The Little Mermaid Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

The Little Mermaid Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 13, 2019

Disney has opened the vault to re-release 1989's cherished animated Musical film 'The Little Mermaid' to Blu-ray and UHD as part of the studio's 'Signature Collection' line. This is the eighth release in the 'Signature' line, following 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,' 'Beauty and the Beast,' 'Pinocchio,' 'Bambi,' 'The Lion King,' 'Lady and the Tramp,' and 'Diamond Edition release. As with other films in the Collection, this release includes some new extras, removes a few, and includes the bulk of the legacy content digitally.

King Triton’s (voiced by Kenneth Mars) daughters are performing in a concert put on by the undersea’s resident composer and conductor, Sebastian (voiced by Samuel E. Wright). At the performance, all of Triton’s girls show up, minus star Ariel (voiced by Jodi Benson), the 16-year-old apple of her father’s eye. Rather than sing and dance for her father and her people, Ariel prefers a life of adventure, searching through sunken human ships and finding hidden human treasure, like a fork or a pipe. Her father fears her adventurous spirit. Humans, he believes, are a danger to her and the underwater kingdom. He forbids her from returning to the surface, an order she ignores. On her next trip up top, she comes across a human ship which she intimately explores and immediately falls in love with a dashing young man she learns is named Prince Eric (voiced by Christopher Daniel Barnes), who is searching for the right girl to call his wife. But when a hurricane ravages the ship and leaves Eric washed ashore with only a vague memory of a beautiful girl with an unforgettable voice rescuing him from the burning, breaking wreckage, he dedicates his life to finding her. Meanwhile, Triton’s anger only leads his daughter further astray, prompting her to make a deal with the evil undersea witch Ursula (voiced by Pat Carroll) who takes the mermaid’s voice in exchange for transforming her into a human, leaving her unable to vocally prove to her prince that she is the girl he seeks. Ursula’s deal demands that Eric fall in love with Ariel in three days. If he does, Ariel will remain a human forever. If she fails, she will join Ursula’s “collection” of grotesque, subservient creatures. Either way marks the end of her relationship with her undersea family and friends. With time running short, Ariel's friends, including Sebastian, Flounder (voiced by Jason Marin), and Scuttle (voiced by Buddy Hackett), work feverishly to ensure Eric falls for the beautiful mute who is literally just finding her footing out of the sea.

For a comprehensive film review, please see Ken Brown's writing here. Note that the movie score above reflects my own.

The Little Mermaid Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

For this "Signature Collection" Blu-ray release, Disney presents The Little Mermaid with a new transfer rather than recycling the Diamond Edition's 1080p presentation. The differences between this disc and the old one are not drastic. Color depth is moderately improved, with bolder reds, deeper blues, and a more stabilized palette that tightens contrast and increases vividness from Flounder yellow to Ursula purples. The picture is pleasantly filmic, maintaining a light, complimentary grain structure that accentuates the essential character animation lines and details and builds the various backgrounds with stout, sure crispness and screen command. No print wear or encode artifacts of note are in evidence. Again, there's not much difference here, texturally, but the bolder colors are a welcome addition. The UHD, of course, delivers a significantly more robust HDR palette and modestly more crisp textures; it's the way to go, but 1080p-only fans will find this a good upgrade over the previous issue.

The Little Mermaid Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

This Blu-ray release of The Little Mermaid features a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack which appears to be the same that accompanies the film on its Diamond Edition Blu-ray release. For a full audio review, please click here.

The Little Mermaid Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Little Mermaid's Signature Collection release, like the others in the series, contains some new extras and tinkers around the edges with the previous Diamond Edition's content, much of which is now digital only. In addition to the theatrical exhibition, a Sing-Along mode is also included (also available digitally). Below is a breakdown of what's included, what's new, what's missing, and where it canals be found. For coverage of the carryover content, please click here. This release ships with a Movies Anywhere digital copy code and an embossed slipcover.

Supplements on the Blu-ray disc:

