Ariel is sworn to secrecy by the undergro- … er, underwater night club, but she buckles at the slightest provocation from her sisters Attina, Adella, Alana, Andrina, Aquata, and Arista. When they find out Ariel’s been sneaking out in the middle of the night to break the law they have distinct, individual responses, and it’s impressive the way this relatively short film gives them all fun personalities. One of them is boy-crazy, and just wants to meet hot mer-guys. Two of them are terrified. Another is paranoid because she can’t dance, and when somebody finally drags her onto the dance floor, she proves it by doing the mer-person version of “The Elaine” from “Seinfeld.”
The original songs in “The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning” are a bit underwhelming; one imagines that’s probably a big reason why the film leans heavily on classic Harry Belafonte songs like “Jump in the Line” and “Man Smart (Woman Smarter)” because those tunes will always be cool until the end of time. And that’s not hyperbole. That’s just how music works, how Harry Belafonte works, and how time works.
But Marina Del Rey finds out the princesses are breaking the rules, and so is Sebastian, so she gets him arrested and steals his job. To paraphrase one of the funniest “Kids in the Hall” sketches, she swiftly goes mad with the very moderate amount of power Triton gave her, and winds up reliving famous moments from the first “Little Mermaid” and sending her pet electric eels to kill Sebastian, Ariel, Flounder, and the night club’s jazz band after they escape from prison.
