Today, Walt Disney Home Entertainment is releasing the animated 1989 classic The Little Mermaid for the first time on Blu-ray, as part of their Diamond Edition series.  When the mermaid Ariel (Jodi Benson) saves the life of the human Eric (Christopher Daniel Barnes), she trades her voice with the evil Ursula (Pat Carroll) to be with him on land.  But she is only given a few days to find true love and regain her life, with a little help from her adorable sidekick Sebastian (Samuel E. Wright).

This is an absolute classic filled with bright characters and standout songs from Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, including the memorable “Part of Your World,” the delightful Oscar-winner “Under the Sea” and the adorably romantic “Kiss the Girl.”  Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, The Little Mermaid is widely recognized as ushering in a new golden age for Disney animation and the film still feels just as fresh after all these years.

The Blu-ray comes packed with several featurettes, including a brief look at the deleted character Harold the Merman, a “Crab-E-Oke” sing along track and a cute music video for “Part of Your World” with the always likeable Carly Rae Jepsen.  The classic DVD bonuses are also featured, including commentary, several deleted scenes and a bunch of featurettes, along with the short film The Little Matchgirl.

The Little Mermaid is 83 minutes and rated G.

-John C.