• NEW! Alan Menken and the Leading Ladies (1080p, 15:45): Broadway stars Jodi Benson (Ariel), Paige O'Hara (Belle from Beauty and the Beast), Judy Kuhn (Pocahontas' singing voice), Lillias White (Muse from Hercules), and Donna Murphy (Mother Gothel from Tangled) discuss their animated film collaborations with Alan Menken. Discussions cover acting styles, animating the characters based on the voice actors, and working with Menken and Howard Ashman on the films. This supplement also includes live performance excerpts from their most famous songs. Also available digitally.
• NEW! "What I Want From You Is...Your Voice" (1080p, 5:47): The voice actors who portrayed Sebastian, Scuttle, Urusla, and Ariel discuss their characters, rehearse their lines, and share their stories from working on the film. Also available digitally.
• NEW! Stories From Walt's Office: Gadgets and Gizmos (1080p, 6:01): This supplement takes viewers inside Walt Disney's office and explores his various collectibles -- mostly miniatures -- that people gave to him after discovering he collected them. It also explores some of the ones he made himself. Also available digitally.
• #Treasuresuntold (1080p, 5:40): Coop and Cami Ask the World actors Olivia Sanabia and Ruby Rose Turner reveal some little known facts about the movie. Also available digitally.
• "Part of Your World" Music Video featuring Dcapella (1080p, 3:01). Also available digitally.
• Deleted Character: Harold the Merman (1080p, 2:05). Also available digitally.
• Under the Scene: The Art of Live Action Reference (1080p, 13:13). Also available digitally.
• Howard's Lecture (1080p, 16:27). Also available digitally.
• Audio Commentary: Writers/Directors Ron Clements and John Musker and composer Alan Menken. Also available digitally.
• NEW! Classic Bonus Previews (1080p, 1:09): A highlight reel promoting additional extra content.

Exclusive Digital Extra:

• "Part of Your World" - A Look Back (HD, 5:50): Alan Menken and Jodi Benson discuss the impact of "Part of Your World:" nearly cutting the song from the film and its legacy. They also discuss the film's impact on Disney animation.

Digital-Only Content That Appeared on the Diamond Blu-ray Disc:

• Fathoms Below - Alternate Version
• Backstage with Sebastian
• Advice from Sebastian
• Fight with Ursula - Alternate Ending
• The Little Mermaid - The Story Behind the Story
• @Disney Animation
• Part of Her World: Jodi Benson's Voyage to New Fantasyland
• Storm Warning: The Little Mermaid Special Effects Unit
• "Part of Your World": Listed under "Crab-E-Oke Sing-Along" on the Diamond Blu-ray.
• Ride the Attraction: Listed as Under the Sea Adventure: A Virtual Ride Inspired by Disney Imagineers: Ride the Attraction on the Diamond Blu-ray. This supplement is also available digitally with a commentary track, which was not included on the previous Blu-ray.
• Under the Sea Early Presentation Reel
• Disneypedia: Life Under the Sea
• Kiss the Girl Music Video Performed by Ashley Tisdale
• Original Theatrical Trailer
• "Les Poissons": Listed under "Crab-E-Oke Sing-Along" on the Diamond Blu-ray.
• Sebastian Lost in the Castle
• Behind "The Ride that Almost Was"
• Prologue: Flower Street: Listed as "Treasures Untold: The Making of the Little Mermaid" on the Diamond Blu-ray.
• "Silence is Golden" Song Demo
• "Poor Unfortunate Souls" Extended
• "Under the Sea": Listed under "Crab-E-Oke Sing-Along" on the Diamond Blu-ray.
• "Poor Unfortunate Souls": Listed under "Crab-E-Oke Sing-Along" on the Diamond Blu-ray.
• "Kiss the Girl": Listed under "Crab-E-Oke Sing-Along" on the Diamond Blu-ray.
• Act I: Renaissance Men: Listed as Treasures Untold: The Making of the Little Mermaid on the Diamond Blu-ray.
• Act II: A Symphony of Talent: Listed as Treasures Untold: The Making of the Little Mermaid on the Diamond Blu-ray.
• Act III: Broadway Comes to Burbank: Listed as Treasures Untold: The Making of the Little Mermaid on the Diamond Blu-ray.
• Act IV: Setting Sail: Listed as Treasures Untold: The Making of the Little Mermaid on the Diamond Blu-ray.
• Act V: A Mermaid Sings: Listed as Treasures Untold: The Making of the Little Mermaid on the Diamond Blu-ray.

Supplements that appear to be missing from both disc and digital that appeared on the Diamond Blu-ray (all listed under the "Backstage Disney" section):

• The Little Match Girl
• John & Ron Make Caricatures of Each Other
• Animators Comment on their Characters
• The Little Mermaid Handshake

The Little Mermaid Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Disney's "Signature Collection" Blu-ray release features remastered 1080p video and the previously issued 7.1 lossless soundtrack. The bundled supplements are many, with several new additions to the package. The film is terrific, too. It's right at the top of this reviewer's favorite Disney films alongside Beauty and the Beast. Complex characters, simple story beats, and amazing music all contribute to one of the company's true bonafide classics. Disney's UHD is the better option, but fans just can't go wrong with this version, either. Do hang on to that Diamond Blu-ray to keep most of the extras on a physical disc. Highly recommended.