The Little Mermaid (1989)
Animation, Family, Fantasy • 1h 23m
Overview
This colorful adventure tells the story of an impetuous mermaid princess named Ariel who falls in love with the very human Prince Eric and puts everything on the line for the chance to be with him. Memorable songs and characters -- including the villainous sea witch Ursula.
Directors: John Musker & Ron Clements
Cast: Jodi Benson, Samuel E. Wright, Pat Carroll, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Kenneth Mars, Buddy Hackett, Jason Marin, René Auberjonois, Paddi Edwards, Ben Wright, Edie McClurg, Will Ryan, Sherry Lynn, Mickie McGowan, Nancy Cartwright, Frank Welker, Hamilton Camp, Debbie Shapiro Gravitte, Robert Weil, Ed Gilbert, Charlie Adler, Jack Angel, Susan Boyd, Steve Bulen, Philip L. Clarke, Jennifer Darling, Trevor Allan Davies, Gail Farrell, Donny Gerrard, Willie J. Greene Jr., Linda Harmon, Walter S. Harrah, Phillip Ingram, Luana Jackman, William A. Kanady, Edie Lehmann Boddicker, Anne Lockhart, Melissa MacKay, Guy Maeda, Lynn Dolin Mann, Arnold Markussen, Bobbi Page
Director: Alfred E. Green
Director: Alfred E. Green
Director: John Waters
Director: John Waters
Director: Nicholas Ray
Director: Nicholas Ray
Director: Peter Weir
Director: Peter Weir
Director: Bob Clark
Director: Bob Clark
Director: Ridley Scott
Capelight 4K Blu-ray has better encode than Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Director: Ridley Scott
Capelight 4K Blu-ray has better encode than Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Director: Charlie Chaplin
1936 version: Image Entertainment DVD
1954 version: Criterion Blu-ray
Cut info: https://www.nitrateville.com/viewtopic.php?t=31209
1936 version: Image Entertainment DVD
Director: Charlie Chaplin
1936 version: Image Entertainment DVD
1954 version: Criterion Blu-ray
Cut info: https://www.nitrateville.com/viewtopic.php?t=31209
1936 version: Image Entertainment DVD
Director: Michael Curtiz
Director: Michael Curtiz
Directors: John Musker & Ron Clements
2D version: Disney 4K Blu-ray
3D version: Disney 3D Blu-ray
2D version: Disney 4K Blu-ray
3D version: Disney 3D Blu-ray
Disney+ 4K Streaming has Dolby Vision, while the 4K Blu-ray is HDR10
Directors: John Musker & Ron Clements
2D version: Disney 4K Blu-ray
3D version: Disney 3D Blu-ray
2D version: Disney 4K Blu-ray
3D version: Disney 3D Blu-ray
Disney+ 4K Streaming has Dolby Vision, while the 4K Blu-ray is HDR10
Directors: Ron Clements & John Musker
Directors: Ron Clements & John Musker
Director: James Cameron
Disney 4K Blu-ray's artificial smoothening of facial textures making actors look unnatural, grain reduction and other changes to make the film look less like a product of its time
Old WEB-DL or HDTV rip for non AI version
Director: James Cameron
Disney 4K Blu-ray's artificial smoothening of facial textures making actors look unnatural, grain reduction and other changes to make the film look less like a product of its time
Old WEB-DL or HDTV rip for non AI version
Director: Michael Bay
Director: Michael Bay
Director: Michael Bay
Director: Michael Bay
Director: George P. Cosmatos
Disney 4K Blu-ray for the 4K Theatrical Cut or 2002 Vista Series DVD for the Director's Cut, alleycat's DC restoration better
Theatrical Cut: Disney 4K Blu-ray caps
Director's Cut: 2002 Vista Series DVD, alleycat's DC restoration better
Closest to original: 1994 Hollywood Pictures LaserDisc, other LDs are probably the same
Blu-rays only have 5.1 upmixes but probably fine
Director: George P. Cosmatos
Disney 4K Blu-ray for the 4K Theatrical Cut or 2002 Vista Series DVD for the Director's Cut, alleycat's DC restoration better
Theatrical Cut: Disney 4K Blu-ray caps
Director's Cut: 2002 Vista Series DVD, alleycat's DC restoration better
Closest to original: 1994 Hollywood Pictures LaserDisc, other LDs are probably the same
Blu-rays only have 5.1 upmixes but probably fine
3D: Disney International 3D Blu-ray or Apple Vision Pro
3D: Disney International 3D Blu-ray or Apple Vision Pro
3D: Disney International 3D Blu-ray or Apple Vision Pro
3D: Disney International 3D Blu-ray or Apple Vision Pro
Director: Tim Burton
Director: Tim Burton
Director: David Fincher
Disney 4K Blu-ray or Fox 2009 Blu-ray or Kinowelt Entertainment 2008 Germany Blu-ray for a purist version
Disney 4K Blu-ray or Fox 2009 Blu-ray for a purist version or Kinowelt Entertainment 2008 Germany Blu-ray from the original 1999 telecine transfer
Disney 4K Blu-ray, while a good release by itself, is very revisionist albeit made by Fincher. It has a huge amount of tinkering, a different grade, and at times uncanny with the sharpening. Caps of just how revisionist the new master is.
Cinema DTS - all Blu-ray tracks have significant limiting.
