The Little Mermaid 3D (1989)
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90% of critics liked it
(52 reviews) -
83% of users liked it
(888,496 ratings)
Disney's The Little Mermaid was the first in a series of blockbusters that restored the venerable firm's reputation as the world's premiere animated-feature factory. The title character is a precocious teenager named Ariel, the daughter of Triton, king of the Sea. Against her dad's… More Disney's The Little Mermaid was the first in a series of blockbusters that restored the venerable firm's reputation as the world's premiere animated-feature factory. The title character is a precocious teenager named Ariel, the daughter of Triton, king of the Sea. Against her dad's wishes, Ariel journeys beyond her own world to the surface, where she falls in love with Prince Eric, a handsome human. Foolishly, the little mermaid enters into an agreement with evil sea witch Ursula in order to become human herself. The wistfully melancholy ending of the original Hans Christian Andersen story is dispensed with in favor of a joyously happy ending-but not before a spectacular climactic confrontation between Ursula and Triton. The obligatory Disney comic relief is handled by such freshly minted characters as Sebastian the Crab, who, courtesy of voiceover artist Samuel E. Wright, sings the film's Oscar-winning "Under the Sea." Other voices are provided by Broadway star Jodi Benson (as Ariel) and such Hollywood reliables as Buddy Hackett, Pat Carroll, Kenneth Mars, and Rene Auberjonois. The enormous box-office take of The Little Mermaid made possible such future Disney cartoon ventures as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- John Musker, Buddy Hackett
- Written By
- John Musker, Ron Clements
- Genres
- Animation, Kids & Family, Romance, Musical & Performing Arts, Science Fiction & Fantasy
- In Theaters
- Jan 1, 1989 Wide
- On DVD
- Dec 7, 1999
- Studio
- Walt Disney Pictures
Critic Reviews
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, TIME Magazine
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.
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Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
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.
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James Berardinelli, ReelViews
A fantastic success.
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Variety Staff, Variety
May represent Disney's best animated feature since the underrated Sleeping Beauty in 1959.
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Geoff Andrew, Time Out
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.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Jodi Benson
as Ariel
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Pat Carroll
as Ursula
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Sam E. Wright
as Sebastian
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Kenneth Mars
as Triton
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Buddy Hackett
as Scuttle
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Jason Marin
as Flounder
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Christopher Daniel Barnes
as Eric
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Rene Auberjonois
as Louis
- Charlie Adler
- Jack Angel
- Susan Boyd
- Steve Bulen
- Hamilton Camp
- Nancy Cartwright
- Philip L. Clarke
- Jennifer Darling
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Paddi Edwards
as Flotsam & Jetsam
- Ed Gilbert
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Gerrit Graham
as Additional Dialogue
- Linda Harmon
- Anne Lockhart
- Sherry Lynn
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Edie McClurg
as Carlotta
- Mickie T. McGowan
- Patrick Pinney
- Gloria Grace Prosper
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Will Ryan
as Seahorse
- Sally Stevens
- Robert Weil
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Ben Wright
as Grimsby
- Allan Davies
- Gail Farrell
- Donny Gerrard
- Willie Greene Jr.
- Walter S. Harrah
- Phillip Ingram
- Luana Jackman
- William Kanady
- Edie Lehmann
- Melissa MacKay
- Guy Maeda
- Lynn Dolin Mann
- Arne B. Markussen
- Gene J. Merlino
- Lewis Morford
- Marilyn Powell
- Michael Redman Jr.
- Debbie Shapiro
- Robert Tebow
- Joe Turano
- Jackie Ward
- Bobbi White
- Robert S. Zwirn
- Kathleen O'Connor
- Charles Adler
- Samuel E. Wright



