SYNOPSIS:
THE PERFECT HOLIDAY GIFT!Dive into THE LITTLE MERMAID Collection,
and experience every magical moment of Ariel's underwater adventures.
Experience all three movies -- available for the first time
together -- in this breathtaking 3-disc set, swimming with exciting
bonus features. Relive all the fun and the songs you love from
the original classic, THE LITTLE MERMAID, and continue Ariel's
tale with the ever-popular THE LITTLE MERMAID II. Then go back
to the very beginning with Disney's all-new THE LITTLE MERMAID:
ARIEL'S BEGINNING. It's the perfect collection for the ultimate
LITTLE MERMAID fan!
MOVIE REVIEW:
So, one of Disney’s beloved classics now joins the league of other classic movie trilogies like The Lord of the Rings (2001 to 2003), Pirates of the Caribbean (2003 to 2007) and the original Star Wars (1977 to 1983) to have three feature length features made. The series’ protagonist is none other than Ariel, you know, that red haired mermaid clad in a bikini made of seashells and swimming under the sea whilst singing her hear out.
While we are happy that the lovely Disney Princess can now proclaim that she has a trilogy about her, we’d think that when Ron Clements and John Musker directed the original film in 1989, they did not have the other two movies in mind. Which also means, these direct to video two follow ups are money milking machines aimed at little girls who wish they too, like Aerial, can be a red haired mermaid clad in a bikini made of seashells and swimming under the sea whilst singing her hear out.
This DVD box set (hint: it’s Christmas time, and imagine how delighted a little girl would be when she receives this DVD box set wrapped with colourful gift paper) contains all three movies, from 1989’s theatrical release The Little Mermaid, to 2000’s The Little Mermaid II – Return to the Sea and 2008’s The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Beginning.
Chronologically, the trilogy begins with The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Beginning. This 79 minute movie, pardon our lack of a more apt word here, begins in an underwater world where music is banned by the mighty King Triton after his wife’s passing. It is up to his younger daughter Ariel to challenge this ruling and bring back joyful music to the gloomy kingdom.
The production values of this picture do not feel dated because it is the newest feature in the collection. While there is quite a substantial amount of musical sequences, the true Little Mermaid fan may feel that these are not memorable enough when compared to the 1989 classic. The villainous Marina voiced by Sally Field (Say It Isn’t So) may not be as gleefully wicked as Ursula the sea witch in the Oscar winning 1989 movie, but will still manage to engage viewers with her antics and goofy manatee sidekick.
Then we have the charming 1989 theatrical feature The Little Mermaid. Based on the story by Hans Christian Andersen, this movie has Ariel being dissatisfied with life under the sea. An encounter results in her wishing to spend the rest of her life with a human on land, and she visits the sea witch to strike a deal which brings about dire consequences which may destroy the whole underwater kingdom.
This 82 minute feature may be almost 20 years old, but it has withstood the test of time with its fascinating storytelling and memorable Oscar winning score and songs. Who can forget Ariel’s desire to be “Part of Your World”? Who can disregard Sebastian the crab’s jovial performance “Under the Sea”? And who can stop thinking about the sweet encounter on the river where the handsome prince
wishes to “Kiss the Girl”? The unforgettable villain’s scary transformation into a sea monster in the movie’s finale will also go down animation history as one of the greatest sequences visualized on screen. All in all, this is one picture that will be adored no matter how many years have passed.
Concluding the trilogy is The Little Mermaid II – Return to the Sea, which takes place ten years later. Just when you thought that Ariel and her Prince Charming are living happily ever after, their human daughter longs to swim in the ocean although her parents forbid her to do so.
You know that this lackluster movie is the weakest link when you aren’t longer attracted by the characters, whether it’s the somewhat bratty human daughter (voiced by Tara Strong) or the scrawny villain (voiced by Pat Carroll, who also voiced Ursula in the 1989 movie). The forgettable personalities and music sequences make this the most unimpressive of the lot.
