Well, I noticed it in some shots, and I've seen the movie a LOT! There were few times, however, where it was really noticeable (is that a word?). So I think the animators did a good job covering that up enough for me not to notice most of the time. Still, it's true you cans ee the difference from time to time. That proves that, although I consider it to be a great film, it doesn't meet the quality standards that were set in Walt's days. You would never catch Cinderella or Wendy looking off-model. This, of course, has everything to do with the budgets that became holy after Eisner and Katzenberg took over. It's more noticeable and annoying in Aladdin, where his hair keeps growing longer and shorter.2099net wrote:I disagree. I think that Ariel's face looks decidedly funny and off-model in lots of shots from The Little Mermaid.
That aside, I think The Little Mermaid is one of Disney's bests, and better than any other film after it, until The Hunchback of Notre Dame came along. However, I will not join the choir that says everything made before TLM is not worth watching, because I think a lot of the 1970's and 1980's movies are actually quite good.
What I like most about it, is simply the main character. I think the voice acting is incredible, the design is appealing, and I think the writers nailed down the personality in such a believeable way. I had a teenage sister and believe me... Ariel is very much like a real teenage girl. The songs and the truly funny sidekicks (not childish funny like Timon & Pumbaa) keep all this from getting corny or 'girlish'. I also want to mention Pat Caroll, one of the best performances in any Disney film.
@ Disney Duster:
Thanks so much for linking to those 'Making of'-videos! I've never seen them before! I don't get why Disney didn't put it on their Platinum Edition! It shows real-life 'models' for Ariel and Eric, it shows interviews with voice actors and lots of other things that didn't make it to the new 'Behind the scenes' segments on the PE. Also, it does a good job placing the film in context with regard toprevious Disney Classics.
Hear and see Ariel sing in Dutch (I grew up on this):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdcrE80CmGw
Well, what can you say? Kids will be kids. If you don't like this movie because of that aspect, I have a hard time imagining you yourself at one time were a teenager. Although I'm 23 years old now and a guy, I can definatel relate to Ariel, because I have been a teenager. And teenagers do rebel against their parents. So I think the film is honest in that depiction. Also, I think Ariel's disobedience was justified. Triton was bigoted and prejudiced against people. It's like your own father being prejudiced against people of color. (I didn't mean YOUR father, but like, in general.) I think it's very much okay to stand up against it. Ariel, although only a teenager and naive in many ways (which also is a honest depiction of teenage life), was in that respect much smarter than her father. I think Triton has realized this in the end and therefore there are no consequences for her obedience.littlefuzzy wrote:I am probably in the minority here, but I felt that The Little Mermaid was a bad departure from the earlier Disney movies.
Ariel is pretty disobedient, and ends up happy in spite of (or even because of) that disobedience. There really aren't any consequences for disobeying.
Lilo and Stitch is the same way - Lilo is extremely out of control, and doesn't face any consequences for her actions.