The Disney Princesses ✨

 A Review-a-thon to celebrate Mara's Seventh Review release!
Featuring: Your Favourite Disney Princesses 🤗

With a smile and a song, they wonder and dream, no matter how their hearts are grieving, of a whole new world.

In their little towns, they believe that there must be more than their provincial lives. They wait for their reflections to show who they are inside. You can find them just around the river bend. They are bright young women, a part of our world who remind us that dreams do come true when we believe.

In bad times, they let it go, and do the next right thing. Come what may, they know the way.

They are Disney princesses. 😌😌😌

All these exceptional women have a story to tell, but who will we be looking at tonight? Who are your favourite princesses?

# 5 Jasmine

Let us go to a land, to a far away place, to the mysterious city of Agrabah. Here, we'll hear of a tale of a boy; Aladdin. He's an orphan (until part two, Aladdin and the forty thieves). He's called names like street rat, riff raff and thief to show his low status and notorious thieving exploits. He is dearly wanted by the guards. The chief guard is so desperate to have his hand for a trophy that he sends all the palace guards after him.

Aladdin: All this for a loaf of bread?

So, Aladdin's a villain, because he's clearly breaking the law. What does he have to say about that?

Aladdin: Gotta eat to live. Gotta steal to eat. Tell you all about it when I got the time.

This 1992 blockbuster directed by Ron Clements and John Musker is a bildungsroman. It is an Arabian tale told on an Arabian night of the ascent of Aladdin from a beggar to a prince.
Aladdin's kind, courageous and funny (so is his monkey, Abu) but this reviewer has eyes on the second protagonist; the beautiful princess Jasmine.
Jasmine is an Arabian beauty. She is gorgeous, bold, beautiful and "a fast learner." She's the perfect daughter except if you're an Arabian Sultan trying to preserve customs.
Jasmine is caged by the prison walls of home and the restrictions of norms and traditions. She can't live the adventurous life she's always wanted because she...

Sultan: ...must be married to a prince on your next birthday.

Jasmine is rebellious and headstrong. How does the Sultan react?

Sultan: Allah forbid you have any more daughters!

Rajah's like what?

Desperate for a breath of fresh air and thirsty for adventure, Jasmine sneaks over the castle walls and ventures in the markets of Agrabah. It is enchanting but also dangerous.

Jasmine would have lost a hand if Aladdin hadn't come to the rescue. She is grateful and wishes to know more about him. She learns this much; he is poor, homeless and friendless (except you, Abu).
Jasmine is full of remorse when Jafar, who had Aladdin captured, reports his execution. This is false but she holds herself responsible and turns gloomy. She doesn't bat an eyelid either on turning down the fabulous Prince Ali Ababwa's proposal, even with all his wealth.

Musicians: With sixty elephants, ilamas galore; with his bears and lions, a brass band and more. With his forty fakirs, his cooks and bakers; his birds that warble on key! Make way for Prince Ali!

Yeah, we get it, guys.
Anyway, Jasmine is cold to Ali who is actually Aladdin turned prince by the magic of the magnificent Genie of the lamp. When she finds her suspicions that the boy from the market is Ali, she warms up to him. She happily goes to a whole new world with him, but she doesn't see beyond the lie that Aladdin was always a prince. Aladdin should really have taken Genie's advice.
Genie: Tell her the TRUTH!

For once, Jasmine chooses a suitor. She chooses Ali. All of Agrabah is excited, except Ali. He tries to come clean but Jasmine is much too excited. Already, Genie and Aladdin have quarrelled because Aladdin is about to break his promise to use his third and final wish to free Genie. Genie falls into the hands of a new master, Jafar.

Jafar exposes Aladdin and takes control over Agrabah. He turns Jasmine to his maid...

Iago: While I stuff the crackers down his (the Sultan's) throat.

