Every story has a beginning but only one begins under the sea...now for the first time ever discover the story you never knew in The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning, an all-new motion picture only on Disney DVD. Long ago, in a kingdom where music is outlawed, King Triton's youngest daughter, Ariel, discovers her love for music in a secret, underground music club. Torn with the choice of whether to hide her passion or share it with her father and risk losing everything, Ariel sets off on a daring adventure to restore music to Atlantica.
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
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Disappointed:
After watching Little Mermaid 2, I was quite excited for this sequel. The story line is a bit depressing. Not only does her mother die (this is Disney afterall) but then the whole story is about how her father is a real downer afterwards. There's not enough time and too many sisters to really get a good handle on who is who. The music is good. If my daughter chooses to watch it again I think it will be for the music. I'm glad I didn't pay full price. I think this one will be a dust collector.
Great movie for any age!!:
I bought this movie for my 1 and 8yr old girls. They love it! And honestly, so do I. We are very happy to add it to our collection of Disney Movies. It arrived very quickly considering the holidays.
I recommend this movie for any family.
Thank you!
Wonderful Movie:
I just finished watching this movie, and I can't understand all the negative reviews! It was gorgeous, it was catchy, it was imaginative...it was everything I hoped it would be and more! I loved seeing Ariel and her sisters as children with their mother and father, and I loved how the story gave them more screen time. When I was little I always wondered what the individual sisters were like. Flounder is cute and funny in this movie. I also really liked Benjamin, he's just so cute and matter-of-fact. This... more info
Disc damaged:
Disc damaged and does not play all the way through, though it was supposed to be new. Dad of 3-yr-old says, "She doesn't have clue" and loves it anyway. Dad says more trouble than it is worth to try to get an exchange.
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