Walt Disney originally wanted to make The Little Mermaid as part of a Hans Christian Andersen documentary. However, several decades after plans failed, two men created the iconic animated film.
In many ways, The Little Mermaid was the prelude to modern Disney; it spotlighted the possibilities of an independent female protagonist, mature/universal messages that resonate with entire families, and a Broadway-style musical structure. How were these only possibilities? The opening song, Daughters of Triton, gives little information about Ariel, who does not even appear until almost six minutes into the film. Plus, even though Ariel starts out an active hero, she quickly attaches herself to a prince.
Another thing about Ariel is that, unlike Snow White and Aurora before her, she displays accurate teenage behavior; for instance, she argues with her father and plucks a flower expressing her feelings for Prince Eric. Ariel, of course, makes a deal with Ursula the sea witch to trade her voice for legs so that she can be on land. That ends in disaster, of course, but Ariel still fulfills her questionable desires.
Alongside the criticisms about Ariel and Eric's romance being "rushed," the happy ending looks like a step down for the fairy tale on paper. In Hans Christian Andersen's original version, the mermaid selflessly drops a knife to protect her ex-lover, turning into foam but gaining a soul. Even Walt Disney himself did not believe the mermaid should end up with the prince. I get it, as it hinders the vital messages of teenage love not always working out and, of course, selflessness.
Ariel's questionable behavior limits her relatability, but there are still Christian values to learn from other characters. For instance, King Trition acts in Christlike behavior by taking Ariel's punishment for her; by the end of the story, he learns to let Ariel go (a valuable lesson for parents). Even Prince Eric's battle against Ursula calls back to the final defeat of Satan in the Bible.
Of course, as many have observed, Ursula represents Satan; she promises to give mermaids all their desires only to turn them into shrimps. Ursula does everything to manipulate Ariel into trading her voice for legs, which is problematic considering she and Eric lack clear communication. Yet, Ariel still entertains Eric through lively expressions and actions.
Ursula also takes Ariel's voice and disguises herself as a beautiful girl named Vanessa to prevent Ariel from marrying Eric. After Ariel crashes the wedding, Ursula had to be defeated to make things right. Since Ariel, not Vanessa, saved Eric at first anyway, Disney's happy ending is justified.
The songs are catchy and mostly add to the story as they would in a proper Broadway musical (Les Poissons might be less necessary than the others, but it is still entertaining to watch Sebastian run away from Chef Louis). The haunting tone of Vanessa singing before her planned wedding is a highlight of the music. The Little Mermaid also has a well-orchestrated score, especially during the kingdom tour.
Alongside the memorable music, the animation and color palette are two more highlights. Ariel's red hair creates a striking contrast against the blue ocean (alongside representing her boldness). The blue blue color of the ocean is also pleasant to look at.
The music and visuals, alongside Ariel's boldness and King Triton's parenting lesson, make The Little Mermaid the prelude to the modern Broadway-inspired Disney style. Ariel did not make the best decisions, and better movies were definitely ahead, but Disney would not be where it is today without the possibilities brought in by The Little Mermaid.
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