I have spoken quite regularly about the period in which the Walt Disney Company recovered from a couple of decades of mid-tier work by delivering a string of exceptional films that allowed them to regain a level of respectability (not that it was necessarily lost), and in the process create some of their most inspiring and meaningful work. This period is often labelled as the Disney Renaissance, stretching across roughly a decade between 1989 and 1999 (although I assert that it only came to an end around the time The Emperor’s New Groove and perhaps Lilo & Stich came into existence), and for many it tends to rival the Golden Age of Disney in terms of both narrative audacity and visual beauty. The film that kickstarted this era is widely considered one of the best in the studio’s history, with The Little Mermaid often being cited as a vitally important moment not only in Disney’s career, but in the realm of animation as a whole, with the splendour and spectacle being almost unlike anything we had seen in American animation up until that point. Taking its cue from the classic Han Christian Andersen tale (which has been adapted innumerable times on either side of this film), and infusing it with that distinctive Disney magic that we have grown to appreciate, The Little Mermaid is such a delight, and remains a truly iconic moment for the studio, who put a lot of effort into this film, which became one of their most commercially and critically successful projects, primarily due to the combination of heart and creativity, both of which are so strong, it feels unlikely that anything with both elements, as well as a sense of earnest admiration for everything that surrounds it, could ever be anything less than an absolute triumph in terms of both form and content.

The Little Mermaid is a film that falls into the rare category of simultaneously being a pioneering work, and a return to form in numerous ways. It has been noted that this was the first fairytale Disney had made since the early 1950s, as well as an attempt to return to the musical style common in their early works, but which fell out of favour almost concurrently with the fall of live-action musicals, which were no longer considered vogue at some point in the mid-1960s. It is not difficult to understand why this film started a new movement within Disney, since both in the aspects that linger on from the past, and the new elements brought to the film, The Little Mermaid is an absolute triumph, a revolutionary turn of events for the genre as a whole, and a watershed moment for the company, which had been seeking a readmittance into the upper-echelons of not only the animation industry, but cinema as a whole, which had started to view their work (as interesting as it may have been – I am notoriously a fervent defender of Oliver & Company) as an afterthought, small, charming morsels that bore very little significance artistically. Naturally this was not even close to the truth, but rather just the perception that was instantly shattered by the arrival of this film, which is a striking and beautifully-made fantasy epic, one that captures all the quirky charm and incredible splendour of Disney in its heyday, blending it with a modern sensibility that feels genuinely earned, rather than shoehorned in to take advantage of contemporary audiences. It has allowed The Little Mermaid to remain relevant and still extremely resonant, over a quarter of a century since its release, which was unquestionably a big moment for a studio that had finally found its way back into the mainstream, proving that the best formula for success is the one that has been proven countless times before, combined with an authentic appreciation for the material that surrounds it.

One of the reasons Disney began to falter after their Golden Age was due to the over-reliance on actors who weren’t always the best fit for the material, but were still cast under the belief that name recognition alone would boost the film. In reality, as much as we may like to think differently, acting in these films are very rarely a factor behind their success – this isn’t meant to invalidate those that make a living as voice actors, but rather a criticism for casting bigger names under the delusion that they will bring audiences in en masse, when in reality the few people that would watch The Great Mouse Detective for Vincent Price or Oliver & Company for Bette Midler is incidental to the point of being almost insignificant. The smart choice made here was not to cast the most famous actors, but rather the ones that would bring the most nuance to the roles. There are some recognizable people in the film, such as the ever-reliable Kenneth Mars and the outrageously funny Buddy Hackett, but for the most part The Little Mermaid is made up of journeyman actors who did exceptionally well, since they were able to tailor their performance to fit the characters, rather than having the entire development of the role reconfigured to their style. We have Pat Carroll playing a role intended for Beatrice Arthur (who would have been wonderful as Ursula, although Carroll is just as exquisite), and Jodi Benson, whose rendition of “Part of Your World” is one of the most iconic in musical history. The actors are wonderful, and the characters they play are hilarious, irreverent and meaningful, which is quite a rare occurrence at the time, but the foundation on which many of the most important aspects of the film were constructed, which adds so much elegance to an already wonderful and complex film.

Much of what makes The Little Mermaid so captivating is not only the design (which is objectively beautiful, with some of the most stunning examples of animation at the time being present in this film), but also the atmosphere, which is gained almost entirely from the musical components. Directors John Musker and Ron Clements made the excellent decision to hire Howard Ashman and Alan Menken to compose the music for the film, and whether we focus on the score or the musical numbers, The Little Mermaid contains a fascinating and complex style of music that is quite possibly the very best in Disney’s history, at least in terms of pure creativity. Never overstuffed with musical numbers (there are around half a dozen musical sequences), but rather constructed with elegance and restraint, this film proves that the music is not merely incidental to one of these films, but can be its driving factor, which is very important considering how much of Disney’s subsequent work followed the same pattern of crafting their films as extravagant animated musicals, something that was very common in the company’s earlier years, but which become rarer as audiences seemingly stopped being interested in what they often viewed as outdated, cliched and implausible. It only makes sense that the film that would prove that this was entirely implausible was one that stretched the limits of the human imagination, showing that logic has very little place within the culture of animation, which exists to take us on a journey long before it aims to make any sense, which is a valuable and compelling criticism that drives this film and makes it so extraordinarily unique.

It is difficult to watch The Little Mermaid and not fall under its enchanting spell in one way or another, whether it be for the first time or on a rewatch – both are magical experiences in their own way, especially when watching it with someone who has never encountered it on their own (there is something so wonderful about seeing these films with a child, since you can sense the wonder at seeing these stories for the first time), which is not always possible with many modern animated films. Over thirty years since its release, The Little Mermaid has managed to maintain its status as one of the peaks of the studio, who were truly doing some of their very best work in this film, which is as charming as it is deeply moving, both of which occur in an abundance and helps create a truly well-composed and always very engaging animated fantasy film that pushes boundaries in unique but distinctive ways. Its heartfulness, aesthetic complexity and the incredible songs all work together with a compelling story to create something truly valuable and frequently quite captivating. Smart, engaging and never anything less than astonishing, even if you have seen it dozens of times previously, The Little Mermaid has aged exceptionally well, and remains one of the most important moments in the history of animation, both as an individual piece and for what it represented for the future of the medium, which benefitted immensely from this reignition of the popular interest in these stories, the effects of which we still see to this very day, proving the unquestionable value of this film and its intentions.