
DATE: Thursday, November 13, 1997           TAG: 9711120055

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E3   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Movie Review

SOURCE: BY MAL VINCENT, MOVIE CRITIC 

                                            LENGTH:   74 lines

``MERMAID'' RETURNS FOR AN ENCORE

THE RE-RELEASE OF ``The Little Mermaid,'' after eight years out of theaters, is cause for rejoicing - in a way. Has it really been that long?

It won't seem nearly as long for the millions who have watched it endlessly on video.

Hans Christian Andersen, whose version was much darker, might not recognize this ``Little Mermaid.'' But there was certainly no protest by literary purists the first time around. The film marked the rebirth of Disney animation, which found a new audience. In fact, before ``Mermaid,'' Disney animation was in danger of being downgraded, if not cut. Since then, the box office build of ``Mermaid'' turned into even bigger hits with ``Beauty and the Beast'' and ``Aladdin.''

``Mermaid'' might be set mostly in the water, but it is the firm foundation upon which the Disney animators built a new series of classics.

Jodi Benson is in fine voice as Ariel, the mermaid who is willing to give up the sea for a man. Samuel E. Wright is the voice of Sebastian the crab, who has the show's hit song, ``Under the Sea'' (winner of the Oscar as ``best song''). Most memorable, though, is Pat Carroll as Ursula, the sea witch.

The seven songs comprise what may be Disney's best score since ``Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.'' This film introduced Broadway-style scores to Disney films. Lyricist Howard Ashman died before the film was released, bringing to a sad ending the teaming with composer Alan Menken that was so memorable here. Menken, though, has gone on to compose other Oscar-winning scores.

``Kiss the Girl,'' ``Part of My World'' and the villainous ``Poor Souls'' make this a tuneful show. I thought ``The Little Mermaid'' deserved the Oscar nomination more than ``Beauty and the Beast,'' which a few years later became the first animated film to be Academy nominated for ``best film.''

``Mermaid,'' though, got into trouble with feminists for its so-called old-fashioned plot in having Ariel pining away for a man and willing to give up her mermaid status to chase the prince of her choice. The protests now seem quite silly as, for that matter, do some of the other serious-minded protests over Disney family fun. This type thing continues to keep ``Song of the South'' out of both theaters and video, even though it is based, tastefully, on a bona fide classic, the Uncle Remus stories.

Much more dramatic, though, than ``Mermaid'' itself is the toon war that is shaping up behind the decision to re-release it. It doesn't take a Sherlock Holmes to figure out that the timing is calculated to hurt 20th Century-Fox's upcoming release of the big-budget ``Anastasia,'' set to open Nov. 21. ``Anastasia'' is the most believable challenge to Disney animation ever - complete with a big budget and advertising campaign.

Some think Disney's release of ``Mermaid'' a week before the long-awaited ``Anastasia'' is no more than mean-thinking conniving. Don't be so sure, though, that it will work.

Will ``Mermaid'' do big business after it has been released on video? The last time Disney tried a re-release of a film that had already been on video, it was ``Peter Pan,'' and it did not go well. ``Little Mermaid,'' though, was pulled off the video shelves in March 1991. Has enough time passed?

Stay tuned. The toon wars are just heating up. ILLUSTRATION: Disney Enterprises Inc.

``The Little Mermaid'' returns to Hampton Roads theaters Friday for

the first time since its original release in 1989.

Graphic

MOVIE REVIEW

``The Little Mermaid''

Cast: The voices of Jodi Benson, Samuel E. Wright, Pat Carroll,

Christopher Daniel Barnes, Buddy Hackett, Kenneth Mars, Rene

Auberjonois, Ben Wright

Directors: John Musker and Ron Clements

Music: songs by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken

When: opens Friday