Since Disney's been on my mind lately, I decided to re-watch "The Little Mermaid." Upon reflection, though, there were many things I didn't like and a few things I did. I did like the way the characters were drawn. I thought the songs in the movie were good. I also liked Prince Eric's dog, Max, since he seemed to have a sense that Ariel was a good-hearted person. I was not too fond of the fact that Prince Eric only fell in love with Ariel because of her voice, as well as the fact that she saved him from drowning. Also, I understand it's an important plot point that Ariel gives her voice to Ursula in exchange for legs to be with Prince Eric, but I think it's silly how fast they fell in love. People should fall in love with somebody due to several qualities, not just two.
Regarding the main character, I did not like Ariel at all. I mean, I know she was 16, and teenagers make abysmal decisions around that age, but I do not think it was wise for her to leave home for her obsession with land. Her love for Prince Eric heightens her curiosity about life on land. She had the same problem Prince Eric had because she fell in love quickly and did not get to know his personality, flaws, back story, or anything else. So, for all she knew, he could have been a truly awful person. But still, I am sure, even when this story was set, there would've been a courting phase between the two lovers. There is none of that in this movie. They rush the love story to a ridiculous degree. I know most of this is because of plot progression, but still, I think her decision to leave the ocean just out of curiosity and rush into love is genuinely a stupid move on her part. Plus, she signed a contract with a sorceress and did not even read it. The only two things I think Ariel learned in this entire movie were not to sign an agreement that she had not read thoroughly and there can be severe consequences for impulsive actions.
In terms of plot, I wish that instead of killing Ursula, they found a way to seal away her magic or put her in a kingdom prison because I feel like she was the most exciting part of the entire movie. Instead of doing that, they use her as the long-lost sister villain. If they kept Ursula alive, she could have been brought back for a sequel, which I would've liked. But instead of leaving her alive, they have her impaled to death. I also think that King Triton should have been the one to deal with Ursula and not Prince Eric because I felt it was more his responsibility.
I thought The Little Mermaid was a poor adaptation of the original source material. I understand why they made their choices, but I still think there were better ways to have written the character so that she did not come off as clueless and scatterbrained. Also, I wish there was a better way to illustrate what she did and didn't know because she just came off as too ignorant—for instance, showing her in some princess school just so that you could see her in a more intellectual setting. Despite this, I want to reiterate that I liked the music and the movie artwork. But I ultimately thought the story was a complete waste of time. I suggest that you just read the source material, which is Hans Christian Anderson's "Little Mermaid." I do recommend this movie to fans of musicals or Disney movies. I am curious about your thoughts on this Disney film.
What did you like or didn't you like about it? Do you agree with any of my thoughts?
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