sjd2931

While we're nearly at the end of MerMay month I wanted to share my thoughts on the little mermaid sequel. Now I know this review has been done to death and I know this movie has many flaws, but my reason for writing this is not to claim that it's the best Disney movie sequel, but to point out some of its good qualities (in my opinion), what could have been done better, and what needed to explore more.

For too long I've seen a lot of negative reviews and comments (mostly on YouTube) about the little mermaid sequel; This was one of my favorite Disney sequels and I want to do my best to defend it anyway I can. Let's start off with the comments I often hear...

TIP AND DASH /TIMON AND PUMBA UNDER COMPARISON:

Now I get why most people would make this comment; the comic reliefs are a big dumb guy with a heart of gold side with a shorter smart guy who talks a lot and has all the ideas. Althought I do see some similarities I feel like there are some huge differences to be explore.

-For example; Dash the walrus, yes, he's the big strong guy but he was never perceived as slow/dumb. When Melody asked for help to retrieve the trident, it was Dash who convinced Tip the penguin that they should help Melody; not only because it's the right thing to do, but helping Melody would give them a chance to prove themselves as true heroes. And after thinking about its Tip goes along with Dash's idea, unlike Timon Tip didn't at first denied Dash's plan and was all of a sudden like "Hey, I have an idea.... if we help that little mergirl we'll true heroes!" Tip doesn't take Dash's' idea and claim it as his own. Which brings me to my next point....

-Tip and Dash Had goals/ambitions: Before Simba came into the picture, Timon and Pumba spent majority of their lives just eating bugs and just lounge about. They lived carefree lives with no rules, no responsibilities, "No worries"; That's their thing. From the first Lion King Movie (with the exception of 1/2 movie) Timon and Pumba had no proper goals/ambitions.

Tip and Dash however had goals and ambitions; they wanted to be heroes, to being respected, admired, and loved. So, they attempted a failure rescue mission to save a baby penguin from a shark. When they were laughed at and mocked by the other penguins, they felt defeated and humiliated, complete outcasts, just like Melody. When they helped Melody escape Morgana's trap, they achieved they goals by preforming actual heroic deeds and saved Melody. Okay enough about those two...ON TO THE NEXT THING!

What I felt could have been done better in the movie:

Prince Eric Should Have been more involved: Since the beginning of the file (mostly the party scene) The movie mostly center their attention on Ariel and Melody which makes sense, but Prince Eric felt mostly in the backgrounds despite being just as an important character as Ariel and Melody. I mean, he's Melody's father for God sakes! Eric should have at least had some scenes focused on him and the bonds he shares with his own daughter. Maybe a scene where Melody tries to vent to Eric since she's not fully comfortable venting to her mother Ariel. There could have been a moment where Eric tells Melody how he once sails across the whole ocean trying to cheer up Melody or something to bond over. I don't mind that they replace the original voice actor with Robert Paul cuz he's The G.O.A.T, but I just wish we had gotten more scenes dedicated to Eric and Melody sharing a bond together instead of just having it near the end after the big battle.

The Villain Morgana: I'm gonna just flat out say it.... MORGANA IS A BETTER MERMAID SQUEL VILLIAN THAN WHAT'S-HER-FACE FROM THE THRID MOIVE!!! Morgana had a motive; not just to rule over Antlantica, but to prove herself and others that she is a better snd more powerful sea witch than her sister Ursula. She Wanted validation. What's-her-face (I don't remember her name, and I don't care) from the third movie only wanted Sebastián's job....THAT'S IT! She petty, materialistic and honestly the most forgettable villain I've seen, hinds why I don't remember her name. This crazy chick was going to have Ariel killed just to get someone else job position!

PHEW..."okay enough ranting about "what's-her-face" let's talk about the real Disney sequel villain "Ursula's Crazy Sister" Morgana. True, she wasn't as powerful as Ursula, but she was a clever manipulator. There was a deleted song the revealed some of Morgana's troubled childhood; being constantly compared to her sister, being second place. What would have made Morgana more impactful if she had used her own past scares and mommy issues to form a bond with Melody, not just mutual acquaintance with benefits. This would have been a moment where Melody felt like she has truly found a friend who understands and connects with her, a friend that Melody could confide with, and true bond. With this type of manipulation set in motion the reveal of Morgana's true intentions become more impactful; the betrayal would cut much deeper for Melody because this women Melody once called her friend not only used her but is the main source of Melody's long-term denial to the sea.

The Story itself: I'll be honest, I'm not crazy about the whole wall thing myself; I mean, if Morgana wanted to, she could have climb on the side of the wall and just snatched Melody up in the middle of the night. Mogana's half octopush She climbed on the side of the ship during the beginning of the movie, what's stopping Morgana from climbing over the wall? I feel like if both Ariel and Eric had been honest with their daughter from the very beginning and told her everything the movie would probably have gone into a different direction. I doubt that it would stop Melody from going into the sea; if anything, it would probably motivate her even more; wanting to learn more about her mermaid heritage, meeting her grandfather, finding her sense of belonging and abandoning her human life. Maybe finding out the truth earlier through her parents probably would have made Melody more knowledge and try to keep a look out for the sea witch but who know?

How would I grade this movie?

If I were to grade this movie it would be somewhere between B-B+/A-; Like I said, this was my favorite Disney sequel movie as a kid, so I don't want to seem bias. I love the songs, to this day I still sing them, I love how most of the original voice actor/actresses reprises their roles. The animation is decent for a direct to DVD movie sequel. I guess my main issues with this movie is how the story is laid out and how the movie didn't allow Eric enough screen time to bond with Mellody as a father.

Well, that's all I have to say; thanks for taking the time to read this. I love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Please be respectful and considerate of others.