Jasmine is a good actress, don't you think so? She smartly distracts Jafar with her beauty. Jafar who had always fancied her falls for her womanly charms, while in the background, Aladdin is executing his plans to save the day.
Jasmine tries her best (she pulls the ugly Jafar to a kiss. I had the same expression Iago and Abu had on witnessing that scene) but all efforts to protect Aladdin from Jafar's wrath fail when Jafar makes his final wish.

Jafar: I wish to be an all powerful genie.

Aladdin's wit and wisdom are all that's left to bring this Arabian tale to a happily ever after. He teaches Jafar that every wish has its consequence. To be powerful is one thing, to be responsible for the power in your grasp is another.
Jasmine also teaches us a lesson. Love should not be limited by name or status or wealth. So long as it's true, it's love.

Walt Disney has lovable animations set all over the world. Aladdin is Walt Disney's journey to the middle east. It was inspired by the book One Thousand and One Nights although it was not originally part of the book. Aladdin was added by Frenchman Antoine Galland who heard the story from Syrian storyteller, Hanna Diyab.
Disney loved the folktale which was originally titled Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp. It took it and with a fuse of animation, music and magic, made it legendary.
Aladdin was cast by Scott Weigner. Linda Larkin gave us that sweet Jasmine voice while the voice of Jafaar was cast by Jonathan Freeman. There was one voice for Abu, Rajah and the Cave of wonders.
The voice cast of the comic relief of the movie is very important. He is none other than Robin Williams. You may have also heard his voice in Hook (1991) and Mrs Doubtfire (1993). He initially refused the role because then, voice casting was done strictly by trained voice actors. Disney convinced him by an animation of Genie doing one of Robin's stand up jokes and Robin fell in love with the animation.
According to Roger Ebert, late famous American critic of The Chicago Sun Times, Genie and Robin Williams "were born for one another." Robert through Genie changed the face of voice acting and opened a world of opportunities for movie studio. I'm happy to state that the Disney crew made that happen.

Alan Menken and Howard Ashman are at it again, giving us more memorable musicals like Grammy award song of the year "A whole new world" and best originals "Friend like me" and "Prince Ali." Speaking of musicals, the initial song "Arabian night" had a lyric change due to  complaint over the racist lines, "Where they cut off your ear if they don't like your face." It was a little trouble recalling the already released movie, but Disney was successful. Now, the lines we know are,
"Where it's flat and immense, and the heat is intense."
Fun fact. The naming of the Princess Jasmine has a while story behind it. Jasmine is the animation of the princess Badroulbadour in Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp. That would have been a tricky names for fans so the name Jasmine was used instead. It is infinitely better, not because the original name isn't pretty. Badroul or Baddie just wouldn't fit right as an abridged alias.

Quick fact. Remember the peddler the scene of Aladdin opens with? That's actually the Genie! He is disguised as a merchant and story teller (no wonder he had the lamp). His voice was also cast by Robin Williams although the singing was done by someone else.

Aladdin is well written, beautifully animated and it has a remarkable Disney princess to its merit. It earned $504 million. It was the highest grossing film of the year and won two academy awards and various accolades. It was only surpassed by 1994 Disney production Lion King.
Aladdin has sequels like The Return of Jafaar, Aladdin and the Forty Thieves and even got a remake in 2019. There are many other animations inspired by Aladdin. That just shows how the world was marvelled by it.

Three decades later, it is still fresh in our memories. Truly, Aladdin is a timeless classic for all generations!

# 4 Mulan

Feminism and gender equality didn't start in the 21st century. It can be found in 6th century China. This brings us to the true story of Mulan.

An ancient Chinese ballad tells of a woman, Hua Mulan. She was a Chinese hero of the Northern Wei dynasty. She fought against Mongolian and Nomadic invaders. She was a skilled archer, horse rider and swords woman who fought for her people for 12 years.

In ancient China, it is a period of war. The impenetrable Great Wall has been scaled and the Huns are on the move to the heart of China. As is custom , every family must give an able bodied man to fight for his country. This is not good news for the Fa family whose only male member, Fa Zhou, already bears the scars of a great war hero.

