Originally Posted By Bystander "And am I the only one who thinks the Little Mermaid is totally overrated?" If anything, I think it's underrated. People tend to compare it to later films such as Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, but you have to remember that these films are to some degree copies of the Little Mermaid. They have the advantage of being able to pick out the "good parts" and file off any rough edges. In order to understand what was special about the Little Mermaid, you have to look at the films preceding it. Disney Animated films 1970-1990: The Aristocats (1970) Robin Hood (1973) The Rescuers (1977) The Fox and the Hound (1981) The Black Cauldron (1985) The Great Mouse Detective (1986) Oliver and Company (1988) The Little Mermaid (1989) The Rescuers Down Under (1990) A lot of these movies look alike, don't they? A lot of them are talking-animal movies, along the lines of 101 Dalmations. Even Robin Hood is a talking-animal movie, though there's no particular reason that it should be. The Black Cauldron isn't, but it was a big flop. And the Little Mermaid isn't. Now let's look at the next nine years: Disney Animated Films 1991-1999 Beauty and the Beast (1991) Aladdin (1992) The Lion King (1994) Pocahontas (1995) The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) Hercules (1997) Mulan (1998) Tarzan (1999) Whoah! What happened to all the talking-animal movies? Where are the kitties and puppies and the little mice? The Lion King is the only talking-animal movie all decade, and it's not nearly so fluffy and cute as Bernard and Miss Bianca flying around in sardine cans strapped to seagulls. What changed? Well, I think we all know what changed. They quit remaking 101 Dalmations and started remaking the Little Mermaid.
