The Little Mermaid

Name: The Little Mermaid
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Animation, Family, Musical
Released: November 17, 1989
Duration: 83 min
Rating: 88
Cast: Buddy Hackett, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Edie McClurg, Jason Marin, Jodi Benson

1989

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 24 Critic Reviews

See All

USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 191 Ratings

See All

7.3

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

7.3	Your Score
7.3	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 191 Ratings

Would you like to write a review?

There is a 75 character minimum for reviews. If your review contains spoilers, please check the Spoiler box. Please do not use ALL CAPS. There is no linking or other HTML allowed. Your review may be edited for content. 0/5000

Check box if your review contains spoilers

Play Sound

Please enter your birth date to watch this video:

You are not allowed to view this material at this time.

The Little Mermaid: Part Of That World

Now Playing: The Little Mermaid: Part Of That World

Movie Details & Credits

Buena Vista Distribution Company | Release Date: November 17, 1989 | G

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

Summary: A mermaid princess makes a Faustian bargain with an unscrupulous sea-witch in order to meet a human prince on land.

Director: John Musker and Ron Clements

Genre(s): Fantasy, Romance, Animation, Family, Musical

Rating: G

Runtime: 83 min

See All Details and Credits

Watch Now

Stream On

Buy on

Stream On

Expand

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

100

Mike Clark

The Little Mermaid, or Hans Christian Andersen Goes Hip, is the most thoroughly socko kiddie cartoon feature in decades. [15 Nov 1989, p.1D]

100

Richard Corliss

For 82 minutes, The Little Mermaid reclaims the movie house as a dream palace and the big screen as a window into enchantment. Live-action filmmakers, see this and try to top it. Go on and try. Read full review

100

Roger Ebert

Walt Disney's The Little Mermaid is a jolly and inventive animated fantasy - a movie that's so creative and so much fun it deserves comparison with the best Disney work of the past. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

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. Read full review

Jay Boyar

Fun-and-fin-filled feature-length Disney cartoon that revitalized the studio's animation department. Read full review

Empire William Thomas

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

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. Read full review

SEE ALL 24 REVIEWS

Write a Review

User Reviews

FilipeNeto

Oct 5, 2021

This is one of Disney's great animation classics, released at a time when the studio has made some productions of great popular impact and critical acclaim. The story is very much based on a tale by Hans Christian Andersen about the impossible love between a mermaid and a human prince. IThis is one of Disney's great animation classics, released at a time when the studio has made some productions of great popular impact and critical acclaim. The story is very much based on a tale by Hans Christian Andersen about the impossible love between a mermaid and a human prince. I don't think the script is really worth mentioning, given that it is widely known, not only by admirers of fairy tales, but even by those who have never seen the film or read Andersen's tales.

The film has a good set of actors who provide us with an excellent voice work. Personally, I would like to highlight the contributions of Jodi Benson, Kenneth Mars, Pat Carroll, and Samuel Wright's deep Caribbean accent. Some characters in the film become so popular that they were used not only for merchandising, but also for the Disney theme parks. This is the case of the protagonist, Ariel, one of the most iconic Disney princesses ever. Ursula is often singled out as an excellent villain, and she actually deserves that, but I can't look at her without seeing her as a kind of adaptation of the Bad Witch from “Sleeping Beauty”, with a Mephistophelian touch.

The film was beautifully designed, and the animations are of high quality, one of the best the studio did before massively abandoning traditional animation and converting to digital. The colors are vibrant, the film is bright and beautifully edited, it never seems to drag or take longer than necessary. In addition to all this, the film has one of the best soundtracks that Disney has conceived, signed by the master hand of Alan Menken and worthy winner of the Oscar for Best Soundtrack in 1990. Although everyone talks about “Under the Sea”, a mellow, tropical melody that won the Oscar for Best Original Song this year, I honestly prefer “Part of Your World”, but that's my personal taste.… Expand

0 of 4 users found this helpful04

Juniorillinois

May 27, 2023

Excellent animation cartoon the legend about mermaid and her final destiny have a great performance music and voice character and charming storyline till the end compare to the new one 2023 live action is a trash this one is a wonderful film and wonderful film

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

Wickedjr89

Nov 26, 2022

I love The Little Mermaid so much! I love mermaids, I relate to Ariel. I've heard how she seems to be autistic and I am to so that's interesting. Just a fanon (fan canon) nothing more.

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

sebastianali

Jan 24, 2021

La Sirenita a diferencia de otras películas clásicas de Disney no intenta aspirar a mucho. La historia es bastante simple pero funciona, lo mismo con la comedia y las canciones. Lo que si que noto es que la relación entre Ariel y el príncipe es muy forzada, pareciendo mas un enamoramiento aLa Sirenita a diferencia de otras películas clásicas de Disney no intenta aspirar a mucho. La historia es bastante simple pero funciona, lo mismo con la comedia y las canciones. Lo que si que noto es que la relación entre Ariel y el príncipe es muy forzada, pareciendo mas un enamoramiento a simple vista; no me termino de convencer. Y Ursula yo no la consideraría una de las mejores villanas de Disney como muchos dicen, ya que a diferencia de otros grandes villanos de Disney malvados por tener ansias de poder como Jafar por ejemplo, aparecen en toda la película teniendo la misma relevancia que el protagonista, ademas de tener mucho mas trasfondo en la historia, contrario a Ursula que aparece un poco después de la mitad y no aporta mucho mas a la trama. Quitando eso y muchas otras mejorables es una buena película, todos los elementos que introduce serán simples pero la gran mayoría funcionan. La recomiendo, pero al menos yo no la consideraría de las mejores de Disney.… Expand

0 of 4 users found this helpful04

Gamzguy17

Aug 21, 2021

The plot tends to fall onto the trite side for kids' romances, but I suppose it's a film meant more so to be (mostly) lighthearted, fun, and singsongy. No real harm in that for the wee little ones.  It's a return to Disney of old to embark on a 1990's renaissance of the studio's 2DThe plot tends to fall onto the trite side for kids' romances, but I suppose it's a film meant more so to be (mostly) lighthearted, fun, and singsongy. No real harm in that for the wee little ones.  It's a return to Disney of old to embark on a 1990's renaissance of the studio's 2D animation, albeit a predictable return.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Lelouchz

May 29, 2023

Best masterpiece ever from Disney! My favourite childhood 2D animation with elegant voice from Ariel. Love it so much

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

GarraTigrada

Jun 3, 2023

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. lack of authenticity to the source material, you could make up a new story, but instead they ruined the good one that already existed… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

SEE ALL 38 REVIEWS