Fa Mulan, the only child of her parents, has failed in her womanly duties to conduct herself as a befitting bride worthy of a match. However, she won't fail in her duty to her heart. She steals her father's armour and takes his place in the army, breaking the customs of her land.

Her parents are in despair and fear that she may be killed, but... "If I reveal her, she will be." Fa Zhou.

They seek the aid of their ancestors who send Mushu, a former guardian of the family. Now he's been demoted to the gong ringer of the family temple. The head ancestor sends the skinny red lizar... I mean, dragon, to awaken the Great Stone Dragon. The result of this is a lesson on the importance of doing things yourself.

Anyway, Mushu takes the place of the Great Stone Dragon who is now in pieces. He sets out with Cri-kee, our favourite lucky cricket, to find Mulan. Instead of bringing her home, he aids and abets her in her impersonation of a soldier (there were no women soldiers at the time.) He also gets her in a lot of trouble with the other soldiers.

Mushu: Chicken boy? Say that to my face, ya limp noodle!

Li Shang works hard to make men of his battalion. He is discouraged at first and road to becoming a great hero like his father, the General, wearies him. Along the lines of the song, "Be a man," his luck turns and his hard work is rewarded.

Meanwhile, the Huns cause more destruction, wiping out an entire army, and a village of unfortunate civilians. Among the fallen is the General.

Despite his loss, Shang must lead his army forward.

There's another ambush by the Huns in the alps (I'm blaming it on the fire breathing lizard. Em, dragon). Ping, aka Mulan, saves the day with a little boom and a lot of snow. Ping instantly becomes a hero. Why not; he wiped out the entire Hun army! The soldiers cheer, until Mulan the woman is discovered.

The penalty of impersonation is death but Shang spares her life. After all, she did just save him, and the others. It's over for our hero. She must return to her parents with more shame than glory. She, Mushu and Cri-kee set off. On discovering that the leader of the Huns, Shan Yu, is still alive with a group of his men, they rush to the city to "...go kick some hunny buns!"

Mulan warns Shang but he doesn't believe her (I can't blame him; she lied about her identity). This is until a dragon mascot produces five angry Huns.

It's another moment for team Mulan to shine. Cower before the brave Yao, the sharp Ling, the mighty Chin Po, the skilled Shang, the lucky cricket and the flaming Mushu!

Mushu: Your worst nightmare.

They defeat the Huns, save the Emperor and all of China. This is all thanks to the young woman who followed her heart, Mulan. She is a true hero, and all of China bow to her.

She returns home with gifts from the emperor and honour that will follow her all her her life. She also brings back a man.

Mulan in China means Mongolia blossom. That explains the tree Mulan (Ming-Na Wen) and Fa Zhou (Soon-Tek Oh) sit under a lot. Don't let the name fool you. She's a badass fighter with 2000 kills. No other Disney princess has that.

Another interesting fact about her is that she is left handed. This signifies her unique personality as a Disney princess. She is the first to not come from a royal bloodline and not get carried off to the sunset by a prince either. Her title of princess is thanks to her courage. That hint really gives feminist vibes. It is a perfect way to portray equality in sex and the importance of women in the society. (Go girls!)

Among the Disney Princesses, she is the first to be raised by both her parents and the second to have them both alive till the end of the movie. The first is Aurora. Let's not forget she is the first to get physically injured on scene and the second to wear trousers. The first is Jasmine. With all these, should we add she's the first to get a haircut?

The way Disney brought Shan Yu (Miguel Ferrer) to his demise is kind of cool. They made his death pretty, not at all bloody, with those Chinese fireworks. Instead of screams, viewers were like, "Ooh! Aah!" Parents don't have to keep their children's eyes closed here.

I can't conclude without saying I knew Mushu's voice cast was Eddie Murphy. Who else can give such cool funny black American vibes? It was a little off the background of Chinese society but it didn't take long for viewers to appreciate it.

