Make The Little Mermaid Part of Your World

With the ubiquity of the Disney Princesses these days, one can almost forget what a turning point in Disney animation it was when THE LITTLE MERMAID made her debut. After having gone through a long, dry spell of failures and near-successes, the House of Mouse had fallen upon hard times.

Enter Alan Menken and Jodi Benson, and suddenly Ariel was part of our world -- a persisting part of it, opening the door to a revolution in Disney animation that went on to give us BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, ALADDIN, THE LION KING, and many more. Suddenly, the world was aware of Disney as a movie-making entity again, and began hotly anticipating each new release.

Nowadays, everyone knows the story of THE LITTLE MERMAID -- how young Ariel wishes to know more about the surface world, falls in love with Prince Eric, and makes a Faustian deal with Ursula the Sea Witch by trading in her voice for legs. Over the past three decades, this film has lost none of its magic, and enchants new viewers today just as much as it does for the parents who are seeing it for the umpteenth time and can sing along with every musical number.

Singing along is one of the extras on this 30th Anniversary release of the film on Blu-ray and DVD, a feature that can be turned on so that each song goes into singalong mode. In addition to this, the bonus features on this release include a look at Alan Menken, the master composer behind the success of the Disney Princess revival, working with each of the leading ladies who have immortalized the modern crop of princesses and their iconic songs, as well as "Part of Your World," a look back with Menken and Benson. "What I Want From You Is...Your Voice" is a fun look behind the scenes at the different voice actors performing their parts and discussing their roles. We also get an alternative look at "Fathom's Below," an introduction to Harold the Merman who never made it into the film, and "Gadgets and Gizmos," a tale from Walt's Office.

There's little point in grading a film that has stood the test of time for 30 years and is beloved by all. Suffice it to say, this film is definitely recommended and should be a part of your collection. if it's not there already, this is your opportunity.