Disney 4K Blu-ray has some alterations, otherwise similar to the Fox Blu-ray
A blog article going over the home video history of Fight Club: https://notonbluray.com/blog/fight-club-compared-blu-ray-vs-itunes-vs-d-vhs-vs-dvd-vs-laserdisc/
Director: David Fincher
Disney 4K Blu-ray or Fox 2009 Blu-ray or Kinowelt Entertainment 2008 Germany Blu-ray for a purist version
Disney 4K Blu-ray or Fox 2009 Blu-ray for a purist version or Kinowelt Entertainment 2008 Germany Blu-ray from the original 1999 telecine transfer
Disney 4K Blu-ray, while a good release by itself, is very revisionist albeit made by Fincher. It has a huge amount of tinkering, a different grade, and at times uncanny with the sharpening. Caps of just how revisionist the new master is.
Cinema DTS - all Blu-ray tracks have significant limiting.
Disney 4K Blu-ray has some alterations, otherwise similar to the Fox Blu-ray
A blog article going over the home video history of Fight Club: https://notonbluray.com/blog/fight-club-compared-blu-ray-vs-itunes-vs-d-vhs-vs-dvd-vs-laserdisc/
Director: Robert Stevenson
Director: Robert Stevenson
Director: Ridley Scott
Director: Ridley Scott
Directors: David G. Derrick Jr. & Jason Hand & Dana Ledoux Miller
Disney+ also has this movie in 3D Streaming for the Apple Vision Pro
Directors: David G. Derrick Jr. & Jason Hand & Dana Ledoux Miller
Disney+ also has this movie in 3D Streaming for the Apple Vision Pro
Edit History
4/29/2026
Best Video Release
From
Original Theatrical Version: Any of the Disney LaserDiscs or Disney Limited Issue DVD (caveat: Limited Issue DVD has compression issues)
Restored Versions: Disney Platinum Edition DVD or Disney Diamond Edition Blu-ray
3D Restored Version: Disney Diamond Edition 3D Blu-ray
The 3D Blu-ray has most of the grain kept
The Disney 4K Blu-ray, while improving slightly on resolution, has significant DNR applied; see Blu-ray
To
Original Theatrical Version: Any of the Disney LaserDiscs or Disney Limited Issue DVD (caveat: Limited Issue DVD has compression issues)
Restored Versions: Disney Platinum Edition DVD or Disney Diamond Edition Blu-ray
3D Restored Version: Disney Diamond Edition 3D Blu-ray
The 3D Blu-ray has most of the grain kept
The Disney 4K Blu-ray, while improving slightly on resolution, has significant DNR applied; see Blu-ray
From
Original Theatrical Version: Any of the Disney LaserDiscs or Disney Limited Issue DVD (caveat: Limited Issue DVD has compression issues)
Restored Versions: Disney Platinum Edition DVD or Disney Diamond Edition Blu-ray
3D Restored Version: Disney Diamond Edition 3D Blu-ray
The 3D Blu-ray has most of the grain kept
The Disney 4K Blu-ray, while improving slightly on resolution, has significant DNR applied; see Blu-ray
To
Original Theatrical Version: Any of the Disney LaserDiscs or Disney Limited Issue DVD (caveat: Limited Issue DVD has compression issues)
Restored Versions: Disney Platinum Edition DVD or Disney Diamond Edition Blu-ray
3D Restored Version: Disney Diamond Edition 3D Blu-ray
The 3D Blu-ray has most of the grain kept
The Disney 4K Blu-ray, while improving slightly on resolution, has significant DNR applied; see Blu-ray
4/18/2026
Best Video Release
From
New Disney 4K Blu-ray while improves slightly on resolution, has significant DNR applied see Blu-ray
To
Original Theatrical Version: Any of the Disney LaserDiscs or Disney Limited Issue DVD (caveat: Limited Issue DVD has compression issues)
Restored Versions: Disney Platinum Edition DVD or Disney Diamond Edition Blu-ray
3D Restored Version: Disney Diamond Edition 3D Blu-ray
The 3D Blu-ray has most of the grain kept
The Disney 4K Blu-ray, while improving slightly on resolution, has significant DNR applied; see Blu-ray
From
New Disney 4K Blu-ray while improves slightly on resolution, has significant DNR applied see Blu-ray
To
Original Theatrical Version: Any of the Disney LaserDiscs or Disney Limited Issue DVD (caveat: Limited Issue DVD has compression issues)
Restored Versions: Disney Platinum Edition DVD or Disney Diamond Edition Blu-ray
3D Restored Version: Disney Diamond Edition 3D Blu-ray
The 3D Blu-ray has most of the grain kept
The Disney 4K Blu-ray, while improving slightly on resolution, has significant DNR applied; see Blu-ray
Best Audio Release
4/18/2026
Format
From
1080p Blu-ray
To
UHD Blu-ray
From
1080p Blu-ray
To
UHD Blu-ray
4/6/2026
Format
Added
1080p Blu-ray
Added
1080p Blu-ray
Best Video Release
Added
New Disney 4K Blu-ray while improves slightly on resolution, has significant DNR applied see Blu-ray
Added
New Disney 4K Blu-ray while improves slightly on resolution, has significant DNR applied see Blu-ray
Blu-ray.com
Added
https://www.blu-ray.com/The-Little-Mermaid/18647/#Releases
Added
https://www.blu-ray.com/The-Little-Mermaid/18647/#Releases
caps-a-holic
Added
https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?d1=12869&d2=12868&c=5040
Added
https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?d1=12869&d2=12868&c=5040
