First shot of animation: seagulls wheeling in the clouds

I was all set to reach this stage in the series and say this is overblown as a turning point, that the renaissance of the 90s was rooted deeper into the 80s. That would be incorrect. The technical and visual aspects flow directly from the last few, but from a story perspective this is a clean break.

It’s the first effectively constructed book musical. Perfectly paced so it’s always moving but never rushed, not a moment wasted or dragging. Ariel gets legs at the exact midpoint. Ariel herself is a relatable, believable teen with FEELINGS and WANTS that the people around her respond to. [Howard Ashman has entered the chat.]

She’s also wonderfully animated. Expressive, enthusiastic, and a sense of momentum and drag that sells the underwater setting better than the other wet cast. And she needs to communicate through her face if she’s going to be mute for a third of the runtime.

There are moments of character animation that don’t quite have the polish, but the effects sequences are more than worth it. The surf is warm and inviting, and the storm sequence is inspiring. The color tones following the arc of the film, particularly the sunset hues in the wedding, it’s great.