The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea

Last updated

The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea
The Little Mermaid 2 Poster.jpg
DVD cover
Directed by Jim Kammerud
Written by
  • Elizabeth Anderson
  • Temple Mathews
  • Elise D'Haene
  • Eddie Guzelian
Based on The Little Mermaid
by Hans Christian Andersen
Produced by
Starring
Music by Danny Troob
Production
companies
Distributed by Buena Vista Home Entertainment [1]
Release date
  • September 19, 2000 (2000-09-19)
Running time
75 minutes [1]
Countries
LanguageEnglish

The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea is a 2000 animated direct-to-video musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Television Animation, and the second installment in The Little Mermaid trilogy. Directed by Jim Kammerud and Brian Smith, the story of the film takes place 12 years after the original, and focuses on Ariel and Eric's daughter Melody, a human princess who longs to swim in the ocean despite her parents' law that the sea is forbidden to her.

Contents

Many voice actors from the original film reprised their roles, including Jodi Benson as Ariel, Kenneth Mars as King Triton, Samuel E. Wright as Sebastian, and Buddy Hackett as Scuttle in his final film role before his death in 2003. Pat Carroll, who voiced Ursula in the first film, returned as Ursula's sister Morgana, the sequel's new villain. Tara Charendoff joined the cast as Melody, with Rob Paulsen replacing Christopher Daniel Barnes as Prince Eric. Ben Wright, the original voice of Grimsby, died four months before the first film was released and was replaced by Kay E. Kuter. Additionally, Cam Clarke portrayed a now adult Flounder, previously voiced by Jason Marin.

The film received largely negative reviews. In 2008, Disney released a third film, The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning , which is a prequel to the first film.

Plot

Ariel and Eric celebrate the birth of their daughter Melody on a ship at sea. Ariel's father King Triton presents Melody with a magic locket. The party is interrupted by Ursula's sister Morgana, who threatens to have Melody fed to her tiger shark sidekick, Undertow, unless Triton surrenders his trident to her as part of her plan to avenge Ursula and take over the ocean. Ariel and Eric work together to foil Morgana's plan, and Triton shrinks Undertow to the size of a piranha. Morgana escapes, eluding the attempts of King Triton's forces to capture her and declaring that she will someday exact her revenge on both Ariel and Triton and avenge Ursula's death. Fearing Morgana and remembering Ursula, Ariel decides that, until Morgana is captured, they will have to withhold all knowledge of the sea world and her heritage from Melody to protect her. Triton tosses the locket into the ocean, and a massive wall is built to separate the royal castle from the sea. Triton assigns Sebastian to watch over Melody.

Twelve years later, Melody remains unaware of her mother's mermaid heritage and is forbidden from going into the sea. However, she sneaks out of the castle regularly to swim, and one day finds the locket. Seeing her name on the locket, Melody questions her mother about it, but Ariel continues to forbid her to go into the sea. Frustrated with her mother's refusal to answer her questions, Melody steals a small boat and sails away from home. Melody is discovered by Undertow, who leads her to Morgana. A desperate Sebastian tells Ariel and Eric Melody went out to the sea. Meanwhile, Melody meets Morgana, who reveals that Melody's background is marine, and uses the remains of Ursula's magic to transform Melody into a mermaid. Triton prepares search parties and is convinced by Ariel and Eric to use his trident to transform Ariel back into a mermaid in order to help in the search for Melody. Ariel searches the sea for Melody, regretting not sharing her heritage with her, while Melody explores her newfound abilities as a mermaid, and has a strong feeling that she was meant to be part of the sea.

Later, Morgana tells Melody she can only make the spell permanent if she retrieves Triton's trident. Melody decides to get the trident, and during her search befriends Tip and Dash, a penguin and walrus duo who join her. After Melody steals the trident, Ariel implores her not to give Morgana the trident. Frustrated by Ariel's decision to lie to her, Melody instead gives the trident to Morgana, who reveals her true intentions and traps Melody in a cave by sealing the entrance with a thick layer of ice. Soon afterward, Morgana's spell on Melody wears off, causing her to revert into a human and nearly drown. Tip and Dash manage to free her and drag her to the shore.

