I've been rewatching all of the classic 2D Disney movies in order, and with "The Little Mermaid" (1989), I've finally reached the Disney renaissance. After a few mixed releases, either not making a strong box office or a strong critical reception, Disney's new management was eager to redefine the studio's importance in family entertainment. They vowed to release a new animated film in theaters every year, and kept true to that promise, allowing me an exciting new movie to look forward too annually as a child. Plus competitors' movies, increasing the count to three to five animated films per year: truely the sheer volume, as well as quality, of 2D animation made this a industry-wide renaissance. "The Little Mermaid" is fondly remembered as the first big movie of this renaissance for a few reasons. For one, it's simply a great family movie, in a string of near-back-to-back great Disney movies (up to 1994 with "The Lion King") that are all considered classic films to this day. If Disney was releasing a new one per year, it made sense that they'd randomly come across hits once and a while, but this winning streak was legendary, proving that the talent at Disney knew what they were doing. "Mermaid" was also a return to magical fairy tales and princess stories, something they hadn't really tried in nearly 30 years, since "Sleeping Beauty" in 1959. No more trying to cater to modern trends of adapting newer novels, or focusing on action-adventure movies targeted at boys rather than girls. To make a classic that mattered, they had to look to classic tales that are still told hundreds of years later, and like the old days, market a family film of it such that everyone would think of the Disney version whenever the story came up. It helps that Disney's version of the tale has a strong and likable take on all the main characters. Ariel is the "Little Mermaid" in question, the youngest princess to a proud King Trident, in a hidden world deep under the sea. But unlike everyone else, Ariel is curious about the world outside the water, even going so far as to secretly collect human objects lost in the ocean (as part of the movie's humor, she consults a seagull to understand what the artifacts are, and they get them hopelessly wrong). Her curiousity gets the better of her, and she sees a boat of sailors up close, even saving Prince Eric when it capsizes. True love might be the girl's motivation, but her curiosity to learn and willingness to act helps balance her as a refreshing and independent Princess and protagonist. She's fallen hopelessly in love with the human Prince and his world, against her father's wishes (concerned for the dangers the humans pose). With seemingly no way to be with the Prince, Ariel is tricked into making a deal with Ursula, an octopus sea witch from outside the palace: in exchange for giving up her beautiful voice, Ariel can be turned into a human, with legs, to be with her love. But the spell only sticks if the Prince kisses her within three days. Of course, there's a secret catch, and Ursula has much bigger plans beyond just taking a pretty voice.It's a big dilema that goes beyond the typical "save the kingdom, Prince kisses the Princess he's never seen before, they live happily ever after" fairy tale. Ariel's personal motivations, and what she's willing to do and risk for a chance at her definition of happiness, drives the story. With love at the root of those motivations, this is primarily intended for a young-girl audience, but defines a female lead that actually has something to do, without talking down to explain the importance of gender equality. For that matter, Prince Eric is a charming love interest too, building off from the right direction from Prince Phillip in "Sleeping Beauty." I wasn't super into the story as a boy, but the evil villain and the dancing fish were still enough to keep my attention, as was the movie's fun sense of humor. 
The visual design and animation is a step better than Disney's recent releases. It's not the best the studio's done: a lot of the much older movies under Walt Disney's personal care still had better quality, but "The Little Mermaid" at least comes close to the smooth and cartoonish animation quality of "Peter Pan." And there are iconic scenes and imagery, like Ariel watching from a rock and singing the reprise to "Part of Your World," or the first sight of the underwater castle, that help make the movie memorable. Ariel's character design is classic too, with deep red hair and big eyes of wonder, as are all the characters, like Sebastian and Flounder, Trident and Ursula (although Ursula's design and personality might be too close to cross-dressing performers like Divine, complicating her depiction as an evil villain, however juicy the performance is). The animators probably had a grand time with the underwater world, its wild colors and variety of fish and flora: this would be one of the first instances of giant dance numbers for Disney, and everyone remembers the dancing fish during "Under the Sea." And somehow, despite seashell bikinis and Ariel being naked after being first turned into a human, the movie is remarkably child-friendly and not overly sexy. But one of the best parts of "The Little Mermaid" is the soundtrack. This is a musical, with songs by new frequent contributor Alan Menken, and those songs balance sing-a-long-ability, meaning, and natural choreography with the characters and story better than any Disney movie before it. Jodi Benson, the actress for Ariel, also provides her singing voice, and has been celebrated ever since for the role, thanks in part for songs like the iconic "Part of Your World." That's the standout, but the other songs ("Under the Sea," "Poor Unfortunate Souls," and "Kiss the Girl") are also very memorable, with a slight Jamaican flair from Sebastian. The animation hadn't yet benefited from digital workflows, and was in transition to yet better quality productions to come. But it was a very strong step in the right direction. "The Little Mermaid" might have worked better for girls than boys (not a universal hit across genders), but its humor, personality, and music helped ensure it as required viewing for all Disney fans.