-Stay Blessed

Summaries

So this series would take place few months after the ending from the movie sequel. The animation would of course be 2D like the 90's series but with updated designs. Of course, Jodie Benson and Tara Strong would reprise their roles as Airel and Melody (depending on if they're interested or available) This series would pretty much center around Melody Continuing her adventures in the sea only this time Ariel is more involved along with Flounder (and of course his kids), Sebastien, Tip, and Dash. In this series Airel finally gets a chance to build a stronger relationship with her daughter by introducing Melody to their Atlantic culture as well as Airel's secret collection, and so much more.

How will Melody become a mermaid again?

With King Tridents' trident, he's able to cast a special magic onto Melody's prizes locket which allows her to transform into a mermaid and back to human whenever she opens it. Because of this, Melody is extremely protective of her locket and keeps it on her person at all times.

What other characters will be involved?

Eric: As a Father Eric would be sailing with both his wife and daughter. He and Melody would be really close; Eric would teach Melody how to run a ship, use a map, how to use stars as guides, even how to handle a sword (but only in secrets). Sometimes they pull silly harmless pranks on certain people like Brimsby, Lousy, and even Airel.

King Trident: The King plays an important role in introducing her granddaughter to her mermaid heritage; from telling tales of how Antlantica came to be to learning about Melody's deceased grandmother Queen Athena. The King shows less of a temper and is a bit more open minded; but if Airel or Melody were ever in danger then best believe The King is pulling up with his trident.

Airel's Six Older Sisters: In this story, Melody will finally get a chance to meet all her six aunts and maybe a few cousins. Of course, Melody will be nervous of meeting her new relatives, but they do their best to make Melody feel welcome.

Few old characters would make a surprised return like adult Urchin and Gabriella. Even little Evil Manta will make a return, although in this series, he'll fully grown and is now known as Big Ray and he's now known as the best painters in the ocean. Also, some new characters like the blond merboy from the movie (Melody's future crush), the three kids that once laughed at Melody from her birthday party, and many more.

What challenges would the characters face?

For Melody it would be more of a personal issue; for instance, due to her being fenced by a giant wall for 12 years and nearly drowned while being trapped underwater Melody hates small and enclosed spaces and is quick to go into a panic attack. Melody also has high anxiety as she still struggles to socialize and verbally interact with her own peers both human and merfolk. She still very much afraid of being seen as a weirdo that she'll do whatever it takes to make a good first impression; which sometimes results in her making even more of a fool of herself due to her clumsiness. I mean after all, she's not the most graceful princess in the land or sea. All Melody wants to do is to fit in with other kids her age and not be seen as a freak or a weirdo; she also does not want to be known as just a "princess" or "King Trident's granddaughter". Melody occasionally has nightmares of Morgana and is terrified that she'll somehow return to take revenge. She's often comfort by both her parents and her grandfather and let's Melody know that Morgana is gone for good, although to Melody, she's just not sure.

For Airel she's more cautions of her parental approaches; she does not want to repeat the same mistakes or develop similar behaviors like her own father The King. Airel still loves exploring the sea just like she use to when she was a teenager, but now that she's a mother her priorities are the wellbeing and happiness of her daughter Melody. Airel sometimes tends to overthink things and will look to her father or Eric for advice on how to help Melody in certain situations (like making new friend, how to talk to boys, etc.) In this series Airel learns to trust her instinct and not allow her past mistakes to cloud her judgement. Airel will also learn that she doesn't need to be perfect or have all the right answers, she just needs to be there for Melody and support her the best way she can.

Who will be the villain(s) in this series?

The Sorceress In the cave: If anyone has watched the little mermaid series in the 90's there was an episode where an evil sorceress who was trapped in a cave for centuries; she tried to steal the trident by turning the king back into a child. I felt like she would make an interesting big-time villain in the new series since the sorceress wasn't utilized enough in the 90's. The Sorceress could manipulate any Mer person/sea creature to help her get the trident or retrieve another unknow magical artifact/spell to counter King Trident's powers to help free her from the cave. If the Sorceress ever in some way manage to escape the cave, she wouldn't start attacking right away; She would use her newfound freedom to rebuild her strength, build her secret army and spy on the royal family. The Sorceress would mainly target Melody; using her insecurities and fears to manifest into either a curse or some kind of new monster. Making Melody hallucinate thinking Morgana has return for revenge or her friend and family will abandon her. Just something on the top of my head.

Pirates: these guys would pop up every so often, mostly when Prince Eric is sailing or when they want to start some kind of war. Their main goals are to kidnap Airel and Melody for ransom, plunder and terrorizes villages and kingdoms for wealth and power. If Airel and Melody were ever captured by pirates, they would work together to come up with a plan to escape. The pirates in this series would be a major threat if they learned that mermaids exist; these pirates would stop at nothing to gain wealth and power whether it by kidnapping princesses or hunting down mermaids to sell for profits.

these are all I can think of for major villains for now.

What else will this story include?

While learning more about her mermaid heritage Melody eagerly attends to school in Antlantica where she'll meet with other merkids (including the three merkids from the movie sequel). This is where Melody faces her challenges in socializing and trying to fit in. The blond merboy from the movie is the first kid Melody interacts with; he still calls her Mel-Mel which Melody doesn't mind at all. She eventually does develop feelings for him.

Melody and the blond hair merboy would be in a sport team in school (similar to soccer but I can't think of a clever name for it). Melody isn't great at the sport at first, but with plenty of practice, support, and determination Melody becomes one of all Stars on the team. Airel would be in the crowd cheering on Melody and acting like a genuine soccer mom, for comedy of course.

PHEW! .... Well, that's pretty much all I have for now. this was something that's been in my head for a while that I needed to get out before the end of MerMay month. Let me know in the comments what you guys think and please feel free to share some questions or ideas of your own. PEACE ✌!