The Little Mermaid is a 1989 animated musical romantic fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Pictures. The 28th Disney animated feature-length film (and the first in The Little Mermaid franchise), the movie is loosely based on the Danish fairy tale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen. It is the heartwarming story of a mermaid princess named Ariel who has a dream to become a human being (with legs and everything!), after falling desperately in love with a human prince named Eric.
The Little Mermaid was released to critical acclaim. The film is given credit for breathing life back into the art of Disney animated feature films after a string of critical or commercial failures produced by Disney that dated back as far as the early 1970s. It also marked the start of the era known as the Disney Renaissance (the decade from 1989 to 199 in which Walt Disney Animation Studios returned to producing commercially successful animated movies that were mostly based on well-known fairy tales or folk stories). Since then there have been offshoots of The Little Mermaid including a stage play, a soundtrack, kids books, toys, collectables, figurines, accessories, clothing, and much more merchandise. In 2016 it was announced a live-action remake of The Little Mermaid would take place.
Ariel is the main star of The Little Mermaid. She is a Princess of the underwater city of Atlantica and daughter to King Triton. The main antagonist from the film is an evil octopus lady called Ursula. Ariel is flanked by her underwater friends Sebastian (a crab) and Flounder (a fish). Ariel has a fascination with the human world and often goes off to find human artefacts that she displays in a secret grotto. She is rebellious and often wanders off on her own, and frequently disobeys the orders of her father, but she is very kind and caring to others, living compassionately. She also is incredibly curious, and her curiosity often leads her into dangerous situations.
Beserk stocks a collection of The Little Mermaid merchandise, collectables, homewares, accessories, and clothing!
