The Little Mermaid (1989 movie) facts for kids
The Little Mermaid is the 28th animated musical fantasy movie made by Walt Disney Feature Animation. It is based on a famous fairy tale called of the same name.
The movie first came out in movie theaters on November 14, 1989. It was released by Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Pictures. It was shown again in theaters on November 17, 1997. Disney had planned to release it in 3D in 2013, but this plan was cancelled.
In January 1990, The Little Mermaid was nominated for three Academy Awards. These are very important movie awards. The movie won two of them: one for Best Song ("Under the Sea") and another for Best Score (the music in the movie). It also won two Golden Globe awards for Best Song ("Under the Sea") and Best Score.
The story of The Little Mermaid has been continued in other ways. There is a TV show, a sequel (a movie that continues the story), and a prequel (a movie that tells what happened before).
Contents
The Story of Ariel
The movie is about a young mermaid princess named Ariel. She loves to explore the ocean with her best friend, a fish named Flounder. They often look for interesting things that humans have lost. They also visit a friendly seagull named Scuttle, who tries to explain what human items are, even if he's not always right!
Ariel's Dream
Ariel dreams of living on land with humans. One day, she sees a ship full of people and meets a handsome prince named Eric. A storm hits, and Ariel bravely saves Prince Eric from drowning. When Ariel's father, King Triton, finds out she saved a human, he gets very angry. He uses his trident to destroy all of Ariel's precious human treasures that she kept in her special grotto.
Ursula's Deal
After this, two sneaky eels named Flotsam and Jetsam tell Ariel about a sea witch named Ursula. They tell her that Ursula can make her dreams come true. Ariel follows them to Ursula's dark lair, where Ursula has many magic potions. Ursula offers Ariel a deal: she will turn Ariel into a human for three days. In return, Ariel must give Ursula her beautiful voice.
To stay human forever, Ariel must get a true love's kiss from Prince Eric before the sun sets on the third day. If she doesn't, she will turn back into a mermaid and belong to Ursula forever.
Life on Land
Prince Eric takes Ariel to his palace and helps her learn about human life. On the second day, Ariel's crab friend, Sebastian, gathers other sea animals. They sing a song called "Kiss the Girl," hoping to make Eric kiss Ariel. Their plan almost works, but Flotsam and Jetsam cause the boat to sink, stopping the kiss.
Ursula's Trick
Ursula decides she needs to do more to stop Ariel. She uses Ariel's voice to turn herself into a beautiful girl named Vanessa. Ursula then uses a magic spell to make Prince Eric forget about Ariel. The next day, everyone is surprised to hear that Eric is going to marry Vanessa. Ariel is heartbroken.
Scuttle soon discovers that Vanessa is actually Ursula in disguise! He quickly tells Ariel. Together, they manage to cause a big commotion at the wedding, delaying it. During the chaos, the magical seashell Ursula is wearing breaks. This releases Ariel's voice, and it returns to her. Ariel tries to kiss Eric, but the sun sets, and she turns back into a mermaid.
The Final Battle
Ursula then offers to let Ariel go if King Triton takes Ariel's place. Triton agrees to save his daughter and is turned into a strange plant. With help from Sebastian and Flounder, Prince Eric and Ariel fight against Ursula. They manage to defeat her. When Ursula dies, all the mermaids she had turned into plants are set free and return to their normal forms.
Finally, King Triton understands Ariel's wish. He uses his magic to turn Ariel into a human permanently. Ariel is then allowed to marry Prince Eric, and they live happily ever after.
Images for kids
-
Georges de La Tour's 1640 painting Magdalene with the Smoking Flame is shown in the film.
-
Ariel meet-and-greet character at Disneyland Paris
See also
In Spanish: La sirenita (película de 1989) para niños
