The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Having loved Thumbelina from the same company, I re-visited this version of The Little Mermaid after many years, and found myself entranced. I do love the Disney film and the anime version too, but this one should and deserves to stand on its own. The animation quality is a little rough in places, but there are still several colourful and fluid moments. The music is wonderful, The World Above I found very touching and I loved the use of classical music pieces such as Promenade-Gnomus from Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, Di Provenza from Verdi's La Traviata, Ride of the Valkyries from Wagner's Die Walkure and short excerpt of Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde and Night on Bare Mountain. The story is told in such a heart-warming way and manages to capture the essence of the fairytale. The script is well balanced, with some poignant parts that are genuinely so and humour that is funny and not out of place. The characters are as memorable as I remembered them, Lena is very endearing and you identify with her all the way, Bink the dolphin is an example of a comic relief character that is important to the storytelling and adds much to it, Stefan is a suitably dashing prince figure and Cassandra is an effective villainess. The voice acting is solid, Lena's voice actress is never too passive I love the dark quality of Cassandra's voice also. Overall, a truly lovely film, if every golden film animation was as good as those two or as good as I remember them, then I am in for a treat as I continue through my phase of underrated animated childhood gems. 10/10 Bethany Cox

I saw this movie a long time ago when i was little. i haven't been able to get my hands on it lately. i would love to see it again. does anyone have any suggestions at where i would be able to buy it? I saw this one before I saw the Disney version. along with Snow White, and Thumeblina. These movies just are so well done i think. out of all of them the little mermaid has been my favorite. it's really making me mad, trying to find it and not being able to. If anyone hasn't seen this movie i highly recommend it. i think if your already into the Disney one you probably wont like this as much. but it would come pretty close to it. i think the Disney one is more sweeter, but this one is just awesome.