The Little Mermaid II isn’t bad as far as sequels go | News, Sports, Jobs
This week’s Throwback Thursday has a little connection to this Saturday’s Express Compress podcast, where you might hear me talk a little more in-depth about this and other Disney films.
Just as Disney now adapts all of its classics into live-action films, there was a time when Disney really loved making sequels to films that often seemed unnecessary and received mixed reviews.
These included sequels to Pocahontas, Aladdin, Bambi, Lady and the Tramp, and many others that, at least in this film viewer’s opinion, didn’t feel entirely necessary.
One that I did enjoy to some extent, however, was The Little Mermaid 2: Return to the Sea, which came out in 2000 – about 20 years after the first film hit theaters. It also never made it to the big screen, only coming out straight to VHS. (Man, I miss physical releases of things.)
A quick recap for those who may not have seen the first film: It’s about Ariel (Jodi Benson), a mermaid and the youngest – and more rebellious – daughter of King Triton, who gives up her voice to the evil witch Ursula in order to go ashore and meet her true love, Prince Eric.
As is usual in Disney films, Ariel manages to get her voice back in the end and stay on land to be with Eric.
The second film begins after the couple has welcomed a daughter – Melody (Tara Charendoff). When Ariel and Eric present their baby to King Triton and the rest of the underwater world, they are attacked by Ursula’s sister Morgana (Pat Carroll – who also voiced Ursula), who wants to avenge her sister’s death.
Triton is able to save Melody and Morgana escapes with the promise of revenge.
To save Melody, Ariel and Eric decide to keep the former mermaid’s other life a secret from their daughter and keep her away from the sea until Morgana is caught.
Of course, many years pass without Melody seeing the sea witch, so she is forced to stay within the castle walls and is constantly warned to stay away from the sea.
One can imagine that the daughter of a former mermaid princess is not exactly enthusiastic about this idea.
Without giving too much away, The Little Mermaid II is a sort of variation of the first film, but adds a surprising twist.
Melody is not interested in mermen, which would make her interested in the sea.
Instead, she simply feels an attraction that she cannot ignore. This becomes even clearer when, during one of her secret swims in the sea, she discovers a medallion with her name on it – a medallion that King Triton had given her when she was born and that Ariel had not kept.
We see Ariel’s roles reverse. She is no longer the headstrong teenager who disobeys her parents. Instead, she is in her father’s shoes, desperately trying to protect her stubborn child from harm.
And since Melody is just like her, you can imagine that things won’t go the way she wants.
Overall, I thought The Little Mermaid Part II was a decent sequel. I wouldn’t have wanted it, but I enjoyed it for the most part.
It brought back nostalgia for old characters with some new dynamics and a familiar villain.
Overall, I really liked the change in Melody’s motivation. I liked The Little Mermaid, but mostly because of the animation and the singing (Poor Unfortunate Souls is a blast).
However, I never really liked Ariel’s motivation for what she did. It revolved around her saving a guy from drowning and instantly falling in love with him. I’m a little too logical and think you should get to know a guy a little better before you sell part of yourself to a sea witch to meet him. But maybe I’m just the only one.
The second film focused more on the origin story and incorporated some of the sisters’ revenge, making it an entertaining ride.
It certainly wasn’t one of Disney’s best sequels, but it was one of the better ones in my opinion. Every now and then I feel the need to sit down and watch it. If you haven’t seen it, I would recommend giving it a try. You can see whether or not I’m just crazy.
“The Little Mermaid 2: Return of the Sea” is rated 6+ and can be viewed on Disney+.
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Laura Jameson is editor-in-chief of The Express.