Morgana uses the trident's magic to lord over the ocean, rising to the surface to gloat. Scuttle, Triton, Sebastian, and Eric arrive, and a battle ensues against Morgana and her minions. Melody grabs the trident and throws it back to Triton, who encases Morgana in a block of ice, which sinks underwater. Melody reunites with her family, and Triton offers his granddaughter to become a mermaid permanently. Melody instead uses the trident to destroy the wall separating her home from the sea, reuniting the humans and the merpeople.

Voice cast

Release

The film was released directly to video on September 19, 2000. [2] It was released on May 7, 2001, in the UK. On November 6, 2006, the film was released in a bundle together with the original film in the Region 2 release. [3] The original DVD release was later discontinued and a special edition DVD with a deleted song, "Gonna Get My Wish", and a new game was released on December 16, 2008. [4] A package called The Little Mermaid Trilogy, which includes all three Little Mermaid films, was released on the same day. [5] This film, along with The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning , was released in a 2-Movie collection on DVD and Blu-ray on November 19, 2013. [6]

Reception

Critical reception

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 17% of 6 critics gave the film a positive review, and the average rating is 3.8/10. [7] In 2011, Total Film ranked it as 27th among the 50 worst children's films ever made. [8]

In 2019, Screen Rant put Melody at #9 on Disney's Unofficial Princesses, Ranked. [9]

Home video sales

The film was the tenth-most-successful direct-to-video release of 2000, with retail revenues of $121 million. [10] The film sold 6 million VHS and DVD units in 2000. [11]

Soundtrack

Songs from The Little Mermaid 2: Return to the Sea & More!
Soundtrack album by
Various artists
ReleasedSeptember 19, 2000 (2000-09-19)
Recorded2000
Length25:21
Label Walt Disney Records
Producer Bambi Moe, Don Mizell, Leonard Jones, Shepard Stern

The film's official soundtrack was released on September 19, 2000, [12] and again on October 31, 2000, in a special edition double pack with the original film's soundtrack. [13] Additionally, two limited-edition two-track samplers were released on CD as a promotion for the soundtrack. [14]

No.TitleWriter(s)Recording artist(s)Length
1."Down to the Sea" Michael and Patty Silversher Jodi Benson, Rob Paulsen, Clancy Brown, Kay E. Kuter, Samuel E. Wright and Chorus3:29
2."Tip and Dash"Michael and Patty Silversher Max Casella, Stephen Furst, Tara Charendoff 1:59
3."Iko Iko" (*)Barbara Ann Hawkins, Jessie Thomas, Joan Johnson, Maralyn Jones, Joe Jones, Rose Lee Hawkins, Sharon JonesWright3:49
4."Octopus's Garden" (*) Richard Starkey Wright2:47
5."For a Moment"Michael and Patty SilversherBenson, Charendoff2:28
6."Give a Little Love" (*) Albert Hammond, Diane Warren Wright3:57
7."Hot, Hot, Hot" Alphonsus Cassell Wright5:08
8."Here on the Land and Sea" (Finale)Michael and Patty SilversherBenson, Charendoff, Wright and Chorus1:44
Total length:25:21
Limited edition two track CD 1 [14]
No.TitleWriter(s)Recording artist(s)Length
1."Part of Your World"Alan Menken, Howard Ashman Chely Wright 3:25
2."Limbo Rock" (*) Samuel E. Wright2:29
Limited edition two track CD 2 [14]
No.TitleWriter(s)Recording artist(s)Length
1."Here on the Land and Sea" (Finale)Michael and Patty SilversherJodi Benson, Tara Charendoff, Samuel E. Wright and Chorus1:44
2."Coconut" (*) Harry Nilsson Wright 

Note: *These tracks were originally recorded for the album Sebastian: Party Gras! .

