A landmark Disney musical with vivid underwater animation, memorable songs, and a buoyant fairy-tale romance that still plays with real energy. Its comedy, villainy, and emotional stakes make it easy to revisit for both kids and adults.
The Little Mermaid
Where to watch: Buy
Movie · Animation · Family
Fri · 1h 23m
Director: John Musker, Ron Clements
Starring: Jodi Benson, Samuel E. Wright, Pat Carroll
Overview
This colorful adventure tells the story of an impetuous mermaid princess named Ariel who falls in love with the very human Prince Eric and puts everything on the line for the chance to be with him. Memorable songs and characters -- including the villainous sea witch Ursula.
Director
John Musker, Ron Clements
Cast
Jodi Benson, Samuel E. Wright, Pat Carroll
Curator Review
Verdict
A landmark Disney musical with vivid underwater animation, memorable songs, and a buoyant fairy-tale romance that still plays with real energy. Its comedy, villainy, and emotional stakes make it easy to revisit for both kids and adults.
Best for
fans of classic animated musicals
viewers who like fairy-tale romance
families looking for a bright, accessible adventure
people who enjoy iconic villains and big songs
Skip if
you want modern pacing or a more complex story
you dislike musical numbers
you prefer darker or more grounded fantasy
Overview
The Little Mermaid is one of the defining animated films of its era, and it earns that status through sheer visual invention. The underwater world feels alive, the character animation is expressive, and the songs are built to stick in your head without feeling like filler. Ariel’s restless energy gives the movie its momentum, and the romance is simple but effective because the film commits to her point of view.
Worth noting
What really elevates it is the comic and villainous support. Sebastian, Scuttle, and especially Ursula give the movie a lot of texture, balancing sweetness with theatrical menace. The film also has a strong sense of rhythm: it moves quickly, lands its set pieces cleanly, and knows when to let a musical moment or a visual gag breathe.
Bottom line
If you grew up with it, the nostalgia is real; if you’re new to it, the craft still holds up. It’s not the most emotionally layered Disney classic, but it is one of the most polished and charming, and its influence on the studio’s renaissance is hard to overstate.
Top Letterboxd reviews
james💫 (4★) · 7195 likes
Ariel really sold her soul for dick
Branson Reese · 2953 likes
The shit in the kitchen with Louis trying to kill Sebastian is the funniest shit in the world oh my god. He’s just the gruesome French proto-Wario singing to himself about how much he loves to brutalize the dead fish and how glad he is that they’re dead, having the time of his life. Completely alone, giving it his absolute all for no audience. And then when he sees a living crab he instantly loses his mind and begins trying to kill him with a glee that borders on suicidal. Tex Avery shit.
vi (5★) · 2909 likes
ariel: i'm sixteen years old, i'm not a child anymore! me: bitch, sit your ass down and shut the hell up, bitch
Max Power (5★) · 2590 likes
A good lesson on the importance of contract law.
Robin (3.5★) · 2045 likes
My favorite disney princess named after a font.
Themes
coming of age, forbidden love, self-discovery, sacrifice, family conflict, deal with the devil, sea fantasy, musical adventure
Topics
animated musical, fairy tale, family adventure, romantic fantasy, underwater setting, villain-driven, coming-of-age, 1980s animation, comedy, classic Disney