The Little Mermaid began in 1985 when director Ron Clements was searching for new material and came across a book of Hans Anderson Fairy Tales. To quote the film's publicity material "In the original story, Anderson's heroine fails to win the heart of the handsome prince and forfeits her right to live as a mermaid for 300 years. As the story draws to its grim conclusion, she dissolves into 'Death-cold sea form' -not exactly the sort of ending that makes little children squeal with joy. The beauty of fairy tales though, is their flexibility. From one telling to the next, a story will change, sometimes radically, to suit a particular storyteller's whim. This is precisely why Walt Disney was so enamored of fairy tales, and why he would not have hesitated to alter Anderson's original story. Sea foam indeed! Poof! The Little Mermaid gets her prince after all and they live happily ever after".

Like the prince in the story I am about to go overboard so I'd better let you know "where I'm coming from". Disney's Pinocchio is on my list of one the ten greatest films ever made. I have Disney mementos, Disney books, Disney posters and of course Disney movies. When I die I have it written in my will that the ashes are to be scattered in the 'It's A Small World' ride at Disneyland. Not exactly unbiased, right? Nevertheless The Little Mermaid for me is the Super 8 release of the year. Okay, Okay so I'm a Disney nut - but don't take my word for it. In my quest for impartiality I decided to invite a few friends to the viewing. I had already seen the film in the cinema with my family and we were all knocked out by it, but they in the main share my enthusiasms, so this time I sought out a colleague who enjoys Disney, but no more than the work of other animators.

Imogen Taylor is four years old going on five and begins 'big school' this year. She has always struck me as a level headed child with a strong artistic streak which finds expression in bold crayon pictures usually of domestic subjects. After a tea of fish fingers (which seemed appropriate for the subject of the film) followed by brown bread and marmite, we adjourned to the viewing theatre and I threaded up the movie. She had recently seen a video of Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs and found it necessary from time to time during the witch's sequence to climb onto her father or mother's lap. Predicting similar requirements during scenes of Ursula the Sea Witch I made sure the laps and their owners were also present. Insuring that we both had bowls of popcorn within convenient distance, we began the film.

From the opening moments where the sea-gulls swoop down over a dark sea threaded by leaping dolphins you know you are in for something very special. The story has been altered as previously stated, but so cleverly that the original dark, and to my mind, sadistic core of Anderson's tale, has been transformed into a glowing story of hope and conciliation. Ariel, the heroine, is in love with the led on dry land and on rescuing a prince, falls madly in love with him.

The sea witch Ursula transforms her into a human girl but takes her voice as payment. The mute Ariel has three days in which to win a kiss of true love from the prince. If she fails, her soul becomes the Sea Witches property. The witch of course doesn't play fair and when it looks as if Ariel is about to be kissed, she appears in the guise of a beautiful woman using Ariel's voice for her own. How Ariel and her friends, Sabastian the crab, Flounder, and Scuttle the seagull defeat the forces of darkness forms the exciting climax to a wonderful story.

This is the Disney studio back on top form. The characterization of all the characters even down to the tiny shrimp who plays the xylophone in the 'Under the Sea' number is superb. As for the animation, watch how the play of the water is revealed by the movement of Ariel's hair. Incidentally, Ariel herself is a dazzling creation, cute, sexy and on occasion adorably clutzy. The score by Alan Menkin and Howard Ashman is very fine if not quite up to the standard of Pinocchio of Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs. But we are comparing this movie with the greatest masterpiece of animation from a golden age, and in every other department, especially in its rich humour, it comes up to scratch. The Little Mermaid and this year's Beauty And the Beast are as fine as anything produced by the studio when Walt was alive.

However, as I admit to being biased, I offer my guest critic's response to the film by way of conclusion. Despite finding gurgles of excitement and my bouncing up and down during the scary bits somewhat distracting, Miss Taylor didn't have to resort to her parent's laps as often as had been anticipated. As a critic she doesn't go in for theory overmuch and her pronouncements have an almost mystical brevity about them. I can state however, that she showed marked inpatient every time I had to change a reel and asked at the conclusion when asked for her response she said "Again! Want to see it again!" And you can't say fairer than that, for this is a film so full of detail and comic delights, that you can see over and over again.

The print is splendid and the stereo sound is wonderfully rich. So sell whatever you have to get this movie, but get it. It's a masterpiece. And if you don't believe me, just ask Imogen Taylor who is now driving both parents round the bend playing the video of the film from breakfast to bedtime.

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The Little Mermaid is now withdrawn from Super 8mm distribution.

This page was last updated 02 Dec 2002

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