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The Little Mermaid (1989)

Published: Aug. 15, 2024, 5:02 a.m.

\u201cThe Little Mermaid\u201d sparked the Disney Renaissance of the \u201990s, burning unforgettable songs like \u201cUnder The Sea\u201d and \u201cPart of Your World\u201d into the memories of Gen X and Millennials alike.

Since then, Pixar and other studios have pushed animated features to levels we never thought possible. Digital framerates, lighting, sound and design are near perfection, making Disney\u2019s 1989 release feel a little dated.

But old isn\u2019t necessarily bad. So listener Jackson M. posed this question to Shat The Movies: Does a 35-year-old \u201cThe Little Mermaid\u201d still hold up? And it was a tough one to answer.

Plot Summary:

In this episode, the Shat Crew explores whether Ariel was a nightmare child, why King Triton entrusted her safety to a singing crab and how Disney handled a teen mermaid\u2019s transition into a human girl.

In the 1989 animated musical classic The Little Mermaid, directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, Jodi Benson voices Ariel, a curious and spirited young mermaid princess with an insatiable desire to explore the human world above the sea. As the youngest daughter of King Triton (Kenneth Mars), ruler of the undersea kingdom of Atlantica, Ariel is drawn to the forbidden world of humans, much to her father\u2019s disapproval. She collects human artifacts and dreams of living on land, where she feels she truly belongs.

One night, during a daring exploration, Ariel saves Prince Eric (Christopher Daniel Barnes) from a shipwreck and instantly falls in love with him. Determined to be with Eric, Ariel makes a dangerous pact with Ursula (Pat Carroll), the sea witch. Ursula offers Ariel a chance to become human for three days in exchange for her voice. If Ariel can win Eric\u2019s love and receive a \u201ctrue love\u2019s kiss\u201d within that time, she will remain human forever; if she fails, she will belong to Ursula.

As Ariel navigates the complexities of the human world with the help of her friends, the lovable Flounder (Jason Marin) and Sebastian (Samuel E. Wright), the Caribbean crab who serves as King Triton\u2019s advisor, she finds herself closer to her dreams. However, Ursula\u2019s treacherous plans threaten not only Ariel\u2019s chance at love but also the entire underwater kingdom.

The Little Mermaid is a timeless tale of courage, love, and self-discovery, featuring unforgettable songs like \u201cPart of Your World,\u201d \u201cUnder the Sea,\u201d and \u201cKiss the Girl,\u201d which won Academy Awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Song. Join our podcast review as we dive deep into Ariel\u2019s undersea adventure to see if this Disney classic still enchants audiences today with its magic, music, and message.

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