Two good reasons to get The Little Mermaid DVD

[flippyshark]

I didn't buy The Little Mermaid, but my roommate did, so I put it on. I only watched the first ten minutes or so of the movie, and discovered that this is one film I don't need to see again, just yet. (I burned out on it back when it was new.) In spite of that, there are two intriguing extras that cause me to recommend a rental or possible purchase for all you Disnerds.

1- "The Little Match Girl" There is an animated short included on the second disc with little fanfare, but it's quite beautiful. I have no idea when this was made, but it feels like it belongs in a Fantasia sequel. The Hans Christian Anderson story is told without dialogue, set to music by Charles Borodin. It's in gorgeous hand-drawn animation. I was most impressed by the fact that it retained the original ending, something that The Little Mermaid couldn't have gotten away with. Anyhow, this short is well worth having.

2 - Little Mermaid attraction ride-through - There were once plans for an elaborate Mermaid dark ride, which never came to fruition, though it looks like it reached a pretty advanced stage of design. This disc presents a virtual ride-through, complete with load and unload spiels. (It's a suspended vehicle system, like Peter Pan. Would've been pretty cool.) There is also a short documentary with Tony Baxter and other Imagineers talking about the project, and viewers may also ride through with Imagineer commentary, and may simultaneously view design sketches, or get a look at the ride with the "work lights" turned on.

This is a really great way to present rides that never happened, and it would also be a viable format for releasing virtual versions of rides that are no more. I'd love to see a series of Yesterland releases done the in this manner.

Anyhow, I was in geek heaven with both these features.

[Isaac]

I would have bought it but the movie was censored.

The most I'd do is rent it through netflix and rip the extras onto my hard drive.

[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

I missed the last release so I had to get it. (Unfortunetly censored)

The Little Match Girl is animation wonderment. It's sad to see something so well done and then see an ad for "Meet The Robinsons." The ride run thru is something I would love to see again for other attractions. A great idea and I liked the concept alot.

I enjoyed the commentary from the directors and Alan Menken. Some was a rehash to what was said at the EL Cap show. But.... I really had hoped for more extras. Not that much, but what is there is pretty neat.

[flippyshark]

I only just learned that the priest's knees got censored. This is pretty ridiculous, and removing them makes it seem as though Disney is admitting something was wrong in the first place. I recall a news segment, perhaps on 60 Minutes, about the Disney/Baptist brouhaha, years ago, in which Michael Eisner was presented with that bit of footage, and he just came out and said, everybody knows it's his knees, get over it. One of Michael's rare good moments in the spotlight.

[MouseWife]

Ooooh....thanks for letting me know. I never knew. I do have the VHS copy so now I am intrigued to watch it.

I did buy it, I was on the road and stopped in Bend, OR to get it. {should have gotten it at Best Buy but that is another story...}.

I had not seen the movie in so many years. Brought back a ton of memories and it also brought tears to my eyes {the father/daughter issue}. My two older kids loved this movie and we used to listen to the soundtrack in the car and my son loved it when I'd say 'Zootalo!!' {sp}. Hey, he was only 3.

But, my younger son had never seen it. He loved it. We watched it on a tiny portable t.v. in our room at Crater Lake. Must watch it on a much better t.v.

Loved the footage of the ride. Gave me chills. Made me sad, too. I looked forward to it so much. I remember going by the Submarin Lagoon and imagining what they were going to do.

I was disappointed in the fact that it said 'Games' and there isn't one. Right?

[Stan4dSteph]

My two older kids loved this movie and we used to listen to the soundtrack in the car and my son loved it when I'd say 'Zootalo!!' {sp}. Hey, he was only 3.In case you were curious, it's spelled "Zut alors" and roughly equals shoot or darn. :)

[Snowflake]

My copy won't arrive until November sometime (bundled with the Cars DVD release). I never saw it first run, so it will be entirely new to me.

Why is Disney feeling the pressure/need to edit the animated features? What's objectionable in this one?

[DreadPirateRoberts]

Why is Disney feeling the pressure/need to edit the animated features? What's objectionable in this one?


Snopes (http://www.snopes.com/disney/films/minister.htm) has a pretty good explanation.

[katiesue]

The ride through was really cool.

[Snowflake]

Snopes (http://www.snopes.com/disney/films/minister.htm) has a pretty good explanation.

Oh dear God, not to offend anyone, but yet one more reason why it was good for me to leave Virginia. These people seriously need to get a life.....

[MouseWife]

In case you were curious, it's spelled "Zut alors" and roughly equals shoot or darn. :)

Thank you, I did put the {sp} there because I had not a clue. LOL Yep, I sure used it as 'darn'!

Thanks!

{oh, and I'll make sure and say it properly with my younger son...;) }

[Cadaverous Pallor]

I never knew about the minister thing. Weird, eh?

[Capt Jack]

ditto. dumbest thing I think Ive heard yet.

[Gemini Cricket]

I complained about it on MiceChat and received an unmarked envelope with my very own copy in it. Hysterical. The zip was from LA. :D

[RStar]

As hard as I tried, I couldn't get the Lion King leaves and dirt to spell S-E-X for me. Some one has a really weird since of humor.....