The film's ending credits play a new recording of Part of Your World, performed by country singer Chely Wright. Another version of the song, performed by Ann Marie Boskovich, was used in some international releases of the film. [15]

Legacy

When asked about a possible sequel for the 2023 live-action remake of The Little Mermaid , stars Halle Bailey (Ariel) and Jonah Hauer-King (Eric) mentioned Return to the Sea and considered a similar plot with Melody's character. In the same interview, Bailey added that she "loves" the sequel, while Hauer-King suggested that Eric, too, be transformed into a merman in the potential sequel as well. [16]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Little Mermaid</i> (1989 film) Animated Disney film

The Little Mermaid is a 1989 American animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation in association with Silver Screen Partners IV and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is loosely based on the 1837 Danish fairy tale "The Little Mermaid" by Hans Christian Andersen. The film was written and directed by John Musker and Ron Clements and produced by Musker and Howard Ashman, who also wrote the film's songs with Alan Menken, who also composed the film's score. Featuring the voices of René Auberjonois, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Jodi Benson, Pat Carroll, Paddi Edwards, Buddy Hackett, Jason Marin, Kenneth Mars, Ben Wright, and Samuel E. Wright, The Little Mermaid tells the story of a teenage mermaid princess named Ariel, who dreams of becoming human and falls in love with a human prince named Eric, which leads her to make a magic deal with the sea witch, Ursula, to become human and be with him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jodi Benson</span> American actress, voice actress and singer (born 1961)

Jodi Benson is an American actress and singer. She is best known for providing the voice of Ariel in Disney's The Little Mermaid (1989), as well as in its its sequel, prequel, and television series spin-off, along with many other Disney works. She is also known for her portrayal of Barbie in the second and third films of the Toy Story franchise (1999–2010), and in the Toy Story Toons short Hawaiian Vacation (2011).

<i>The Little Mermaid</i> (TV series) Animated television series

The Little Mermaid is an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation based on the 1989 animated feature film of the same name. It features the adventures of Ariel as a mermaid prior to the events of the film. This series is the third Disney television series to be spun off from a major animated film. Some of the voice actors of the film reprise their roles in the series, among them Jodi Benson as Ariel, Samuel E. Wright as Sebastian, Kenneth Mars as King Triton, and Pat Carroll as Ursula. Other voice actors include Edan Gross as Flounder, and Jeff Bennett as Prince Eric.

Ursula (<i>The Little Mermaid</i>) Fictional character from Disneys 1989 animated film The Little Mermaid

Ursula is a fictional character who appears in Walt Disney Pictures' animated film The Little Mermaid (1989). Voiced by actress Pat Carroll, Ursula is a villainous Cecaelian sea witch who offers her youngest niece, mermaid princess Ariel, a temporary opportunity to become human so that she may earn the love of Prince Eric within three days. However, Ursula, in fact, is determined to sabotage Ariel's chances in order to usurp her older brother King Triton's position as ruler of the oceans.

Ariel (<i>The Little Mermaid</i>) Fictional character from Disneys 1989 animated film The Little Mermaid

Ariel is a fictional character in Walt Disney Pictures' animated film The Little Mermaid (1989). Ariel is voiced by Jodi Benson in all official animated appearances. Ariel is the youngest daughter of King Triton and Queen Athena of an underwater kingdom called Atlantica. She is often rebellious, and in the first film, she longs to be a part of the human world. She marries Prince Eric, whom she rescued from a shipwreck, and together they have a daughter, Melody. She is the fourth Disney Princess and also the first Disney Princess to be developed during the Disney Renaissance.

"Kiss the Girl" is a song written by lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken for Walt Disney Pictures' animated film The Little Mermaid (1989). Originally recorded by American actor Samuel Wright in his film role as Sebastian, "Kiss the Girl" is a romantic calypso love song; the song's lyrics encourages Prince Eric to kiss Ariel before it's too late.

"Poor Unfortunate Souls" is a song from the Walt Disney Pictures animated film The Little Mermaid. Written by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken and performed by Pat Carroll, "Poor Unfortunate Souls" is sung to Ariel by Ursula the Sea Witch. In a style that combines Broadway theatre with Burlesque, Ursula uses the song to seduce Ariel into trading her voice for the chance to temporarily become human.

<i>The Little Mermaid</i> (musical) Musical based on the 1989 film of the same name

The Little Mermaid is a stage musical produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, based on the 1989 film by Walt Disney Animation Studios and the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen about a mermaid who dreams of the world above the sea and gives up her voice to find true love. Its book is by Doug Wright, music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman, with additional lyrics by Glenn Slater. Its underwater setting and story about aquatic characters requires unusual technical designs and strategies to create gliding movements for the actors.