Special thanks to the directors, Tony Bankroft and Barry Cook for bringing this story to life. The animation is commendable and enjoyable to this very day. To the writers, Robert D. San Souci and Rita Hsiao, many thanks for the special crafting of this legend to make it didatic, funny and inspiring. I must acknowledge the writers of the song, Lea Salonga and Donny Osmond. "Reflection" is an all time favourite. "I'll make a man out of you" really gives the upliftment one needs to do a difficult task. "A girl worth fighting for" is a classic that tells the girls men's ideas of ideal women. Although these musicals didn't perform as well as we hoped in the music charts, we love them for the memories they preserve.

To conclude, Mulan is a true feminist; one who breaks the rules not to prove herself but to protect those she loves.

#3. Belle

Once upon a time, in a faraway land,

A young Prince lived in a shining castle.

Although he had everything his heart desired,

The Prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind.

But then, one winter's night,

An old beggar woman came to the castle

And offered him a single rose In return for shelter from the bitter cold.

Repulsed by her haggard appearance,

The Prince sneered at the gift,

And turned the old woman away.

But she warned him not to be deceived by appearances,

For Beauty is found within...

Meet Belle, Disney's most beautiful princess. She's an unconventional girl tired of her provincial life. In her village, she's a belle, an avid reader and a queer dreamer.

The villagers don't just understand why someone would want something more than the average life. They're so bothered they sing her a song.

Villagers: She really is a funny girl. That Belle.

A belle has to go for a beau right? So, Gaston (Richard White) and Belle (Paige O'Hara) are the perfect match. Gaston sees that and offers Belle his charming roguish self. There's just one problem.

Belle: Not me, no sir. I guarantee it!

Gaston is boastful, he is proud, his chest is completely covered with hair! As a specimen, yes he's intimidating. Unfortunately, for Belle, he's "boorish, brainless!" and "primeval." (I can't believe he thought that was a compliment 🤣)

We can't blame Belle. What is obvious is that Gaston just wants Belle like she's a fancy antler he can decorate his walls with. When she says no, Gaston has his ego wounded. No one says no to Gaston!

Gaston is dismissed, rejected, publicly humiliated. Why, it's more than he can bear.

LeFou: More beer?

A journey to the fair sets the wheels of the plot rolling. Maurice, Belle's father, has just got his invention to work. He is another queer villager with dreams. This "crazy" old dreamer wins the hospitality of Lumiere (Jerry Orbach), Cogsworth (David Ogden Stiers) and Mrs Pott (Angela Lansbury). Let's not forget Chip, the teacup. They are the staff of an enchanted castle that has never been visited for years. Their master, Beast, however bares his angry fangs. Thus, Maurice becomes a prisoner.

Belle, determined to rescue her papa, goes after him. With a brave heart, she takes his place as prisoner of the beast. Beast has different plans. He gives her a room in his castle and gruffly offers her hospitality.

Beast no doubt is enamored by her beauty. He is also thoughtful. Maybe she might be the one to break the curse. If he could only get her to love him, he would be Adam again. Sadly, when he looks at himself, all he sees is a hideous beast.

Lumiere and the gang are not discouraged. They advise the Beast on how to win Belle. He must smile, be gentle and most of all... You must control your temper!

Belle thwarts Beast's feeble attempts to his consternation. Her stay in the gloomy castle is livened by a candle stand, a clock, a teapot and other enchanted staff of the castle. With them, you can't get bored. Be their guest.

It's Belle's first time in an enchanted castle. She's curious to know what is in the forbidden west wing that she forfeits a visit to the library. Unfortunately, the beast discovers her and in his rage, scares her off to a pack of wolves. Luckily, he is kind enough to protect her. He is injured and Belle decides to stay and nurse him. It's a hard decision, but Belle is not ungrateful, even to a beast.

Belle: By the way, thank you for saving my life.

This is a turning point in their relationship. What was once bitter and strange becomes sweet. This is all because one learns to control his temper and the other, to see through the thick rough fur.

They fall in love. Then, the beast, with a heavy heart, frees his prisoner.

