The Little Mermaid Special Edition DVD Review

A Disney Animated Movie Production by Ron Clements and John Musker

Aug 29, 2008

The 2-Disc Special Edition of Walt Disney's classic animation The Little Mermaid is worthy of a place in any DVD collection.

2006 saw Disney release their 1989 classic tale of life 'under the sea' with Ariel and friends onto a special edition 2-disc DVD. Fans of the animated movie may have already picked up their copy of the first edition DVD released on December 7th 1999. So what's the difference between that version and the 2006 re-release? The first thing to point out is the second disc, which the label boast includes "all-new bonus features including deleted scenes, exclusive moviemaking secrets, an all-new music video, a thrilling game and more!" While all this sounds exciting to a young fan, is it really worth purchasing a second copy?

Picture and Sound

Arguably the biggest bonus to owning the special edition is the remastered picture and sound. The DVD box comes with a thumbnail preview of the difference between previous picture quality and this one. Indeed, just watching the film, you are immediately captivated by the clear and vibrantly coloured visual presentation. Audio is also enhanced with this version including more surround sound options to make viewing an epic experience.

What Bonus Features are Included?

Just as the label promoted, there are various bonus features exclusive to the special edition DVD. The second disc alone has:

Most of these will not be of interest to someone who is not already a fan but, for the kids, there is some fantastic content. The virtual ride is a particularly interesting feature to see included on a DVD. What this is is the design taken from a ride planned to be made for Disney Land after The Little Mermaid was first released in 1989. This feature offers a virtual tour of the ride with various viewing options such as a commentary by one of the 'Imagineers' and an option to view how the ride would work mechanically.

On the first disc, there are many extras too including song selection, audio commentary by directors John Musker and Ron Clements and composer Alan Menken, and a sneak preview of upcoming release The Little Mermaid III: Ariel's Beginning

Overall

Children adore this movie and the audio/visual quality alone makes it worth picking up a copy. Walt Disney/animated movie fans of all ages will enjoy The Little Mermaid and there really is something for all the family included in the bonus features.

Those already in possession of an earlier copy may not see the benefits of buying a new one but Disney have truly made this a magical special edition of one of their most loved animated films worthy of handing over that old DVD to the second hand store in favour of the Special Edition.

Perfect for a die-hard Disney fan or a little girl who dreams of finding her prince!

The copyright of the article The Little Mermaid Special Edition DVD Review in Children's DVDs is owned by Amber Lindley. Permission to republish The Little Mermaid Special Edition DVD Review in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.