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Movies / On DVD / The Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid

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The Little Mermaid (1989)

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Reviews Counted:52

Fresh:47

Rotten:5

Average Rating:8/10

Consensus: The Little Mermaid ushered in a new golden era for Disney animation with warm and charming hand-drawn characters and catchy musical sequences.

Runtime: 83 mins

Genre: Childrens

Synopsis: The Little Mermaid is Disney's animated version of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale about a mermaid who falls in love with a handsome prince whom she rescues from drowning. Disobeying her... The Little Mermaid is Disney's animated version of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale about a mermaid who falls in love with a handsome prince whom she rescues from drowning. Disobeying her father, lord of a great sea kingdom, the mermaid makes a deal with an evil enchantress. In exchange for a pair of legs, the mermaid must sacrifice her exquisite voice to the witch, who, unbeknownst to the mermaid, uses it to beguile the prince into marrying her. [More]

Starring: Jodi Benson, Rene Auberjonois, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Pat Carroll

Starring: Jodi Benson, Rene Auberjonois, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Pat Carroll, Paddi Edwards, Buddy Hackett, Jason Marin, Kenneth Mars, Ben Wright, Samuel E. Wright, Edie McClurg, Will Ryan

Director: John Musker, Ron Clements

Director: John Musker, Ron Clements
Screenwriter: John Musker, Ron Clements
Story: Hans Christian Andersen
Producer: Howard Ashman, John Musker
Composer: Alan Menken

[See More Credits]

Reviews for The Little Mermaid

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Bubble View | 1 2 3 >> >|
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Reviews
Tomatometer Critic Review Category
tomato

Relying on a simple, recognized tale, great songs and marvellous animation, it turned its fortunes around.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 03 2008 03:47 PM

Channel 4 Film

tomato

Geoff Andrew

This return to traditional Disney territory is geared to captivate children while allowing them to maintain their street cred, largely by combining extravagant animated technique with ranging musical styles.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jun., 24 2006 03:41 AM

Time Out

tomato
4/5

This was the rebirth of Disney in the modern era and due to superb songs, enduring humour and a touching plot it remains an animation classic.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 01 2000 12:00 AM

Empire Magazine

tomato
4/5

Delivers exactly the right quotient of laughs, sniffles, scares and songs to remain sparkling family fun.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 01 2000 12:00 AM

Empire Magazine

tomato
9/10

Tim Brayton

The long-awaited proof that Disney animation could, in fact, return almost the quality and beauty of its Golden Age.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Nov., 25 2009 02:31 AM

Antagony & Ecstasy

tomato
4/4

Chris Hicks

This is unquestionably the best animated film in many years and is therefore highly recommended.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 18 2008 04:17 AM

Deseret News, Salt Lake City

tomato

You could wish upon a star and not conjure up a more joyous animated movie than this graceful retelling of the Hans Christian Andersen tale.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 03 2008 03:51 PM

TIME Magazine

tomato

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Within the apparently necessary aesthetic and ideological limitations (such as making the hero and heroine Americans surrounded by foreign servants a la Pinocchio), the animation manages to be fairly energetic.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 03 2008 03:47 PM

Chicago Reader

tomato
3/4

Overall, it's an enjoyable film, thankfully free of the computerized look of later Disney cartoons, but it really can't compare to the real Disney classics.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 02 2008 12:07 PM

TV Guide's Movie Guide

tomato
3.5/4

James Berardinelli

A fantastic success.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jun., 10 2008 03:15 AM

ReelViews

tomato

Variety Staff

May represent Disney's best animated feature since the underrated Sleeping Beauty in 1959.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 20 2008 03:15 AM

Variety

tomato

Nathaniel Rogers

A coming of age fable for both Disney and the mermaid heroine

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jul., 20 2007 11:28 AM

Film Experience

splat
1.5/4

Bill Chambers

The Little Mermaid was a mirage, not an oasis.

Full Review Source: | comment 3 Comments | Jan., 10 2007 03:15 AM

Film Freak Central

tomato

Jeffrey M. Anderson

Still a great entertainment and a welcome addition to any Disney library.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 27 2006 07:59 PM

Combustible Celluloid

tomato
4/4

Forrest Hartman

The hand-drawn animation is terrific, and the soundtrack, which includes Part of Your World, Under the Sea and Kiss the Girl, is among Disney's best.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 09 2006 02:48 PM

Reno Gazette-Journal

splat
2/4

Eric Henderson

The Little Mermaid is the story of one packrat pre-tween princess whose undersea kingdom is only matched in depth by her remarkable sense of consumer-minded entitlement.

Full Review Source: | comment 9 Comments | Oct., 05 2006 09:41 PM

Slant Magazine

tomato
8/10

John J. Puccio

...cute, romantic, well-animated, well paced, and filled with more good music than Disney had produced in quite some time.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 01 2006 12:21 PM

DVDTown.com

tomato
4/5

Widgett Walls

Huggable, lovable Disney. Before the corporation went dumpster diving.

comment Comment | Aug., 21 2005 02:52 AM

Needcoffee.com

tomato
5/5

James Plath

An instant classic with a great story, great animation, great music, and a great villain.

comment Comment | May., 12 2005 07:35 AM

DVDTown.com

tomato
4/5

Robert Roten

No review available.

comment Comment | Apr., 27 2005 04:12 PM

Laramie Movie Scope

 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Latest News for The Little Mermaid

September 29, 2009: Exclusive: Mandy Moore Talks Rapunzel
Earlier in the month, John Lasseter took to stage in London to unveil a host of fresh Disney/Pixar announcements, among them the news that Mandy Moore would voice Rapunzel in a... More...

December 15, 2008: RT on DVD: Mummy 3, Grindhouse on Blu-ray!
This week we've got CG spectacles (Mummy 3: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor), Meryl Streep letting loose (Mamma Mia!), Joss Whedon's online superhero musical (Dr. Horrible's Sing... More...

December 28, 2007: Disney's Little Mermaid Heads to Broadway
Given all the success Disney has found by bringing animated hits like Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King to Broadway, it stands to reason that they'd eventually go back to... More...

March 09, 2007: "Toy Story 3" Leads Locked, Hand-Drawn "Frog Princess" Also a Go
Tom Hanks and Tim Allen are officially signed up to reprise their beloved roles in "Toy Story 3," which I believe is a sequel to "Toy Story" and "Toy... More...

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