The Little Mermaid II - Return to the Sea (Walt Disney Pictures Presents)

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

Description
Disney's amazing undersea classic lives on in an all-new story bursting with the same captivating musical style, unforgettably colorful characters, and brilliant animation that made the original film an Academy Award(R)-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 be 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 and four phenomenal new songs.

Surprisingly, this made for video sequel is not too bad. It helps that many pf the original actors came back to reprise their roles. A good sequel, especially for the younger set.


Rent before you buy.   October 17, 2000
J. M. Yarbrough (Hesperia, CA United States)
51 out of 57 found this review helpful

Before I saw this movie, I knew it wasn't going to measure up to the original movie so I didn't have high expectations. This is probably why I ended up liking the movie to a certain degree instead of being completely disappointed.

It's basically the same plot as the first movie - Ursula's sister wants to rule the sea and uses Melody's desire to become a mermaid to her advantage. While the movie is predictable, there were certain parts that gave me a warm glow. It was nice to see Ariel change from her proper-and-prim attire and return to the sea as a mermaid. There's a nice duet between Ariel and Melody about "sharing one moment" in time. It almost captures Ariel's original wistfulness and longing. Prince Eric, as usual, isn't capable of saving the day or even himself. Sebastin's schtick seems to be old to the point where his whining can be grating. However, on the plus side, there are two new song-and-dance characters which serve as a comic relief to detract from the predictable plot.

I recommend renting this movie first before making a purchase. I got the DVD as a belated wedding present and I'm glad I have it, but I can't honestly say I'd have personally bought it myself - not without a huge markdown in the price. Keep in mind that while it's not the greatest movie ever, it's not exactly bottom-of-the-barrel either.


Ariel's back, more than ten years later   July 3, 2000
CinemaNET
29 out of 45 found this review helpful

It was 1989 when Disney Pictures reinvented, once again and quite succesfuly, the animation motion pictures. The storyline, the technique and the music made "The Little Mermaid" an enjoyable film for both young and adult. Everything that has come since then is obviuously modeled after that (Disney and non-Disney). In this follow up, produced especifically for Video and DVD, the much beloved characters are back (and not in the much inferior TV-Show version), many of them with their original voices: Jodi Benson as Ariel and Samuel E. Wright as Sebastian. The DVD version is obviously the best option, considering the high quality of earlier Disney animated DVD releases such as "Tarzan" or "A Bug's Life". Four new songs and a new version of "Part of Your World", that will play homage to the original music composed by Alan Menken and late Howard Ashman.


A Rare Disney Film   September 17, 2000
19 out of 23 found this review helpful

This is a pleasant sequel to "The Little Mermaid", but when my wife and I talked about the film after watching it, we realized something: It ultimately shows a POSITIVE mother/daughter relationship.

How many other Disney animated films show this? Actually, how many Disney animated films show a mother that is still ALIVE?

Not many. Good for them, for finally showing this.


Oh, the Magic of Direct-to-Video...   September 3, 2000
Professor Wilbur Hamilton (Hamilton, CA)
17 out of 20 found this review helpful

Ever since "Return of Jafar" became a bestselling video, Disney has delighted fans and upset critics by releasing direct-to-video sequels of most of its recent theatrical features. After eleven years, The Little Mermaid gets its own treatment...but this one is actually pretty good. Disney has come a long way from "Jafar" to here, stopping along the way to create the excellent "Simba's Pride". This movie starts awkwardly, and the first few minutes are both cheesy and a complete rip-off of the opening of "Sleeping Beauty". But, if you stay with it, it really does get better. There's actually excitement and at least one or two decent songs. The animation, however, is still very direct-to-video, produced by the Disney TV team rather than the feature film department...but even the characters are looking more three dimensional than previous "cheapies". This one is worth seeing...besides, does it really matter? A true Disney fan would not be without a sequel, even if it was bad. Fortunatly, here, it's not...