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The Little Mermaid - Ariel's Beginning | 
 enlarge | Director: Peggy Holmes
Actors: Jodi Benson, Sam Wright, Jim Cummings, Kari Wahlgren, Parker Goris
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $29.99
Buy Used: $7.24
You Save: $22.75 (76%)
New (86) Used (32) Collectible (2) from $7.24
Rating:  74 reviews
Sales Rank: 373
Format: Animated, Color, Dvd-video, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 77
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: DISD49179D
UPC: 786936689334
EAN: 0786936689334
ASIN: B000XUOIQO
Theatrical Release Date: 2008
Release Date: August 26, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Studio: Buena Vista Home Video Release Date: 12/16/2008 Run time: 77 minutes
Amazon.com
A prequel to The Little Mermaid, The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning is good family entertainment that deserves a spot in every Disney collection--even if the film isn't quite as striking as the original. It's hard to imagine the underwater world of Atlantica without music, but following the death of Ariel's mother Queen Athena, King Triton (Jim Cummings) outlaws music because of the painful memories it evokes. Ariel (Jodi Benson) and her six sisters are unhappy with their boring daily routine, unfeeling governess Marina Del Ray (Sally Field), and superficial relationship with their father; but only Ariel has the courage to confront their father with a desire for a more fulfilling life. A chance meeting with Flounder (Parker Goris) leads Ariel to the underground Catfish music club where the Caribbean jazz is hot and the starred soloist is none other the King's Chief of Staff Sebastian (Samuel Wright). Suddenly, a whole new world full of promise and excitement opens up for Ariel and her sisters, but things get ugly when Marina tells King Triton about the club and his fury erupts. Can the power of music, combined with Ariel's heartfelt pleas, convince King Triton to pardon all the underground music lovers and reconsider his ban on music? Ariel's Beginning is a wholesome story about love, family, and the power of music that's nicely animated and features a host of good music--the only things missing from the first movie are Ariel's innocent sense of wonder and the extreme catchiness of the original songs. Bonus features include two deleted scenes, four sing-along songs with on-screen lyrics; a mermaid discovery game in which viewers learn about Ariel and her six sisters; a quiz that matches viewers with the character most like themselves; an interview with director Peggy Holmes, and a look at the Broadway production of The Little Mermaid Under the Sea. (Ages 3 and older) --Tami Horiuchi
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| Customer Reviews: Read 69 more reviews...
 A fun prequel to The Little Mermaid! August 30, 2008
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
"Ariel's Beginning" is a fun animated feature that had my 3.5 year old daughter asking for more. The story is the prequel to The Little Mermaid - it tells the story of how King Triton lost his beloved wife Athena in an accident [back when Ariel and her sisters were little] and thus banned music and all forms of gaiety in his kingdom, living in seclusion and with darkness within his heart. When the pirncesses grow up, they all chafe against the restrictions imposed by King Triton, especially Ariel who, like her mother, loves music and singing. Ariel starts to dabble in music secretly, much to her father's anger and finally runs away with Sebastian in tow, until Triton realises his folly.
It is in this movie that we find out how Ariel meets and befriends Flounder, and how Sebastian becomes the music conductor in Triton's court. There is also a villain in the form of nanny, Marina del Rey, though she is not as scary or menacing as Ursula, the sea witch in The Little Mermaid.
Ok, it is not as enchanting as The Little Mermaid, but all in all, I thought it was a decent effort by Disney, considering some of the other animated features out there.
The songs in this feature are not as catchy as in The Little Mermaid, but they are still pleasing and fun. The songs here are: I Remember, I Will Sing, Athena's Song,Just One Mistake,Jump In The Line [Shake, Senora], and Man Smart, Woman Smarter.
The extras include Deleted Scenes, Music and More [the Disney Song Selection option allows the words of the songs to appear on screen, making it easy for sing-alongs], Games and Activities [Mermaid Discovery Vanity Game- allows viewers to unearth secrets about the princesses by clicking on their personal scrapbooks, or compare which of King Triton's daughters you are most like with the Personality Profile Game]. There is also a Backstage Disney feature [a behind the scenes featurette centring on animation director Peggy Holmes].
I watched this with my little one, and we were both entertained - so much so that we watched it again! Having been long-time Little Mermaid fans [me longer than my little one of course:)], this was a delightful addition to our collection of Disney features.
One of the only Disney sequals that hasn't left me disappointe! August 27, 2008
8 out of 11 found this review helpful
I think there should be a rule against leaving a review for something you haven't even seen!
I'm giving this one 5 stars because its a great sequal. Maybe 4 stars if it were something I went to see at the movies. I was doubtful that this movie would be anything more than 90 minutes of poor-quality animation with a weak story line and annoying songs, given that this is what Disney sequals have amounted to over the years. Fortunately, this movie is different than those other disappointing sequals. The first thing I noticed was how much nicer the animation is in this movie than in previous Disney sequals. The animation stays fairly true to the original Little Mermaid movie and doesn't look like a series of computer coloring page! Not only that but the storyline is really very sweet. (my daughters were really turned off by the first sequal that showed Arieal growing up and becoming a mother...gross) I think this movie does a nice job of adding some depth to the original story. As a mother of teenage daughters who grew up with Disney Princesses, this is a nice addition to our collection. I hope that Disney continues to release more quality movies like this one instead of just throwing things together quickly to capitalize on the demand for all things princess.
Better than the sequel! September 9, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
I think this movie is wonderful to be a prequel to The Little Mermaid. The animation is beautiful and the mystery of what happened to Ariel's mother is explained. The songs are well-written (My favorite is "I Remember") and enhance the storyline. It was also nice to see Ariel's sisters have a bigger role than they got in The Little Mermaid. The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning also explains why King Triton didn't want Ariel (and the other citizens of his kingdom) to go up to the surface in the original movie and how Sebastian became the court composer.
The only thing I don't like is Flounder's new personality, but I still enjoyed this movie very much.
Overall, The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning is a great movie to watch.
Loved it! 5 stars! Has the same feeling like the first! September 6, 2008
I loved this movie. I loved the little mermaid when I first saw it. This movie has the exact same atomsphere as the first one. I got chills when I first saw it. It was so nice to have the orginal cast back, and some new friends and enemies. I also loved it because it was all about music, and I love music! Great film. Well done Disney! Thank you for at least getting a little better. It's refreshing to see Disney come up with something awesome. I think now Disney sucks, but that's just me. I love classic Disney, and if you want classic Disney, then get this film! It's a classic.
The Little Mermaid:Ariel's Beginning September 14, 2008
I loved the first filmThe Little Mermaid (Two-Disc Platinum Edition),and I loved the secondThe Little Mermaid II - Return to the Seaand this is no letdown.I just loved learning about Triton's wife,and this was just a great film.
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