 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning
- Review Date: August 18, 2008
- NR
- Genre: Family and Kids
- 2008
Common Sense Media says
Before the prince, Ariel discovers music's magic.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that younger kids might be distressed by the opening scene of this direct-to-DVD prequel to Disney's The Little Mermaid: A pirate ship is seen descending on a happy mermaid family, and Ariel's mother is captured. The scene is emotional -- King Triton and his daughters are scared, and Triton in particular is anguished -- but the event isn't explicit; only a boat and ocean waves are shown. The rest of the movie is very kid-friendly.
What's the story?
Ariel's family life was the very model of mermaid domestic bliss. She and her sisters wiggled and giggled as daddy Triton (voiced by Jim Cummings) and mommy Athena (Lorelei Hill Butters) danced and sang in their underwater kingdom -- and then Queen Athena is captured by pirates, and the now-joyless Triton bans music from the kingdom. When Ariel (Jodi Benson) discovers an underground underwater jazz club where the sea nightlife bops, she re-learns the magic of music. But with a furious father, a dastardly nanny, and a flock of bickering teenage sisters to cope with, Ariel is soon in hot water. It's up to her -- and fish friends Flounder (Parker Goris) and Sebastian (Samuel E. Wright) -- to bring harmony back to her family.
Is it any good?
For a direct-to-DVD movie seemingly made to capitalize on The Little Mermaid's popularity, ARIEL'S BEGINNING is actually pretty darn good. Romance-happy kids may find the lack of a prince in this tale a weakness, but this story is a nice break from the typical formula. In lieu of amour, music becomes the sought-after but forbidden aspiration, making room for much deep-sea musicality and witty visual humor with sea critters jamming on inventive undersea instruments.
Parents will particularly enjoy Sebastian's rendition of Harry Belafonte's infectious Calypso "Jump in Line" -- a real show-stopper. Kids will also appreciate the amusing sibling rivalries and spats between Ariel's six very different mermaid sisters. As a bonus, Sally Field takes on the role of villainous nanny Marina del Rey with juicy malice.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about Ariel's disobedience and King Triton's unreasonable rules. Why does he ban music? Was it right for Ariel to disobey him? Families can also discuss how this movie fits in with the original Little Mermaid. Does it change how you see that story at all?
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AGE
The little mermaid 3
Love it and im 12 good for babysitting
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AGE
Not Appropriate for Toddlers
This movie, although it's Disney, is too scary for kids. My 2 year old son happened to come in the room when it was being played for our roommate's daughter, watched the scene when the pirated come with their ship and is "killed", basically. Not physically, but you don't see her after. He was very concerned and continued to ask "Ariel's Mommy ok? Mommy ok"? He was very worried and scared. Definitely NOT OK for 2-3 year olds.
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AGE
i love it
i think it's cool and wonderful and a great way to show how ariel's story begins and i think it'good for all ages and you will have good time with this movie
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AGE
Skip The First Scene!
We skip the opening scene when we watch this movie because my daughter is only 2 and very sensitive to when "bad things" happen in movies. She doesn't fully understand the absence of Ariel's mommy, but I just tell her Ariel and Ariel's Daddy miss her. She seems to accept that and enjoy the movie after. As a parent, I don't appreciate that Ariel's dad is (once again) portrayed as an unyielding drill sergeant. However, in the end the family comes together and music is allowed back in the ocean. The villain in this movie is harmless, has cute songs of her own, and turns good at the end. A rather innocent film featuring my daughter's favorite Princess.
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AGE
Loved it!
I cried MULTIPLE times during the movie. Once because the mother was gone, once when music was banned, once when Ariel decides to bring Triton's gift back to him. I thought the saddest parts were with her and the angry Triton! As well as having sad morals, parts were funny! Like Flouder... and the strict Sabastian disobeying the rules and going CRAzy!!!!! A definite must-watch! Little kids might be scared though, as I was at the first Little Mermaid... If you're my age, though, don't let it stop you from watching this!!!
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AGE
A good prequel to The Little Mermaid
This was a good prequel to The Little Mermaid. We get to see Ariel's mother and what she was like. Unfortantly, it looks like she was killed by pirates (now we know why Ariel's father hates humans). And Ariel's sisters have larger roles so it's cool to see their personality's. But in this movie Flounder and Ariel meet when Ariel's a teen, however in the series they met when Ariel was just a kid. But that's not as confushing as the making Flounder brave! Why? But other than that it's a really good prequel, not as good as the first but still good.
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AGE
Fun Disney Prequel Doesn't Ruin The Original
Again as is very often with Disney sequels they are fun but not that great. Flounder acts out of character (imagine Alvin the chipmunk from his new movie version and turn him into a fish). Queen Athena (Ariel's mother) probably dies from an attack from a ship. All the good guys especially Ariel are kind and loving. Sally Field as Marina Del Ray was wonderful.
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| Topics: | princesses and fairies |
| Studio: | Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment |
| Director: | Peggy Holmes |
| Cast: | Jodi Benson, Sally Field, Samuel Wright |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Run time: | 100 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | August 20, 2008 |
| DVD release date: | August 25, 2008 |
| MPAA rating: | NR |
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