The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea [Special Edition]
by Jim Kammerud, Brian Smith
![The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea [Special Edition]](/images/The-Little-Mermaid-II-Return-to-the-Sea-Special-Edition-B001G2S3X2-L.jpg)
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DVD details
Actor: Buddy Hackett, Jodi Benson, Max Casella, Pat Carroll, Stephen FurstDirector: Brian Smith, Jim Kammerud
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); French (Dubbed); Spanish (Dubbed)
Format: AC-3, Animated, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Special Edition, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.66:1
Running Time: 75 minutes
Published: 2008-12-01
DVD Release Date: 2008-12-16
Audience Rating: G (General Audience)
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
DVD Reviews of The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea [Special Edition]
DVD Review: Direct-to-video release; pleasant enough
Summary: 3 Stars
This direct-to-video movie was released in 2000, 11 years after the original "Little Mermaid" was embraced by millions of Disney fans in 1989. This sequel is being released in a 1-disc special edition. As others have noted, it is a very similar rehashing of the original tale.
Ariel & Eric are married and have a beautiful dark-haired daughter, Melody. When Ursula's evil sister, Morgana, appears on the scene, King Triton & Ariel must protect Melody by building a large wall around the castle. Forbidding Melody to enter the ocean (thus keeping her away from both Morgana and her grandfather King Triton), Ariel keeps her heritage a secret. Many years later, as a teen, Melody experiences the angst of not fitting in, and wishing she were a mermaid. Morgana seizes the opportunity to exploit Melody's sadness and convinces her to steal her Grandfather's triton stick, which would give Morgana the power over the entire sea. Can you predict the rest? Sure, it's not too difficult. Again, this is an enjoyable film. The animation is not as good as the theatrical original, The Little Mermaid (Two-Disc Platinum Edition), nor as good as the recently released The Little Mermaid - Ariel's Beginning. Still, it is far above what you would typically expect of a direct-to-dvd release. Jodi Benson & Pat Carroll are back on hand to lend their vocal talents to Ariel & Morgana respectively; who else but Carroll could vocalize Ursula's sister? Sebastian and Flounder are also back for comic relief, and there are some new characters as well. Safe for children to watch, although some of the scenes with Morgana may be slightly frightening for the very young ones. Needless to say, these don't last too long!
Technical Specs:
Dolby Digital 5.1 surround for audio (movie) & 1:66:1 video enhanced for 16x9 TVs.
Extras:
* Deleted Song: "Gonna Get My Wish." Fun musical showcase for Morgana, explaining her quest not to be the forgotten child overshadowed by her late sister Ursula. Really not a bad number; most likely trimmed for time.
* 1938 Silly Symphony Short "Merbabies" (8:34). Fun musical romp under the sea that was obviously a precursor to "Fantasia." Ironically, this Disney short was actually farmed out to another studio. Not quite up to the quality of other Silly Symphonies.
* "Little Mermaid II" DVD Storybook: have the story read to you, or read it yourself. Narrated by Jodi Benson (voice of Ariel).
Games & Activities:
* "The Little Mermaid II" Underwater Mer-Venture Challenge Game
* "Little Mermaid II" Trivia Game
* "What Am I?" Sea Creature Game, where the answers provide brief film clips of actual sea creatures. Fun learning adventure for little ones.
None of these 3 games are really out of the ordinary, but might prove slightly amusing for the little ones.
* Sneak Peaks include upcoming 2009's "The Princess and the Frog." The trailer here does seem very fun and sassy; I have been anxiously awaiting this one ever since it was first announced. The setting is New Orleans during the 1920's Jazz Age, and will mark the first traditionally animated feature since 2004's "Home on the Range."
Description of The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea [Special Edition]
Disney's amazing undersea classic lives on in an all-new story bursting with the same captivating music style, unforgettably colorful characters and brilliant animation that made the original film an Academy AwardŽ-winning favorite.After rejoicing over the birth of their daughter Melody, Ariel and Eric must face a new threat from Ursula s revengeful sibling Morgana, a threat that forces them to hide Melody's true mermaid heritage. Melody, a young princess curious about her roots, ultimately ventures into the sea against her parents wishes. There she meets new friends and in her dream to become a mermaid becomes a pawn in Morgana's plot to gain control of the Seven Seas. Ariel must reunite with her childhood friends Sebastian, Flounder and Scuttle to rescue her daughter and restore harmony to her family.
An all-star cast returns, including Jodi Benson (Ariel) and Samuel E. Wright (Sebastian) for a remarkable adventure teeming with surprises, a new deleted song and all-new game.
Ariel and her husband, Prince Eric, have a little problem with their daughter, Melody, in the sequel to Disney's landmark The Little Mermaid. Melody is threatened by Morgana, the evil sister of the sea witch Ursula (both voiced by Pat Carroll). Before you can say "Briar Rose," Melody's parents decide to keep their daughter's roots a secret, forbidding her to learn about the ocean while Morgana is around. Now the budding teenager secretly frolics in the sea with Ariel's old friends, Sebastian and Scuttle. When she learns the truth from Morgana, Melody becomes an unknowing pawn in her scheme--and Mom has to take to the sea again to help.
As with Disney's other made-for-video sequels, The Little Mermaid II looks and sounds wonderful (and reunites much of the same vocal talent). Four- to nine-year-olds who grew up with the original will certainly enjoy seeing the friends again. A new set of artists has come up with four catchy tunes and some fun new characters, including Tip and Dash, a pensive penguin and his blubbery walrus friend. Yet, where Beauty and the Beast had a deliberate Christmas-themed sequel, and Pocahontas told the tale of her historical trip to England, the plot here is very forced. It is pretty much a rehash of the first film with different characters. Tip and Dash are a reincarnation of Timon and Pumbaa, and Morgana is exactly like her sister, except thinner. Besides the stellar music, this unneeded sequel also misses another important aspect of the original--heart. --Doug Thomas
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