The Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid is a classic animated musical fantasy that introduces audiences to Ariel, a spirited mermaid princess captivated by the human world. Defying her father King Triton's commands, Ariel's fascination with land dwellers grows after she rescues and falls in love with Prince Eric. Her deep desire to become human leads her to strike a dangerous pact with Ursula, the manipulative sea witch, exchanging her voice for legs.
Concerns
Witchcraft & Occult
HighWitchcraft and occult practices are central to the plot, primarily through the antagonist, Ursula the Sea Witch. She uses powerful dark magic for spells, transformations, and making magical contracts, fundamentally driving the narrative. King Triton also wields a magical trident, showcasing immense power.
Ursula's character is defined by her use of dark magic; she casts spells, creates potions, and her lair is depicted as a place of sorcery where she keeps the 'poor unfortunate souls' of merfolk who failed her magical bargains. Ariel's transformation into a human is a direct result of a magical contract with Ursula, involving the exchange of her voice for legs. In the climax, Ursula wields King Triton's magical trident to become gargantuan and unleash destructive powers.
Scary & Intense Content
HighBoth films contain intense scenes that may frighten young children. The 1989 animated film features a suspenseful shark chase and the menacing presence of Ursula and her eels. The 2023 live-action remake significantly increases the intensity with realistic CGI for the shark chase, shipwreck, and Ursula's climactic battle, including jump scares and a more graphic depiction of King Triton's electrocution.
Ariel and Flounder are relentlessly pursued by the aggressive shark, Glut, through a dark shipwreck, creating significant suspense. The villain Ursula's dark lair, her imposing presence, and her electric eel henchmen (Flotsam and Jetsam) are designed to be frightening. In the 2023 film, Ursula's transformation into a giant, the subsequent stormy battle, and the electrocution of King Triton by her eels are depicted with heightened realism and intensity.
LGBTQ & Gender Identity
MediumThe film has significant LGBTQ+ interpretations, rooted in its creation. The original fairy tale author, Hans Christian Andersen, wrote it as an allegory for his unrequited homosexual love. Disney lyricist Howard Ashman, who was gay, imbued the 1989 film with queer themes, notably inspiring the character Ursula after drag queen Divine. Ariel's journey of transformation and yearning for a different world resonates as an allegory for LGBTQ+ experiences of self-discovery and belonging, leading 'Part of Your World' to become an LGBTQ+ anthem. The 2023 live-action remake also continues to be viewed through a queer lens, with the director and producer being an openly gay couple.
The character of Ursula in the 1989 animated film was explicitly inspired by the drag queen Divine, and her portrayal reflects elements of drag performance and challenges to patriarchal norms. Ariel's desire to leave her assigned world, change her physical self, and pursue a forbidden love has been widely interpreted as an allegory for living as a closeted homosexual or exploring one's gender identity, as seen in various analyses of the film's themes.
Violence
MediumThe film contains fantasy violence, some of which can be intense for young viewers, particularly in the 2023 live-action version. This includes scenes of peril, destruction, and implied death. The animated film features a menacing shark chase and magical battles, while the live-action remake amplifies these moments with more realistic CGI, making them potentially more frightening.
In both the 1989 and 2023 films, King Triton, in a fit of rage, destroys Ariel's grotto and her collection of human treasures with his trident. The climax of both movies features a large-scale magical battle where Ursula transforms into a giant, creates a violent whirlpool, and is ultimately defeated by Prince Eric. In the 2023 live-action version, Ursula's electric eels brutally electrocute King Triton, turning him to dust.
Romance and Sexual Content
MediumRomantic themes are central to the plot, focusing on Ariel's pursuit of Prince Eric's love. Content includes flirting, hand-holding, and kissing. Mermaids are depicted in shell tops, and a brief, obscured instance of Ariel's nudity after her transformation is shown before she is covered.
The core narrative revolves around Ariel's quest to receive 'true love's kiss' from Prince Eric, leading to multiple romantic interactions, including hand-holding and several near-kissing scenes culminating in a successful kiss. After Ariel gains legs, she is shown briefly uncovered on the beach, though her modesty is obscured by her hair and a cloth provided by Prince Eric.
Disrespect & Rebellion
MediumThe narrative prominently features Ariel's rebellious actions against her father, King Triton, who is overprotective and forbids her interaction with the human world. Her defiance, including secretly collecting human artifacts and making a deal with Ursula, drives the core conflict. King Triton also demonstrates disrespect by destroying her treasured grotto.
Ariel repeatedly disobeys King Triton's direct command to stay away from the human world, culminating in her making a magical pact with the Sea Witch against his wishes. King Triton, in a display of anger, disrespectfully destroys Ariel's grotto, smashing all her cherished human possessions with his trident.
Anti-Christian Themes
MediumThe film's pervasive use of magic, a central 'Sea Witch' character, and allegories of self-transformation may conflict with specific Christian theological viewpoints. While not explicitly anti-Christian, the reliance on magical solutions and the celebration of autonomy outside of a divine framework could be a concern for some Christian parents who emphasize biblical teachings on witchcraft and divine order.
The primary antagonist, Ursula, is a 'Sea Witch' who uses forbidden magic and makes deals involving souls, which directly contrasts with Christian teachings against witchcraft and the occult. Ariel's journey of transforming her physical self through magical means to find happiness, especially when interpreted as a broader allegory for gender or identity exploration, might be viewed as challenging traditional Christian views on God-given identity and seeking change through divine alignment rather than sorcery.
Profanity
LowProfanity is very minimal, consisting of only mild, non-offensive terms used occasionally throughout both the animated and live-action versions.
Characters occasionally use mild terms such as 'stupid,' 'idiot,' and 'fool' to express frustration or mild disapproval, but there is no strong or explicit language present in either film.
Substance Use
LowSubstance use is present but minimal, limited to incidental and implied alcohol consumption by background characters.
In scenes aboard Prince Eric's ship, sailors are depicted casually drinking from tankards, which is implied to be alcohol such as rum or grog. This occurs without any focus on intoxication or negative consequences.
Other Notes
Target Demographic
A Christian parent's guidance is recommended for children under 7 for the 1989 animated film, primarily due to intense fantasy violence, pervasive witchcraft themes, and allegories concerning identity and rebellion. For the 2023 live-action remake, an age recommendation of 8+ is advised due to significantly heightened realism in scary and violent scenes.
Additional Notes
The 2023 live-action remake of The Little Mermaid is generally more intense and realistic in its depiction of scary scenes and peril compared to the 1989 animated classic, which should be considered for very young or sensitive viewers. Runtime for the 1989 film is approximately 83 minutes, while the 2023 film is 135 minutes.
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