Belle, grateful to him, accepts the gift of his magic mirror and rushes to the aid of her sick father. She is faced with a mob of villagers who have come for her father claiming he was a lunatic.

Belle, in a bid to protect her papa, reveals the beast to them. Gaston grows jealous of the affection with which she speaks of the beast and influences the mob to kill the dangerous beast.

The castle staff successfully stand against the mob but the tame soul within the beastly form will not hurt an opponent. Gaston pushes for a fight for Belle's love. He is unevenly matched but the beast spares his life. Just as he makes his way to Belle who has returned for him, Gaston strikes a heavy blow which costs him and the beast their lives.

The beast dies happy to see Belle one last time. The last petal of an enchanted rose falls and Belle sobs. She confesses her affection, and the curse is broken! The beast transforms to the charming Prince Adam. The gothic castle loses its gloomy curse and the castle staff are human again.

It's a tale as old as time, as true as it can be. It's a tale of love in its truest, sweetest form. It's why I love Disney.

This beauty first thrilled the world in 1991. It was set in a fictious 18th century village. The nationality is France, le pays d'amor.

The musicals are heart warming unforgettable classics. They are by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken. These men were very influential in the success of the animation. Their music is superb. We'll see them again in the Little Mermaid where they left us with other heart warming songs.

The animation is spectacular. It is a household favourite and is not limited to children. It's a classic, a flawless one. If you're yet to watch it, don't wait for the end of this marathon to make up your mind to do so.

To conclude, using the words of late reviewer, Roger Ebert, "I wasn't reviewing an "animated film." I was being told a story, I was hearing terrific music and I was having fun."

# 2 Cinderella

Where do I begin in this 1950 classic?

Wait, 1950?

Yep, and it's still topping the charts and comment sections as "One of Disney's finest."

Cinderella goes way back, even earlier than Disney's animation. It is believed that the first telling of the story was in 7BC. It was of a lady of the court in ancient Egypt called Rhodopis. The story goes,

"She was having a bath when suddenly, a bird swooped down and caught one of her shoes in its claws. It carried it and dropped it where a monarch sat. The monarch grew determined to marry the woman who owned the shoe. He sent his men to search for her. They found Rhodopis and brought her to the monarch. The monarch fell in love with the beautiful maiden and they were married."

There are many, many other retellings of this same story. Some features were removed and some additions made by various storytellers. Happily, we narrow our attention to Disney's production for no other version is as famous and loved as it.

Cinderella is a beautiful animation. It tells the story of a poor girl who is "forbidden to be happy." Her parents are dead and her only relations, her stepmother and step sisters, are mean and cruel to her. Their actions towards her are vile, arising from their hatred and jealousy of her. They make her life unbearable and turn her into a slave in her own mansion.

This doesn't darken the charming child's heart. She is kind, loving and gentle. (Also, she can sing the nightingale song far better than her stepsisters) The mice love her, the birds cherish her, and so do Bruno (the dog) and Philip (the horse).

Can you imagine what she told Bruno after he told her of his dream of giving mean old Lucifer a piece of his mind?

Cinderella: That's bad!

That's certainly the golden voice of a golden heart. To be honest, I would have told Bruno something different, considering he messed up my cleaning.

Mara: Finish him, Bruno!

In the same kingdom, a worried father, the King, is arranging a betrothal for his son, Prince Charming. He is desperate to have his son properly wedded and also eager to carry his pretty grandchildren on his back. He makes it clear to the skinny monocled duke that he will tolerate no hindrances. Or else...

Duke: Ye-ye-yes, Sire. (I would stutter too if I had a sword to my nose.)

The prince however is not cooperating. There are a number of French damsels, beautiful and chic yet none, not even Anastasia and Driselda, with all their assets, charm Prince Charming.

That's when Cinderella walks in. Seeing her in her beautiful ball gown that glistens as the stars, no one would believe what she had suffered a moment ago. Her mother's dress, revamped by her dear mice friends, had been ripped off herself by her envious family, and her heart had given rent to the torrent of emotions.

