Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh let's just get this over with...

Today's rewatch: The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning
Last time watched: 2008

How much did I like this movie as a kid?
I didn't. Like, at all. In fact, after we see how Ariel's mom died that was it for me. Okay, so let me start from the beginning; If you've read my articles about TLM and TLM 2, you know that TLM is one of my most favorite movies and was a huge part of my childhood so when I was 15 years old I found out that there was going to be another movie of course I was excited! I was thinking, "Yay! We'll get to see more of Melody! We'll get to see Ariel with Eric again! We'll get a new villain and see old characters and new characters!" but once I found out this movie was a prequel, needless to say I was pretty disappointed. Unless it's a movie done right I'm not a prequel fan. We see a movie taking plase before the main story and we're supposed to be all worried for the characters and be all, "Omg the main character is dead! :'( " but it's like...how? How are we supposed to be so worried about all of that when we see all of them safe and sound in the main story? Especially when the plot of the prequel is "Blaaaargh no music, Ariel!/But daddy we need music!" and in TLM the first time we see Atlantica we see everyone going to a concert and we see characters singing all the time! I mean, seriously! What?? And while the music ban is for a sad reason, who do you ban music for THAT long even though it was something your wife loved so much? Like, okay grieving can take a long time but to actually get angry at your own children for wanting to sing or play instruments several years later? Especially when it's clear that no one has been happy for so long? I'm sorry, rambling. Anyway, after I heard that this movie was going to be a prequel I was disappointed but I wanted to check it out anyway. So the week the movie was released I rewatched both TLM in one night and then popped the prequel in as soon as I was home alone (family tried to get me to stop watching so much cartoons once I became a teenager) and I remember being so...bored and annoyed. I barely remember any of the songs save for Athena's song and I still can't believe the missed opportunity to give the audience the story of what happened to Ursula and how Ariel got so interested in humans. I know in the tv show we see how Ariel learned that humans weren't all evil and how she met Flounder but for a lot of kids today unless they have a relative who has any episodes on tape or dvd or disney channel plays the show at a more reasonable time, how many kids will tell you they have actually even heard of the tv series?

How much of this movie have I forgotten:
I forgot how rushed the opening was. We don't see Athena with her daughters too much except for at the beginning and in a flashback but that's it. It's kinda hard to have an emotional connection to a character who only had a few lines and then died trying to grab her music box. She stayed behind to save Attina at first why couldn't that have been the real reason instead of such a materialistic one? I know it was an anniversary present but still. On new years eve there was a bad fire in my apartment building and you know what I grabbed when I ran out? Not a christmas or birthday present, not my wedding album, I grabbed my cat. I didn't think of anything else, I just grabbed my cat from under the bed and made sure my husband was right behind me on our run out.

I forgot that Marina had such a ridiculous reason for what she does in this movie. Really? She just wants Sebastian's job? That's it? At least with Morgana even though she was just trying to be "mother's favorite" she's at least more memorable than Marina del Ray. And I'm still confused about how she could have found the club so quickly when Ariel had to follow Flounder and Marina didn't even follow anyone. She just saw the girls were gone and then just randomly found it. Also, what's with her outfit changes? Does she decorate her tail a different color, put some kind of cover over her tail, or are the writers trying to make it seem like she can just change out of her tail?

And plot hole: Even though music is forbidden in the kingdom how is Marina not arrested or anything when she was singing twice in this movie?

Flounder has to be the most out of character in this sequel. He was acting way too brave compared to the original, especially when he decided to just play music out in the open before he met Ariel. Yeah, he thought he was alone but it was still a dumb move. And when he wasn't being brave out of nowhere he was being annoying.

I'm sorry I had a hard time taking Ariel's almost death seriously. There's evil electric eels and the thing that looks like almost kills her is just Marina running into her? That was the almost death?

Movie:
While I still thought this movie was dull and frustrating and the new characters and songs weren't as memorable or good as TLM or TLM 2, the animation was much better than TLM 2 at least and we got to see more of Ariel with her sisters which is something we didn't get to see in either of TLM movies.

Rating: 0/10

How much has my opinion changed?
It hasn't

Would I watch it again?
Hell nope

The next movie will be Moana!