The Little Mermaid
The brief
This budget animated take on the mermaid tale feels like it wandered out of the early 2000s straight-to-DVD bin, complete with stiff character animation and dialogue that lands with a thud. The voice cast, led by Sonya Krueger, sounds like they're reading lines in separate booths without ever meeting each other, creating zero chemistry or emotional connection. At 98 minutes, it somehow manages to drag despite its familiar story beats, with pacing that makes you check your phone more than the screen. Perfect for parents who need something colorful to distract very young kids who haven't discovered the Disney version yet, or animation completists with a high tolerance for amateur hour production values.
The verdict
If you need something colorful to occupy very young children who haven't seen the Disney version, this budget animated retelling will serve as basic background entertainment. If you expect decent voice acting, smooth animation, or engaging storytelling, skip this straight-to-DVD quality effort that feels painfully amateur at every turn.
Watch with
- 🧒 Toddlers who need colorful distraction
- 👤 Animation completists with low standards
- ⚠️ Anyone who's seen Disney's version
Heads up
- Sea witch character may frighten young children (brief)
Credits
- Director
- Michael Johnson
- Cast
- Sonya Krueger, Dee Wallace, Steve Guttenberg, Sharon Desiree, Tammy Klein, Myrom Kingery, Ryan Ebert
Official synopsis
In this half-fish out-of-water animated adventure, a mermaid princess makes a bargain with a sea witch to become
The Double
Make a night of it
Pair this with Brother Bear (2003)
Both animated tales of transformation and finding one's true identity.
Total runtime: 1h 38m + 1h 25m = 3h 3m
