The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea

The Little Mermaid II:
Return to the Sea

DVD release cover
Directed by Jim Kammerud
Brian Smith
Produced by Leslie Hough
David Lovegren
Written by Elizabeth Anderson
Temple Mathews
Elise D'Haene
Eddie Guzelian
Based on The Little Mermaid 
by Hans Christen Andersen
Starring Jodi Benson
Samuel E. Wright
Tara Charendoff
Pat Carroll
Buddy Hackett
Max Casella
Stephen Furst
Clancy Brown
Music by Danny Troob
Production
companies
Distributed by Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Release dates
  • September 19, 2000 (2000-09-19)
Running time
 75 minutes
Language English

The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea is a 2000 Disney animated feature film and direct-to-video sequel to the 1989 animated film The Little Mermaid. Directed by Jim Kammerud and Brian Smith, the story takes place over a decade after the original film, and focuses on Ariel and Eric's daughter Melody, a human princess who longs to swim in the ocean despite her parents' law that the sea is forbidden to her. This sequel stars the voices of Jodi Benson as Ariel, Tara Charendoff as Melody and Pat Carroll as Morgana, the film's new villain. It is the last film in the chronology of Walt Disney's version of The Little Mermaid. It's followed by a prequel, The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning, a 2008 direct-to-video animated feature.

Plot

Ariel and Eric celebrate the birth of their newborn daughter Melody on a ship at sea. Ariel's father King Triton presents Melody with a magic locket. The party is interrupted by Morgana, sister of the deceased Ursula, who threatens to cause Melody harm, using her as leverage to get Triton's trident. Ariel and Eric work together to foil Morgana's plan.

Fearing Morgana and remembering Ursula, Ariel decides to withhold all knowledge of the sea world from Melody. The locket is tossed into the ocean, and a massive wall is built to separate the royal castle from the sea.

Twelve years later, Melody remains unaware of her mother’s mermaid heritage and is forbidden from ever going into the sea. However, she has been sneaking out of the castle regularly to swim and one day finds her locket. Seeing her name on the locket, Melody confronts her mother and, frustrated with her mother's refusal to answer her questions, Melody takes a boat and sails away from home. Her parents soon learn that she is gone, and Triton uses his magic to transform Ariel back into a mermaid to search for Melody.

Melody is lured to Morgana’s lair by her minions, Cloak and Dagger the manta rays, and Undertow the tiger shark, and Morgana uses the remains of Ursula's magic to temporarily transform Melody into a mermaid. Morgana says that the transformation will be permanent if Melody can get hold of the trident, which she claims was stolen by Triton. With the help of Tip the penguin and Dash the walrus, Melody successfully returns to Morgana with the trident. Ariel tries to stop Melody, but before she can explain that Morgana is evil, Melody gives the trident to Morgana. With the trident in her grip, Morgana reveals her true intentions and grabs Ariel with her tentacle and holds her hostage.

Morgana uses the trident's magic to lord over the ocean, rising to the surface to gloat. Scuttle, Triton, Sebastian, and Eric arrive, and a battle ensues against Morgana and her minions. Melody manages to grab the trident and throw it back to Triton by climbing up the cliff on which Morgana is standing and sneaking up on her. Triton uses his trident to encase Morgana in a block of ice, which sinks underwater.

Melody reunites with her family, and Triton offers his granddaughter the option of becoming a mermaid permanently. Instead, she uses the trident to disintegrate the wall separating her home from the sea, reuniting the humans and the merpeople.

Voice cast

Release

The film was released direct-to-DVD on September 19, 2000.[1] On November 6, 2006, the film was released in a bundle together with the original film in the Region 2 release.[2] The original DVD release was later discontinued and a special edition DVD with a deleted song, "Gonna Get My Wish," and a new game was released on December 16, 2008.[3] A package called The Little Mermaid Trilogy, which includes all three Little Mermaid films, was released on the same day.[4] This film, along with The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning, were released in 2-Movie collection on DVD and Blu-ray on November 19, 2013.