"Part of Your World" is a song written by lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken for Disney's animated feature film The Little Mermaid (1989). Performed by American actress and singer Jodi Benson in the titular role as Ariel, a mermaid princess, "Part of Your World" is a power ballad in which the main character expresses her strong desire to become human; its lyrics use placeholder names in lieu of several human-related terms that would be unfamiliar to a mermaid. The film's theme song is later reprised by Ariel after she rescues Eric, a human prince with whom she has fallen in love, from drowning.

<i>The Little Mermaid</i> (1989 soundtrack) 1989 soundtrack album by Various Artists

The Little Mermaid: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack to the 1989 Disney animated film The Little Mermaid. It contains the songs from the film written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, as well as the film's score composed by Alan Menken. The score was orchestrated by Thomas Pasatieri. The score’s orchestral recording was conducted by JAC Redford, who also contributed much to the music composition. The album has achieved multi-platinum sales and won the Grammy Award for Best Recording for Children. The album includes recordings of the music that won the Grammy for Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television, the Academy Awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Song and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score.

<i>The Little Mermaid: Ariels Beginning</i> 2008 animated Disney film directed by Peggy Holmes

The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning is a 2008 animated direct-to-video musical fantasy film produced by Disneytoon Studios, with the animation production being done by Toon City Animation, Inc. and DisneyToon Studios Australia. This film is the prequel to Disney's 1989 animated feature film The Little Mermaid, the third installment in The Little Mermaid trilogy, and the last direct-to-video sequel after John Lasseter took over as chairman for the Disney Animation Division. It is also the first in the chronology of the story running through the series, and it is based on the fairy tale The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen and The Little Mermaid animated television series which ran for three seasons.

<i>The Little Mermaid: Songs from the Sea</i> 1992 studio album by Jodi Benson (as Ariel)

The Little Mermaid: Songs from the Sea is the third of three original albums inspired by Disney's The Little Mermaid film. It is a concept album; listening to the tracks in order will present the story of a typical day in the life of the mermaid Ariel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure</span> Dark ride attraction

The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure is a ride attraction based on the 1989 Disney animated film The Little Mermaid, located in Paradise Gardens Park at Disney California Adventure and in Fantasyland at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom Park, where it is titled Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid. The ride opened on June 3, 2011 at Disney California Adventure, and on December 6, 2012 at Magic Kingdom.

<i>The Little Mermaid II: Pinball Frenzy</i> 2000 video game

The Little Mermaid II: Pinball Frenzy is a 2000 pinball video game developed by Left Field Productions and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color. First released in North America on September 24, 2000, it was later made available in PAL regions on March 16, 2001.

<i>The Little Mermaid</i> (franchise) Disney media franchise

The Little Mermaid is an American media franchise created by The Walt Disney Company based on "The Little Mermaid", written by Danish poet Hans Christian Andersen. The success of the 1989 animated film of the same name led to a direct-to-video sequel, a prequel film, a spin-off television series, a musical, several video games, theme park attractions, and other merchandise. A live action remake of the film was released in 2023. The Little Mermaid paved the way for what would become the Disney Renaissance, with the original film becoming the first film of that era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Voyage of the Little Mermaid</span> Defunct live show at Disneys Hollywood Studios

Voyage of the Little Mermaid was a live show attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. The show was an abridgment of the 1989 film The Little Mermaid. Along with a mix of live actors and puppets, the show featured effects such as light and laser projections on the auditorium walls and light rain over the audience. Voice actors included Pat Carroll as Ursula, Jess Harnell as Sebastian, Corey Burton as King Triton, Edan Gross as Flounder, Paddi Edwards as Flotsam and Jetsam, and Frank Welker as Max the Sheepdog. Wright, Carroll, Mars, Edwards, and Welker reprised their roles from the original film. The show replaced the previous attraction, Here Come The Muppets, on January 7, 1992, in the Animation Courtyard Theater.

