Girls," reimagined as a Hilary Duff-esque rock song--minus the charming calypso beat that made it famous(!)--sung by the Hilary Duff-esque Ashley Tisdale (High School Musical). Aside from that, if you own The Little Mermaid in its 1999 incarnation of DVD, get the special edition and leave your old one for the kids (or the dog) to scratch up. --Ellen A. Kim Stills from The Little Mermaid (Click for larger image)
Disney's beloved classic returns!! One of the most beloved Disney films, "The Little Mermaid" returns on dvd, fully restored and remastered in an all new 2 disc set this October! Rather than talking about the film (c'mon we all know what it is all about and most of are quite familiar with its charm and beauty! Though the first "The Little mermaid" dvd released years ago was just a barebone disc with non-anamorphic transfer, this one will have everything to fulfill every mermaid fan's desire! Here's what to look forward to in this special 2 disc set: Fully restored with an all-new Disney Home Theatre 5.1 mix. Backstage Disney, including an all new commentary. Treasures Untold: The Making of The Little Mermaid. The Story Behind The Story. Deleted Scenes, including Backstage With Sebastian, Sebastian Lost In The Castle, Advice From Sebastian and Fight With Ursula. Music Video "Kiss The Girl" Games and Activities inclue The Little Mermaid Under The Sea Adventure: The Virtual Ride, Behind The Ride That Almost Was With Disney Imagineers and DisneyPedia: Life Under The Sea.... ....And much more!! "The Little Mermaid" is surely one of the finest films Disney ever produced and this long awaited platinum edition of this classic would surely be a welcome addition in any dvd collector's shelf! Classic Everyone knows by now that "The Little Mermaid" is the movie that returned the Disney company to its former glory, in all senses.Upon its release in late 1989 (in most markets it was released in 1990), the movie was hailed by critics all over the world as the best Disney film in years (decades, that is) and one of the best films the company has ever produced. More importantly perhaps, the audience loved it. The movie went on to gross almost $90 million domestically and $200 million worldwide. A huge phenomenon. The video release, which followed in May 1990, generated huge numbers in sales and sold over 23 million copies in the US as of 1998. And you mustn't forget the songs, which quickly became a driving force in the film's success. Alan Manken created an irresistible score for the movie, and together with lyricist Howard Ashman, composed some of the finest songs ever heard in a Disney film. They later took the Oscars for 'Best Song' (for "Under The Sea") and 'Best Score'. They also won in the exact same categories at the Golden Globe and the Grammy awards. The soundtrack eventually went triple platinum in the US.The animation in the film, is, in one word, dazzling. The underwater scenes are impressive in particular. Bubbles, surface reflections and moving sea-creatures create an illusional undersea atmosphere to which the audience is easily drawn into. To create all that, 80% of the animation process required special effects, and the effort shows."The Little Mermaid" is scheduled for an October 2005 release on DVD. In 2001, Disney launched a 'Platinum Edition' line which includes their 10 best-selling titles on video to go on DVD. Every one of these films, comes as a 2-disc set featuring 'making-of's and commentaries from the talents who worked on the movie. Needless to say it would also include a highly enhanced version of the film (and sometimes even newly added sequences, such as is the case with "Beauty and the Beast" & "The Lion King"). On the 1999 DVD release of "The Little Mermaid", Disney did only little in restoring the film's look; this time, there's much more to look forward to. Disney gives each one of the films a deluxe treatment, especially in the visual and sound departments.'Til then, sit back and enjoy the film as it is: charming, innovative, and most of all - fun. A fantastic movie, but you may want to wait.... This is no doubt a beautiful and classic disney film. My advice: Wait for the 2-disc "Platinum Edition" to be released. It will contain the extra bonus features that the "Limited Issue" lacks. Also, if you wait you can probably find it for about 20 dollars, which is much better than buying it second hand right now for a ridiculous price. You will get more for your money if you wait! Also, you should know that Disney has decided to speed up their releases with the Platinum series (from 1 every year to 2 each year). So, Little Mermaid will be out in October of 2006. So, if you can wait a year and a half to get the better version, I would recommend it! Especially if you're into extras and bonus features (because the limited issue has NONE!) So, if anyone is interested, Cinderella is the next Platinum DVD to come out in October of 2005, followed by Lady and the Tramp in March of 2006, and then (finally!) The Little Mermaid in October of 2006 (For 2007, the March release will be The Jungle Book and then 101 Dalmations in October) For more information... UltimateDisney.com is a great website! I hope you found this advice helpful, as my wish is for everyone to be able to enjoy this gorgeous Disney film!