“The Little Mermaid” Diamond Edition Offers Bonus Features Galore!

Hi everyone!

The Little Mermaid: Diamond Edition is now out on Blu-ray/DVD! 4 or 5 years ago, we’d had the opportunity to view some behind-the-scenes footage of the making of The Little Mermaid and to interview Jodi Benson (along with Don Hahn and Paige O’Hara from Beauty and the Beast). It’s great to see even more footage from the making of the film!

This review isn’t for the film itself, though the animation looks gorgeous on Blu-ray (we did not receive the 3D set, and can’t speak on the 3D disc). It is hard to believe that nearly 25 years have passed since The Little Mermaid became an instant classic. The Little Mermaid: Diamond Edition is rich with bonus features that we will watch as often as we do the film. Every time I think I’m nearly done watching the bonus features, I find another gem! Here are some highlights:

“Part of Your World” Music Video Featuring Carly Rae Jepson: For me, this is the weak link in the bonus features. I would have loved to have seen a new music video starring Jodi Benson.

@DisneyAnimation: Some of the current crop of Disney animators grew up with and were inspired by The Little Mermaid. Go within the walls of Walt Disney Studios Animation and hear their stories!

Deleted Character – Harold the Merman: John Musker and Ron Clements share their thoughts on Harold the Merman, who was cut from the 1989 film due to The Little Mermaid already being too long. Harold tangles with Ursula in a short sequence.

Under the Scene: The Art of Live-Action Reference: John Musker and Ron Clements join animators, along with Kathryn Beaumont, Sherri Stoner, and Joshua Finkle in discussing live-action references. Kathryn Beaumont was the live-action model for Alice in Wonderland, Sherri Stoner for Ariel, and Joshua Finkle for Eric. This is one of my favorite bonus features on the disc! The longest segment is for The Little Mermaid, with Sherri and Joshua playing out scenes in the film. I never realized how much work went into being a live-action model.

Part of Her World: Jodi Benson’s Voyage to New Fantasyland: This is another of my favorite bonus features on the disc, with Jodi Benson sharing New Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom, and talking about Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. I didn’t know that Benson signed artwork for the unique lobby chandelier recently, just as John Lasseter did before the resort opened. For anyone familiar with New Fantasyland and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, this segment will be a treat to watch.

I haven’t even scraped the surface of the bonus features, which also includes the “Classic DVD Bonus Features” (they all seem to be from 2006).

Classic DVD Bonus Features include Treasures Untold: The Making of the Little Mermaid, with Roy E. Disney, Jeffrey Katzenberg and many familiar faces taking about animation in the 1980’s. In another bonus feature, Tony Baxter shares what would have been the original Little Mermaid attraction. And I’d never seen The Little Matchgirl, which is beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. I didn’t remember the original story, and I shed a few tears at the ending.

I definitely recommend picking up the Diamond Edition Little Mermaid set! Beyond the classic film itself, the extras offer so much insight into the movie and into Walt Disney Animation.