In the moment of despair, hope shone forth in the person of our dear Fairy Godmother. She comes with three words to change Cinderella's plight;

Fairy Godmother: Bibidi-bobidi-boo!

At this scene, did anyone notice the sparkly halo that rested on Cinderella's head momentarily as her rags transfigured? That's a quiet imagery to show the blessings every good heart deserves. These blessings follow her to the castle in a pumpkin carriage! They give her favour with the prince. The two dance, and Cinderella discovers the miracle that she had been dreaming of; love!

Midnight comes too soon and Cinderella must flee, for her Fairy Godmother warned her that the magic would fail after the stroke of 12.

Without a proper goodbye, she flees leaving behind a glass slipper and a deeply-in-love prince.

The search for the mysterious damsel begins. Lady Tremaine and her daughters discover another chance to marry into royalty. While they do the only thing they're good at (dump work on Cinderella) Cinderella day dreams for she has discovered that the monsieur she danced with was the prince himself!

Lady Tremaine's green eyes are quicker than her daughters, and she locks Cinderella in her room. It is now up to the heroic mice, Jaq and Gus-gus to save the day.

Gus: Stairs? (Faints)

Lucifer is a mean cat, but he meets his match in good old Bruno. Finally, Cinderella is free. She descends the stairs just when the Duke is about to take his leave.

The step mother protests, but the Duke's monocle does not deceive him. Cinderella's feet are "petite." Lady Tremaine does something we'll always hate her for. She shatters the glass slipper and the Duke's only chance of finding the damsel. The duke laments. It is over!

Cinderella: If it will help. 

No, no! Nothing can save the Duke from the wrath of the king. He is finished, done for, the king will have his head!

Cinderella: Well, you see, I have the other slipper.

Joy!

The duke takes the slipper, kisses it and fits it easily on Cinderella's pretty foot.

The wedding bells chime. The prince and Cinderella are married. They share a kiss as their carriage takes them away, and Disney ushers us into another happily ever after.

Where do I start from in appreciating this masterpiece? The timeless plot, the evergreen animation, the simple yet powerful musicals! I am not surprised anymore to find out that it ranked second in Favourite Disney princess.

Cinderella is a movie many people can watch over and over and over. That reminds me of a dear friend of mine back in my childhood. When our teacher asked someone to tell the class a story, it was Cinderella she chose. She told it so well. She even reenacted the conversation between Jaq and Gus like a real mouse!

Cinderella is a favourite of both children and adults. By adults, it is appreciated for the moral it teaches and the hope it gives to young dreamers. That can be extended to those in a higher age bracket as well. You might disagree, but I think watching Cinderella when your job fails or when you fail an exam is more helpful than a glass of booze. Just saying.

For those who have not watched it, is Cinderella worth it? Well, the fact that there are hundreds of thousands of remakes of it should speak volumes. It is one of Disney's finest (73 years after its production) and even has a record of having one of Disney's successful sequel to it; Cinderella, A Twist in Time. That sequel is so worth it I could jump out a window for it! You get what I mean?

Beautiful, inspiring and magical. Cinderella is timeless. Cinderella is a classic. As you watch and rewatch, don't forget that, "No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dreams that you wish will come true."

#1. Ariel

We have seen princesses that talk to animals, enchant birds with their songs, but have we seen a princess that swims? This is Disney thinking out of the box, or, as I'll put it, "under the sea."

Ariel is the protagonist of the 1987 motions picture, Little Mermaid. It is set in the heart of the Mediterranean sea. Its directors are Ron Clement and John Musker. The story is adapted from Hans Christian Andersen's tale, The Little Mermaid. If you noticed, many Disney animations are adapted from folktales, fairy tales and stories in children's books. They always turn out successfully too.

The Little Mermaid came at a time the Disney empire was collapsing. It saved the day with its touching storyline, awesome animation and great musicals.