So, do all good things come in threes? Does this trilogy stand well beside the abovementioned classics? While we’d say the three individual features fare differently, when put together as a DVD box set, it does look good on your shelf.
SPECIAL FEATURES :
Different special features are included on the three Code 3 DVDs. Like the three movies, some are better than others.
The Little Mermaid
The Little Match Girl – The seven minute short directed by Roger Allers is set to Aleksandr Borodin’s "String Quartet #2 In D Major: 3rd Movement: Notturno (Andante)". Beautifully animated with a tinge of melancholy, get Disney once again decides to give a tragic tale a happy ending so you won’t cry so much. This short was nominated for an Oscar in 2007.
Music Video: Kiss the Girl – Ashley “Sharpay Evans” Tisdale puts her whiny voice to good use in this contemporary four minute version of the song from the movie.
Games and Activities – Uncover the magic in the very innovative “The Little Mermaid Under the Sea Adventure: The Virtual Ride” as you choose between storyboard visions, a tour in the miniature model of the ride or an overview map while “sitting” on a boat. Press the light bulb option at selected areas during the five minute ride and see the place light up. The six minute “Behind the Ride that Almost Was with the Disney Imagineers” has the Disney architects talking about the theme park attraction that was almost built, and the big ideas they had to make the experience an unforgettable one.
Backstage Disney – The 18 minute “The Making of The Little Mermaid” has the people behind the scenes talking about how the folks at Disney came out with the idea to adapt Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale. This also means that gone would be the sad ending where the little mermaid dies. Here, we also get to see Jeffrey Katzenberg before he went over to DreamWorks. “The Story Behind the Story” is an 11 minute clip which brings viewers to the Hans Christian Andersen’s world and what probably inspired him to write the fairy tale of the lovelorn mermaid. The differences between the movie and the story are also stated. “The Little Mermaid Art Galleries” allow viewers to see different artworks like visual development, storyboard art and production photos.
The Little Mermaid II – Return to the Sea
The Little Mermaid II Trivia Game – A rather pointless set of multiple choice questions which tests you on the who’s and what’s of the movie.
The Little Mermaid II DVD Storybook – Probably produced for really young kids, you can either have the story (accompanied by pictures from the movie) narrated or read it yourself.
What Am I Game – This set of multiple choice questions asks you to guess which animal is being described. When the correct answer is chosen, footages of the animal are shown, accompanied by a narration of its interesting facts.
The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Beginning
Deleted Scenes – The six minutes of two deleted scenes are presented in storyboard form, and features “Sebastian Waking the Girls” (he was too nice and warm for liking) and “Ariel Following Flounder” (the director wanted a more musically focused sequence).
Music and More – Four songs from the movie are featured in this section allowing viewers to sing along.
Games and Activities – Want to be a mermaid? The Mermaid Discovery Vanity Game allows young viewers to explore the different mermaids’ secrets and play personality games to see which character they are most like. This is a very interactive section for young kids.
Backstage Disney – In the seven minute “Splashdance: A Dancer’s Adventures Under the Sea”, we hear how director Peggy Holmes gets inspirations to direct this movie with her dance background, as well as listen to Jodi Benson’s angelic voice for Ariel. The ten minute “The Little Mermaid: Under the Sea and Behind the Scenes on Broadway” brings viewers to the screen to stage adaptation of the beloved Disney classic while we wonder whether it’ll ever make its way to Singapore.
Sneak Peeks – Trailers include Disney’s 2010 theatrical release The Princess and the Frog and the current Bolt, and home entertainment releases like Sleeping Beauty and Tinker Bell.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The visual transfer on these three Code 3 discs are pristinely clear (especially with the digital restoration of the 1989 movie), and you can listen to the movie in English, Mandarin, Korean 5.1, or Thai and Cantonese 2.0.
MOVIE RATING:
The Little Mermaid: 
The Little Mermaid II – Return to the Sea: 
The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Beginning:
DVD RATING :
The Little Mermaid:
The Little Mermaid II – Return to the Sea:
The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Beginning:
Review
by John Li |
