The Little Mermaid: Diamond Edition Blu-ray Review
Disney fan favorite “The Little Mermaid” comes to Blu-ray at long last.
The plot: Wanting to explore the world of humans more than anything else, mermaid Princess Ariel (the youngest daughter of the ruler King Triton) decides to make a deal with the evil sea witch Ursula. The deal? Ariel becomes human while Ursula takes her beautiful singing voice. Despite not having her voice, Ariel falls head over heels in love with the surface world as she becomes romantically involved with Prince Eric. As their relationship grows, however, it becomes clear that Ursula has an evil plan up her sleeve.
Ever since its release in 1989, “The Little Mermaid” has been a beloved Disney animated classic for audiences of all ages. While I will gladly praise the song work by Howard Ashman and Alan Menke (especially “Under The Sea” and “Part Of Your World”), I never really understood the fascination with this Hans Christian Andersen adaptation. At the time of its release it may have seemed fresh and groundbreaking for Disney, but in reviewing A LOT of Disney animated classics as of late, I’ve noticed that the story is really derivative of past Disney animated films. Furthermore, the screenplay is strangely rushed. Not only is the middle act incredibly short, but the (happy) ending is also oddly abrupt. I don’t often cite films as needing to be longer, but ‘Mermaid’ could have easily used another 10 minutes or so to flesh out the story and characters.
On the subject of the characters, there’s no doubt that they too are likable here. Who doesn’t like the humorous Sebastian or even the repugnant villainess Ursula? Even though 25 years have passed, I was amazed as to how much of these characters (and their lines) were etched into my memory. It just goes to show you how much this film has become a part of pop culture over the years.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 1.78:1 1080p. How does it look? While not as glamorous as other Disney classic transfers perhaps, this is still the best this film has looked on home video. The colors really pop here which is all you can really ask for.
Audio Track: 7.1 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? Fantastic! The songs sound so much more layered and impactful with this track.
Extras:
* 7 deleted (and or alternate) unfinished scenes.
* “Part Of Her World: Jodi Benson’s Voyage To New Fantasyland”- Voice actress Jodi Benson (who played Ariel) and her two children tour New Fantasyland and the “Art Of Animation” resort
* Music videos for Carly Rae Jepsen’s version of “Part of Your World” and Ashley Tisdale’s version of “Kiss The Girl.”
* “Deleted Character: Harold The Merman”- A brief piece on a character who never appeared in the film.
* “Disneypedia: Life Under The Sea”- A featurette about ocean life.
* DVD copy and digital copy.
* Commentary by Ron Clements, John Musker, and Alan Menken. The three talk about Howard Ashman, the animation work, the cast,
* “@Disneyanimation”- A very well produced extra about various animators at Disney Animation.
* “Under The Scene: The Art Of Live-Action Reference”- A featurette about using real items, people, and video in order to create drawings.
* “Howard’s Lecture”- A touching tribute to the late lyricist Howard Ashman complete with archival footage and interviews with co-workers.
* “Crab-E-Oke Sing-Along”- Karaoke videos for 5 of the songs.
* Song selection option, original theatrical trailer, concept art via the “Under The Sea: Early Presentation Reel” extra, a “Clements and Musker Demonstrating The Little Mermaid Handshake” extra, a piece in wich the animators comment on their characters and another extra in which John Musker and Ron Clements draw one another.
* “Behind The Ride That Almost Was”- Self-explanatory.
* “Under The Sea Adventure”- A neat virtual version of a “Little Mermaid” Disneyland ride.
* “The Little Match Girl”- An animated short that is thankfully presented in hi-def.
* “The Little Mermaid: The Story Behind The Story”- An extra about Hans Christian Andersen and his story which was adapted for this movie.
* “Storm Warning: The Little Mermaid Special Effects Unit”- An extra revolving around the storm sequence.
* “Treasures Untold: The Making Of Little Mermaid”- A typically great 6 part Disney making of featurette that is loaded with facts, behind-the-scenes information, interviews, information about the music, etc.
Overall Thoughts: While I may not be the biggest fan of “The Little Mermaid,” I know there are many Disney and film lovers that treasure it. If you are looking to replace an old VHS copy or simply want to own the film, this Diamond Edition Blu-ray is perfect for you.
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