Reception

The film received mixed to negative reviews from film critics. The film holds a 33% "rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[5]

Soundtrack

Songs from The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea & More!
Soundtrack album by Various artists
Released September 19, 2000 (2000-09-19)
Recorded 2000
Length 25:21
Label Walt Disney Records
Producer Bambi Moe, Don Mizell, Eric Silver, Leonard Jones, Shepard Stern

The film's official soundtrack was released on September 19, 2000,[6] and again on October 31, 2000 in a special edition double pack with the original film's soundtrack.[7] Additionally, two limited edition two-tracked CD samples were released as a promotion for the soundtrack.[8]

No. TitleWriter(s)Recording artist(s) Length
1. "Down to the Sea"  Michael Silversher, Patty SilversherJodi Benson, Rob Paulsen, Clancy Brown, Kay E. Kuter, Samuel E. Wright and Chorus 3:29
2. "Tip and Dash"  Silversher, SilversherMax Casella, Stephen Furst, Tara Charendoff 1:59
3. "Iko Iko" (*)Barbara Ann Hawkins, Jessie Thomas, Joan Johnson, Maralyn Jones, Joe Jones, Rose Lee Hawkins, Sharon JonesWright 3:49
4. "Octopus's Garden" (*)Richard StarkeyWright 2:47
5. "For a Moment"  Silversher, SilversherBenson, Charendoff 2:28
6. "Give a Little Love" (*)Albert Hammond, Diane WarrenWright 3:57
7. "Hot, Hot, Hot"  Alphonsus CassellWright 5:08
8. "Here on the Land and Sea" (Finale)Silversher, SilversherBenson, Charendoff, Wright 1:44
Total length:
 25:21

The film's ending credits play a new recording of Part of Your World, performed by country singer Chely Wright. Another version of the song, performed by Ann Marie Boskovich, was used in some international releases of the film.[9]

References

  1. ↑ "The Little Mermaid II - Return to the Sea: Tara Charendoff, Pat Carroll, Jodi Benson, Samuel E. Wright, Buddy Hackett, Kenneth Mars, Max Casella, Stephen Furst, Rob Paulsen, Clancy Brown, Cam Clarke, Rene Auberjonois, Brian Smith, Jim Kammerud, David Lovegren, Leslie Hough, Eddie Guzelian, Elise D'Haene, Elizabeth Anderson, Temple Mathews: Movies & TV". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2011-11-02.
  2. ↑ "The Little Mermaid/the Little Mermaid II Box Set DVD: Amazon.co.uk: The Little Mermaid: Film & TV". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-11-02.
  3. ↑ "The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea [Special Edition]: Jodi Benson, Pat Carroll, Max Casella, Stephen Furst, Buddy Hackett, Kenneth Mars, Rob Paulsen, Sam Wright, Tara Charendoff, Jim Kammerud, Brian Smith: Movies & TV". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2011-11-02.
  4. ↑ "The Little Mermaid Trilogy: The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning, The Little Mermaid, The Little Mermaid II: Return To The Sea Special Edition, .: Movies & TV". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2011-11-02.
  5. ↑ "THE LITTLE MERMAID 2: RETURN TO THE SEA (2000)". RottenTomatoes.com. Retrieved 2015-05-07.
  6. ↑ "Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea: Jodi Benson, Tara Charendoff: Music". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2011-11-02.
  7. ↑ "The Little Mermaid & Little Mermaid II (Special Edition Double Pack)". Amazon.com. Retrieved August 23, 2011.
  8. 1 2 3 "Little Mermaid II - 2 Song CD: Ariel, Sebastian, Melody: Music". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2011-11-02.
  9. ↑ Miccio, Anthony (January 28, 2009). "Idol Lies: Is Anne Marie Boskovich this week's Joanna Pacitti?". Retrieved May 7, 2015.

External links

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