The Little Mermaid Jr. is a stage musical produced by Disney Theatrical, based on the animated 1989 Disney film of the same name and the classic story of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen about a mermaid who dreams of the world above the sea and gives up her voice to find love. Its book is by Doug Wright, music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman, with additional lyrics by Glenn Slater. The Little Mermaid Jr. first became available to license by the company Music Theater International and Disney Theatrical Productions.

<i>The Little Mermaid Live!</i> 2019 American TV series or program

The Wonderful World of Disney Presents The Little Mermaid Live!, or simply The Little Mermaid Live! is a 2019 musical television special created for ABC, based on Disney's 1989 animated feature film The Little Mermaid. It is produced by Done and Dusted and directed by Hamish Hamilton, who also executive produced alongside Katy Mullan, David Jammy, Raj Kapoor, Ian Stewart, and Richard Kraft, with the original voice of Ariel, Jodi Benson, introducing the special.

<i>The Little Mermaid</i> (2023 film) Disney live-action film

The Little Mermaid is a 2023 American musical romantic fantasy film directed by Rob Marshall from a screenplay by David Magee. Co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures, DeLuca Marshall, and Marc Platt Productions, it is a live-action adaptation of Disney's 1989 animated film The Little Mermaid, which itself is loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen's 1837 fairy tale. The film stars Halle Bailey as the title character, with Jonah Hauer-King, Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay, Noma Dumezweni, Art Malik, Javier Bardem, and Melissa McCarthy in supporting roles. The plot follows the mermaid princess Ariel, who is fascinated with the human world; after saving Prince Eric from a shipwreck, she makes a deal with the sea witch Ursula to walk on land.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "The Little Mermaid 2: Return to the Sea (2000)". Allmovie . Archived from the original on May 27, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
  2. ↑ The Little Mermaid II - Return to the Sea: Tara Strong, Pat Carroll, Jodi Benson, Samuel E. Wright, Buddy Hackett, Kenneth Mars, Max Casella, Stephen Furst, Rob Paulsen, Clancy Brown, Cam Clarke, René Auberjonois, Brian Smith, Jim Kammerud, David Lovegren, Leslie Hough, Eddie Guzelian, Elise D'Haene, Elizabeth Anderson, Temple Mathews: Movies & TV. ASIN   6305940959.
  3. ↑ "The Little Mermaid/the Little Mermaid II Box Set DVD: Amazon.co.uk: The Little Mermaid: Film & TV". Amazon.co.uk. November 6, 2006. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
  4. ↑ "The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea [Special Edition]: Jodi Benson, Pat Carroll, Max Casella, Stephen Furst, Buddy Hackett, Kenneth Mars, Rob Paulsen, Sam Wright, Tara Charendoff, Jim Kammerud, Brian Smith: Movies & TV". Amazon. December 16, 2008. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
  5. ↑ "The Little Mermaid Trilogy: The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning, The Little Mermaid, The Little Mermaid II: Return To The Sea Special Edition, .: Movies & TV". Amazon. December 16, 2008. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
  6. ↑ "The Little Mermaid II and Ariel's Beginning: 2-Movie Collection". Amazon. November 19, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  7. ↑ "The Little Mermaid 2: Return to the Sea (2000)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved May 7, 2015.
  8. ↑ Winning, Josh (November 8, 2011). "50 Worst Kids Movies". Total Film . GamesRadar . Retrieved October 24, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Disney's Unofficial Princesses, Ranked". Screen Rant. August 22, 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  10. ↑ "Top 2000 Homevideo titles". Variety . January 8, 2001. p. 79.
  11. ↑ Annual Report 2000 (PDF) (Report). The Walt Disney Company. 2001. p. 31. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea: Jodi Benson, Tara Strong: Music". Amazon. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
  13. ↑ "The Little Mermaid & Little Mermaid II (Special Edition Double Pack)". Amazon. 1989. Retrieved August 23, 2011.
  14. 1 2 3 "Little Mermaid II - 2 Song CD: Ariel, Sebastian, Melody: Music". Amazon. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
  15. ↑ Miccio, Anthony (January 28, 2009). "Idol Lies: Is Anne Marie Boskovich this week's Joanna Pacitti?" . Retrieved May 7, 2015.[ dead link ]
  16. ↑ "The Little Mermaid 2: Remake Stars Reveal Their Sequel Hopes". May 28, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.