This film was released when I was 1 year old and my mum bought it for me when I was two-ish. I fell in love with it, and watched it so much that you would have thought I'd grow sick of it. But I never have. It's THAT GOOD.
The characters are wonderful. By this point Disney seemed to have realised that all their heroines needn't be blonde, bland and harmless. Ariel is very spirited, you might almost call her a bit of a brat, but she's also insanely lovable. The relationship between her and her father is so well played out. I challenge anyone to watch the ending when she says 'I love you, Daddy' and to not shed a tear. Her sidekicks Sebastian, Flounder and Scuddle are all hilarious, especialy the Jamaican crab Sebastian.
However, my two favourite characters are the evil sea witch Ursula, and Louis the French chef. Ursualla is so fabulous yet so evil, like Cruella Devil but with tentacles. You've just got to love her, despite her nastiness. And Louis is only a bit part, but his scene where he tries to capture Sebastian (with the music for the can-can in the background) has me screaming with laughter.
In conclusion: Buy it. Watch it with your children. And your grandchildren. I know this will still be popular for generations to come.

Hans Christian Anderson would be proud of this magical transformation onto celluloid of one of Disney's finest animation tales.....Ariel wants to see what goes on above sea level against her father's (King Tritan) wishes....she does a deal with Ursula the Sea Witch that could mean the end for her whole underworld kingdom despite being guided by her two underwater friends Sebastion her reggae singing crab friend and Flounder her devoted fish sidekick.....This 2 disc special edition is a real improvement on the older grainy 1 disc version as the colours are cleaner and brighter....On the Audio the sound is improved with Disney's new enhanced mix which surrounds the room on any home cinema surround set-up with great bass depth and clarity....Listen to the hit songs "Under The Sea" and "Kiss the Girl" with a more cinema like surround.....The extra's are many but one of the most touching is the animated short of "The Little Match Girl" this is a real winner.....You will not be disappointed by this fantastic 2 disc Special Edition as it is come very Highly Recommended....enjoy!

Starting from when Beauty and the Beast was first released on blu ray with classic numbering on its side, I've found myself collecting the majority of the releases to build up the set, and have been eagerly awaiting this as one of the better installments of the franchise.

The film itself would be an easy 9/10 as there are moments where the animation feels a little stilted and halfhearted (almost entirely in the opening sequence with the very plain dolphins etc) which drag it down, but once we first encounter the characters, the film picks up and never lets it sag for a moment.

The blu ray transfer is flawless, as mentioned in regards to the opening animation, I did have an initial concern when watching that it might look TOO clean and really highlight the flaws to detriment of the film, but this was not the case, and instead the colours are rich and vibrant and sound perfectly balanced between dialogue and musical interludes. Speaking of said musical numbers, absolute highlights of the transfer would be the flashy visuals to Poor Unfortunate Souls, and the enhanced mood and beauty to Kiss The Girl - both have never looked or sounded better. Overall transfer gets another 9/10 due to the slight issue taken with the initial few minutes as mentioned earlier. However if you have never had any issues the style and animation there, than this definately gets the extra point to a perfect 10.
The extra features are nicely varied and whilst personally not many I'd re-watch, all were interesting to at least see the once.

Of the many Disney blu rays I have seen thus far, this is easily one of the best transfers - right up there with the likes of Beauty and the Beast and Tangled and a must buy for any fan!

This delightful children's film is a timeless Walt Disney classic and is based on the fairytale by Hans Christian Anderson. It focuses on life under the sea, in particular Ariel, a mermaid princess who falls in love with a human prince named Eric. She rescues him from the sea when his ship is struck by lightening and sunk. On her quest to win his heart she meets the sea witch Ursula, who's ultimate desire is to rule the ocean, and transforms her from a mermaid into a human but at a price, Ariel's voice. She has 3 days to win Eric's heart but if she fails she will become mermaid once more and be Ursula's forever..........
The Little Mermaid is typical of its genre; it has a certain charm which draws the children (and parents) into watching it. The film includes an array of fun characters including Sebastian, the reggae singing crab, and flounder, Ariel's faithful companion. Sebastian brings a real humour to the film and after a vague start it can be assured that by the end of the film everyone will warm to him. Another amusing character is Scuttle the Seagull who claims to be the expert on all things human. So when presented with a fork from one of Ariel's ship exploration's, declares ' now this is a dinglehopper which humans use to comb their hair with'. The colourful animation keeps children riveted and the Oscar winning sing-along tunes involve the family with the film. Another element which keeps the children engaged is the fact that the film is only 79 minutes long, which as any parent knows the shorter the film, the better, otherwise the small children get agitated and bored. A good storyline is always vital and this Hans Christian Anderson fairytale is the perfect, enchanting tale.Read more ›