New little mermaid movie

[disneydiva72]

The story of Disney's LITTLE MERMAID continues in ARIEL'S BEGINNING, a lushly drawn prequel to the 1989 animated classic. Long before Princess Ariel (Jodi Benson) found her true love on land, the young mermaid lived many musical adventures in her amazing underwater home, amid her many performing sisters and royal parents. When lovely-voiced Queen Athena (Lorelei Hill Butters) is abducted by pirates, however, King Triton (Jim Cummings), outlaws all singing, leaving his youngest daughter bereft of the two things she loves the most: her mother and her music. Not wishing to displease her father, but incapable of giving up her true passion, Ariel attends secret concerts, carefully eluding the wicked and watchful Marina Del Rey (voiced by Academy Award winner Sally Field.) Together with her friends Sebastian (Samuel E. Wright) and Flounder (Parker Goris), the young mermaid must find a way to convince her father to reverse his ban, before the heart and soul of the kingdom wither forever. Featuring the return of original voice cast members, ARIEL'S BEGINNING offers an amazing new set of songs from Broadway composer Jeanine Tesori, and a rich score from James Dooley. This early chapter in the Little Mermaid series reveals exciting secrets about how the young princess met her best friends, and invites Ariel's six singing siblings into the story, bringing new dimensions to this beloved world under the sea.

 

[Brian_WDW74]

I saw an advanced screening of this at the San Diego Comic-Con. It was actually better than I expected it to be, though I thought that the new songs in it were pretty weak. Especially compared to the original movie's.

I may be mistaken, but I didn't get the feeling that Queen Athena is abducted by the pirates. They don't actually show what happens to her, but I think something a little more...permanent...occurs. :lookaroun

 

[son of walt]

booooo. can anyone confirm whether or not this is the final direct to dvd sequel? :brick:

 

[gettingsmaller]

I also saw an advance screening in Dallas.
This may be the first Disney "direct to DVD" movie I've ever watched. So, I don't have much to compare it to in those terms.
I was disappointed for a few reasons:
1) Since it's dealing with Ariel's mom being gone, much of the movie is a bit of a downer.
2) The songs were less than stellar
3) The voices weren't great... Sebastian, in particular, was different from what I recall Sebastian sounding like.
4) They missed a great opportunity to also show the beginning of Ursula (sp?)


My wife and I both said afterward that it is NOT a movie we would care to watch more than once.
On the flip side, my girls both laughed out loud at certain parts...

 

[Brian_WDW74]

booooo. can anyone confirm whether or not this is the final direct to dvd sequel? :brick:

Yes, this is the last direct-to-DVD sequel (or prequel in this case) for theatrical releases. But it doesn't include sequels to other direct-to-DVD movies, such as the four "Tinker Bell" movies coming out.

 

[Mufasa's Pride]

Jim Hill has posted a review of the film from the Comic-Con screening.

http://jimhillmedia.com/blogs/jim_h...easant-prequel-to-the-little-mermaid-but.aspx

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

Why must Disney butcher it's classics?

 

[sawyerfan87]

I wish disney would stop making sequels,prequels,and etc
They should just stick with their amazing disney original

 

[catinthehat]

it funny cause from the trailer it all seemed like clips from the movie that was in theaters. like ariel didn't look especially younger. maybe I just didn't pay enough attention to the trailer i saw on tv...

 

[Sir Hiss527]

Disney is weak with there prequels, and sequels. Nothing they do, will ever replace the originals made by Walt, and the nine old men. Pure Genious, and I wish Disney would get some better people with better stories, and learn from these past mistakes. It seems to me, Disney nowadays is not interested in making a great family film, but instead rushing a crap script story, and making a buck or two off of it.