The scene opens with a seabird at flight and the vast grey sea comes into view. Then come the gallant seamen who are under the charge of of the charming and adventurous Prince Eric. (Gosh, he's gorgeous! Pardon.)

At the same time, the merfolk under King Triton are having a musical show conducted by the royal court composer, our distinguished Jamaican-accented crab, Sebastian.

The concert would have ended happily if Ariel, the star of the show and youngest of seven daughters had turned up, but she was too busy swimming from sharks with Flounder in a ship wreck.

King Triton is upset. So is Sebastian particularly because his one big show was ruined. He is compensated by King Triton with a task; "Watch Ariel." (Poor crab.)

Ariel is upset at her father's reproach but that doesn't stop her from finding the perfect spot for her precious dinglehopper and snarfblat. (Who taught Scuttle to name things?) In her song, Part of that world, she shares with Flounder (her favourite yellow guppy fish) that she's a bright young woman, sick of swimmin' and ready to walk.

Sebastian's reaction to all this shows us just how forbidden this dream of Ariel is, but the shadow cast by a ship draws the little mermaid to the forbidden surface. Quietly, she witnesses the happy jolly life of some humans among which is Eric. We all guess where the story is headed when Grimsby speaks to Prince Eric of finding a bride with Ariel hiding just below him by the ship's side.

A sudden storm wrecks the ship and Eric is saved from drowning by Ariel who leaves him with only a tune from her golden voice. King Triton finds of Ariel's contact with humans from Sebastian (who just can't keep a secret). Triton confronts her and Ariel bares the contents of her heart in this outburst, "Daddy, I love him!"

Being a protective father, he does what he seems right, but he breaks poor Ariel's heart.

In a dark cave, a power hungry octopus witch, Ursula, is watching. She offers desperate Ariel the life of her dreams and Ariel accepts. There's a catch of course for this poor unfortunate soul.

Under the sun at last, Ariel must make Eric love her without the help of her voice. She doesn't know sign language pretty much so Sebastian has got to help.

Sebastian: Kiss the girl.

Sha-la-la-la-la, they're almost there but Ursula won't let her plans be ruined. She enchants Eric with Ariel's voice and disguises herself as his beautiful saviour. They are to be married at once.

Ariel is broken and betrayed. Scuttle proves his relevance when he discovers Ursula's trick and stalls the wedding.

Ariel reaches Eric on time to regain her voice, but before the kiss can be bestowed, the sun sets, "...on the third day."

Back to the sea we go to witness the love of a father for his daughter. Ursula's dream comes true at last. It is almost barbecue day for the little mermaid, but our heroic prince saves the day!

Triton realizes that maybe a human for a son-in-law wouldn't be that bad. Sebastian says (like he always does), "Children have to be free to live their lives." Triton finally makes the decision we have all been waiting for. There's just one problem, "How much I'm going to miss her."

"A timeless fairytale for all ages," said Ollie Suave (2013) of the Little Mermaid. It takes first place in the review polls and in our hearts. It is didactic, entertaining, touching and motivational. Its musicals (Part of that world, Under the Sea, Kiss the girl) by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman are unforgettable. The heroine's voice Jodi Benson is the perfect fit!

In 2023, it got a live action remake (which is what Disney does to animations that really made an impact). I'm sad to say I haven't watched that yet. Rewatching characters that touched me like Ariel, Eric and Triton, and characters that made me laugh like Sebastian and Louis the chef, Flounder and the shark and the singing Scuttle, is something I don't want to miss.

So, do I recommend this movie? Well, there are certain things everyone should do in a lifetime, and one of them is watching the Little Mermaid.

Conclusion

Thank you so much for reading. I hope this marathon of reviews leaves you with sweet memories and lessons of courage, honour and kindness.

Special thanks to all those who voted their favorite princesses. Well, looks like Ariel is the winner.

Which one of the reviews was your favourite? Let us know in the comment section.

Are there princesses you wished were reviewed? Also leave that in the comments.

Mara💙 loves you a-thon.