Should you let the kids watch? Yes! There's not much to dislike about this classic movie based on a story by Hans Christian Andersen. First released in theaters in 1989, this special edition DVD includes lots of extras. It's also been digitally restored, which, basically, means it's been cleaned up with crisper images and more vivid colors. For more info, see "Just For Parents" below.

THE STORY: You know the story. Ariel (Jodi Benson) is a fun-loving mermaid who's enchanted with all things human. She often swims off to her secret place "under the sea" and admires her collection of silverware, paintings, and other gizmos collected from shipwrecks and storms. 

Her father, King Triton (Kenneth Mars), orders her to stay away from those "barbaric fish-eaters" above the sea, but she swims to the surface and spies on the handsome Prince Eric (Christopher Daniel Barnes) and his sheepdog, Max, on his ship. When a raging storm comes up suddenly, Eric is thrown overboard and Ariel rescues him. As he regains consciousness on the sandy beach, the first thing he hears is the lovely voice of the girl hovering over him. Just as suddenly, she's gone, leaving him to wonder about this mystery girl of his dreams.

Back under the sea, Ariel lets it slip that she's fallen for the prince. Her father overhears her and angrily destroys all of her human things. She swims off dejectedly, and comes upon the evil sea witch, Ursula (Pat Carroll), who offers her a deal. She gets Ariel's voice in exchange for three days on land as a human. If Ariel can get Eric to kiss her before the sun sets on the third day, she'll get to continue being a human. If not, she'll have to return to the sea and be in Ursula's servitude forever. Not only that, unbeknownst to Ariel, Ursula has big plans to take over as the ruler of the sea, putting King Triton out of a job.

Ariel accepts the deal and delightedly swims off towards land, followed by her friends, Flounder the fish (Jason Marin), Scuttle the seagull (Buddy Hackett), and Sebastian the reggae-singing crab (Samuel E. Wright), who's been ordered by King Triton to keep an eye on the girl.

Things are going well for the mermaid, as she moves into a room in Eric's castle and the two grow closer. In a quiet boat ride, he very nearly kisses the girl, thanks to a little persuasive music by Sebastian and friends, but their plan is foiled by Ursula's two devious eels, Flotsam and Jetsam. (Paddi Edwards).

Even worse, because Ariel has no voice, Eric is convinced she's NOT the girl who saved him that day, and he's determined to find the REAL girl of his dreams, which he mistakenly comes to believe is Ursula, who's disguised herself as a beautiful dark-haired woman. What a mess!

JUST FOR PARENTS:

PRESCHOOLERS (ages 2-5): Sensitive youngsters might be a little scared of Ursula, the Sea Witch. She's big, ugly, loud, and flops her octopus body around – dare I say it – a bit provocatively. Also, the castle's French chef, Louie (Rene Auberjonois), chases after Sebastian, trying to turn him into crabmeat. Because of these scenes, this movie is ok for kids 4 and older. They'll especially love the magical world under the sea and the fun characters of Flounder, Scuttle, and Sebastian. And at just 83 minutes, they probably won't wander off and start playing with their toys.

GRADE-SCHOOLERS (ages 6 - 10): The reason this is a classic is because you get drawn into watching it, no matter how old you are and no matter how many times you've seen it. There's something about the colors, the animation, the good-vs.-evil storyline, and the beautiful songs that stick in your head. It just never goes out of style.

TWEEN / TEEN (ages 11+): This movie skews a bit younger, but again, it's one of those movies that's fun for both kids and adults. In one way, I wish Ariel had pursued a singing career or maybe opened an antique shop with all of her treasures, instead of getting all doe-eyed over a prince. Then again, she's adventurous and brave and doesn't stop until she gets what she wants.

SCORE: 4 out of 4 Reels

BONUS FEATURES:

Backstage Disney:
- All new "Kiss the Girl" Music Video, performed by Ashley Tisdale.
- Treasures Untold: The Making of The Little Mermaid
- Exclusive Animated Short: The Little Match Girl, by Hans Christian Andersen
- The Little Mermaid III: Musical Sneak Peek
- Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scenes, including "Backstage with Sebastian" (It's almost showtime – where's Ariel?!); "Fathoms Below" (Ursula's identity is revealed); "Sebastian Lost in the Castle," "Poor Unfortunate Souls" (learn why Ursula was banished from King Triton's palace), and more

Games & Activities:
- Under the Sea Adventure: A Virtual Ride. Experience the theme park ride that was almost built.
- DisneyPedia: Life Under the Sea. Learn about the real-life creatures that inspired the movie characters.
- Spanish and French language tracks.