IMDb on iPhone and iPod touch Learn more Learn more Download from the App Store
IMDb > The Little Mermaid (1989) > Parents Guide
The Little Mermaid
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user reviewsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips
The content of this page was created directly by users and has not been screened or verified by IMDb staff.
Since the beliefs that parents want to instill in their children can vary greatly, we ask that instead of adding your personal opinions about what is right or wrong in a film, that you instead use this feature to help parents make informed viewing decisions by describing the facts of relevant scenes in the title for each one of the different categories: Sex and Nudity, Violence and Gore, Profanity, Alcohol/Drugs/Smoking, and Frightening/Intense Scenes.
Visit our Parents Guide Help to learn more

Sex & Nudity

When Ariel is first given legs, she is clearly nude from the waist down but she is positioned in such a way that keeps her private parts out of sight most of the time.

When Flounder and Sebastian carry Ariel to the surface, her buttocks are very briefly visible, and barely perceptible without freezing the image. Her private area is seen for a few frames too.

After Flounder and Sebastian get the now-human Ariel to the surface, her butt is briefly visible when she takes her first breath. Also later when Ariel tries to stand up in the shallow water, there's a split-second side view of her butt.

The sea witch tells Ariel to use body language to attract her man.

Scuttle asks Ariel if she got new seashells (referring to her seashell bra) when guessing what is new about her.

Her goal is to get him to kiss her.

Violence & Gore

A shark snaps and chomps as it chases Ariel and her fish-friend Flounder.

A storm throws a ship onto rocks and the ship catches fire and later explodes. A dog onboard is endangered briefly.

The prince nearly drowns.

The sea king destroys Ariel's treasures in a fit of rage.

The sea witch transforms mer-people into anthropomorphic sea polyps.

A dog is kicked in the face by the sea witch in human form.

Animals attack the sea witch once she is in human form. Played mainly for laughs.

A sadistic French chef tries to kill a crab repeatedly in a particular scene that is played for laughs. Later, his teeth are comically knocked out by a ship's mast.

The sea witch attempts to kill the prince, but instead kills her two eels making them explode into little bits.

The sea witch grows to monstrous size and towers over Ariel and the Prince threatening them.

The sea witch's violent death is of particular note. In her gigantic form, she is impaled by a ship's bowsprit. She is then struck by lightning and we clearly see her body get electrocuted.

Profanity

A couple of very mild insults. One character calls another character a "tramp".

Grimsby lights a pipe. Ariel thinks it's a musical instrument and blows soot all over his face.

The shipwreck sequence can be frightening.

A shark attacks without injury to any characters.

Ariel's transformation into a human can be disturbing. Ghostly hands enter her mouth and take her voice. The sea witch laughs maniacally. In a rapidly cut scene, her tail fin is split and turned into legs. She is then left to drown before being save by her friends.

The cursed creatures (sea polyps) might be frightening.

The final battle with Ursula can be frightening.

Page last updated by angrybeavers13, 2 weeks ago
Top 5 Contributors: jodecarolis, Artemis_of_Ephesus, jcbruce-1, allisimlover, snakes36
Report a problem

Related Links

Plot summary Plot synopsis User reviews
Plot keywords FAQ Amazon.com summary
Ratings Awards Newsgroup reviews
External reviews Official site Main details