The Little Mermaid/Beauty and the Beast

Is everyone ready to go under the sea for today’s entry of “Disney Month?” Well, today we are going to because we are going to look at 1989 classic Disney animated film, “The Little Mermaid.” For those of you who may not know the story, here is the basic premise:

Desperate to see what life is like on dry land and live her life forever as a mortal human, princess Ariel (Jodi Benson), the youngest royal mermaid makes a deal with the evil Queen Ursula (Pat Carroll) to trade her voice for a pair of human legs. However, she must get the prince’s heart or the deal will be broken and she will lose everything.

Empire said in their review, “It may be the film which kicked off the Mousedom's animation renaissance, but in the face of the higher profile, classic status of Beauty And The Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King, The Little Mermaid tends to get overshadowed. Which is a pity, because it's a charmer of a movie, boasting all the ingredients that make a Disney experience something to treasure yet free of all the politically correct, formulaic elements that have bogged down the more recent productions.”

Set in a cavernous, amazing looking underwater palace, Mermaid falls into Danish folklore (or Hans Christian Anderson, at least) and comes back with the red-haired Ariel, the disrespectful, troublesome youngest daughter of sea king Triton, voiced by Kenneth Mars (not quite how Anderson visualized this, I guess). Desperate to go into the human world, Ariel trades her voice to the Sea Witch Ursula for a pair of human legs, and goes to the palace to fall in love with the man of her dreams, Prince Eric, voiced by Christopher Daniel Barnes, who she rescued from a terrible storm, in case she takes the risk of becoming Ursula’s prisoner forever.

Made before Disney started to release their animated films out every year, “The Little Mermaid” heavily uses on the old-fashioned qualities that interrupted their classic back catalogue: comic relief animals, in this case a handful of friendly sea life (led by crab Sebastian (Samuel E. Wright) who is one of my favorite Disney characters, Flounder (Jason Marin) and Scuttle (Buddy Hackett)), catchy, even memorable music (Under the Sea, Poor Unfortunate Souls, Kiss the Girl), and a truly shake-reminding villain in the form of Ursula.

The prince may be your typical prince, and the obvious happy ending may be a little too rushed, but despite these small drawbacks this still gives exactly the right amount of laughs, sniffs, scares and songs to still be great family fun.

This was a rebirth of Disney in the modern times and because of great songs, continuing humor and a touching plot it stays an animation classic.

Next up we are going to look at one of my favorite Disney films, based on a French novel, “Beauty and the Beast,” released in 1991. This once proved willful to great minds at Walt Disney Studios, has been masterfully recognized. It is a great love story generous in it sentiment.

The 30^th animated film from the studio that prepared the style does things we haven’t seen before. With thrilling speeds of the camera and the flexibility of characters, the film is the opposite of some live-action dramas that don’t “move” as well.

Yet its strong points have less to do with technical advancements than with the vague magic when the elements are put together. Emotionally, the film sucks you in and doesn’t let go.

Candace Russell said in her review, “Cheery songs by the Academy Award-winning musical team of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken enhance the story that some filmgoers know from the recent TV series and the French film. A lovely young woman finds herself strangely attracted to an unsightly creature who returns her feelings. She learns to love the soul inside the Beast`s ugly exterior and in so doing transforms him.”

The beautiful Belle, voiced by Paige O’Hara, is a lonely book-reader in her small French village in the late 18^th century. Gossipy neighbors don’t know what to think about her or her silly father Maurice, voiced by Rex Everhart. The exception is Gaston, a muscle-bound macho numbskull, voiced by Richard White. He sees Belle as a trophy whose physical charms equals his, and he tries to win her over. Gaston is too arrogant to notice her lack of interest.

After her father is captured by the Beast, voiced by Robby Benson, Belle begs to be prisoner in exchange for her father’s. The ongoing contact between Belle and the Beast warms into a mutual suspicion.

Helping their friendship is a lively group of anthropomorphic furniture in the Beast’s castle. A candelabrum named Lumiere (Jerry Orbach), a mantel clock called Cogsworth (David Ogden Stiers), the sweet mother-like Mrs. Potts (Angela Lansbury), a teapot and her teacup son Chip (Bradley Michael Pierce) plan to make the beast less beastly.

With music by the same people who composed “The Little Mermaid,” the story takes wings of fancy. In setting the table for Belle, Lumiere and friends create a Busby Berkeley song-and-dance musical with dinner service to the delightful Be Our Guest. Another famous highlight is when Mrs. Potts sings the title song as the protagonists dance in the ballroom.

Russell said, “Lansbury`s formidable personality comes through her porcelain character. Paige O`Hara does a good job of creating Belle as intellectual, wisely feminine and disarmed by the stirrings of her heart. Robby Benson, without any mechanical distortion of his voice, makes the Beast tough and timid when he needs to be.”

No playful piece of work, “Beauty and the Beast” is an artful honesty tale about valuing inner beauty. I found out not too long ago that Belle is actually French for beauty. It is up there with some of the best animated Disney films ever made, and one of my favorites.

What makes this film so great is that you could compare it to the famous Greek Myth of Psyche and Eros and how Belle was just like Psyche, who needed to look inside the Beast to see the good and beauty in him, much like how Psyche did with Eros (or Cupid, which is what the Romans called him). Also, much like any Greek tale, the Beast has to go through a Hero's Journey/Path, where he needs to fight his villain, his shadow/self, and so on in order to complete the journey.

I hope you liked today’s reviews, stay tuned for more tomorrow.