THE LITTLE MERMAID: DIAMOND EDITION
(1989, Blu-ray released October 1, 2013 – MSRP $44.99)
THE FILM:
- “With unforgettable characters, thrilling adventures, soaring Academy Award-winning music (1989: Best Music, Original Score, and Best Music, Original Song, Under The Sea.), The Little Mermaid is one of the most celebrated animated films of all time. Now spectacularly transformed for the first time on Blu-ray with digitally restored picture and brilliant high-definition sound! Venture under the sea where Ariel, a free-spirited mermaid princess, longs to be part of the human world. After bravely striking a bargain with Ursula, a sneaky sea witch, Ariel embarks on the adventure of a lifetime. With Flounder and Sebastian at her side, Ariel will need all of her courage and determination to make things right in both her worlds.“
REVIEW:
You can’t argue with a classic. And Disney’s The Little Mermaid is certainly that, at a minimum. After nearly a quarter century it stands firm as one of the studio’s greatest animated films, continuing to inspire children and animation fans even today. The story is timeless, based on author Hans Christian Andersen‘s famous tale, and the songs remain witty and easy on the ear, as the best of Disney’s do. But there’s something extra special about these ones.
I’d say that the pairing of the late Howard Ashman with musician Alan Menken was the stuff of dreams. Pure magic. You can hear it all the way through The Little Mermaid and, in my estimation, to even greater effect in Beauty and the Beast. Simply incredible.
What hasn’t aged as well is the animation. I didn’t realize that the budget restraints of the film were actually so visible until now. Compared to the films that would follow, Mermaid looks positively flimsy with characters perpetually struggling to stay on model and colour levels and effects sometimes kept to a minimum. These are issues for art snobs like me, though. The casual viewer will easily be caught up in the film and never notice. But wow. I had no idea.
It’s even easier to spot flaws in the original work when the Blu-ray presentation is so pristine. Disney has delivered another stellar looking Diamond Edition disc in The Little Mermaid. But there are, surprisingly, some flaws. Not in the presentation of the image, mind you, but in the restoration. There seem to be a handful of small alterations, flaws and minute errors which have been noted when comparing the Blu to the previously available DVD (included in this package as well.) This YouTube video points most of them out. Disney has yet to speak to the changes/errors. But believe me when I tell you that they’re super slight and shouldn’t effect your desire to purchase.
Audio is available in a stunning DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track that opens up the original 6-track Dolby Stereo mix, bumping it up for the new digital generation. It sounds robust and full with plenty of immersive detail.
Special features are a healthy mix of old and new, with the previously available “making of” docs and commentary track making a welcome return appearance. Most of the new HD featurettes are pure gold, with the “@Disney Animation” being of particular interest to animation fans like me. Directors John Musker and Ron Clements take you behind the scenes to chat to other creators to see what makes them tick. Sadly, it’s only 11-minutes long. “Under the Scene“, a 13 minute long piece on hand drawn animation and “Howard’s Lecture“, a 16-minute long featurette on lyricist Ashman are the other two standouts for me. But this is a great all around package, not to be missed by Mermaid or animation fans.
Recommended!
ALL NEW HD SPECIAL FEATURES:
- @DisneyAnimation
- Under the Scene
- Howard’s Lecture
- Deleted Character: Harold the Merman
- Part of Her World
- Crab-E-Oke Sing Along
- Music Video
CLASSIC DVD BONUS FEATURES
- Audio Commentary
- Deleted Scenes
- Backstage Disney:
- The Little Match Girl
- The Making of The Little Mermaid
- The Story Behind the Story”
- Storm Warning: Special Effects Unit
- Under the Sea Early Presentation Reel
- John & Ron Make Caricatures of Each Other
- Animators Comment on their Characters
- The Little Mermaid Handshake
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- Music & More
- Disneypedia: Life Under the Sea
- Behind the Ride that Almost Was
- Under the Sea Adventure
