Weren't the sequels to TLM terrible?

[malinghi]

I'm still trying to add threads so the forum isn't empty. So did anyone here see the direct to video little mermaid squeals? They we're crappier that I expected, and I had low expectations.

[AniaR]

I didnt mind the second was as much. I always wondered what happened to Ariel but I would have enjoyed a whole story before Melody came along, lol. We had a series from pre-Eric, maybe a TV series with eric? lol who knows. The third one was a little over the top for me haha. They could have done so much more I think! Oh well

[malinghi]

There's so much that sucks about those movies, but one thing that bugged me in the prequel is that in his grief, king Triton bans music, and the ban persists for the next decade. Banning all music for ten years is not a small deal. Doesn't that kinda make him a horrible despot? Seriously, everyone starts cheering when he announces that the ban is being lifted, but you think they'd want to Arab spring his ass. What about all the people he sent to jail? Can he undo that? Also, it kinda changes my perception of the first movie, since he's really not some wise, just ruler. You'd think everyone in the kingdom would still hate his guts, and you'd think when he tells Ariel to stay away from the surface that she'd just be like, "whatever, you ban shit all the time for stupid reasons. you're an idiot, and you're just going to realize I'm right and let me have my way after a bunch of horrible stuff happens."

[Selene]

I didn't care too much for the sequel. I was surprised at my reaction to Ariel ageing to be honest. ("DISNEY PRINCESSES DON'T DO THAT!" *biffs imaginary popcorn at screen*) I quite liked the third one though. It was neat seeing the sisters when they were younger and Ariel's mother. I loved the manatee - he was fabulous. They changed up the order of age in the sisters, which while I'm normally against screwing with continuity, I think was a good idea in the end (Aquata was the eldest in the first two, in the third they switched to Attina. Considering she's been wearing a version of Tritons crown the whole time - it makes sense)

[AniaR]

I kept thinking, Ariel had at kid at 16 or 17 so she was just 26 or 27 when Melody was 10.

[New York Mermaid]

I think Ariel is the Only Disney princess to have a kid.

I loved TLM tv show more than the Prequel & Sequel and believe me my nieces made me watch both of them at least 4 times.. It just sucked that they ripped it off tv before the second season.. thank god for Disney channel..lol

[Taylor is a Mermaid]

Yeah, the sequels sucked. I don't look at them as really being part of the canon; Triton's characterization just does not fit, and it bugged me that Ariel's mom looked exactly like her. I also thought Melody's character design was pretty sub-par. I loooved the TV show as a kid though; I even had a toy version of Spot, the baby orca she takes care of in one episode.

[New York Mermaid]

^ Spot starred in 2 episodes lol He was in the second season i think the show was called "Save the whale", but anyway he comes back to meet Ariel during the yearly migration and he performs in a show for atlantica, during all this Spot is captured and force to perform in an aquarium, where he befriends some penguins and ariel goes into the park while guests come in (through the boat entrance) she releases Spot and his friends and along to complete the show they do a "high" jump over the park wall..lol it was cute to say the least, but i had that flashback to free willy for that moment.

[malinghi]

I was just thinking about how for the prequel there's a bunch of stuff that its surprising they didn't use. For one thing, considering the original and the broadway play hint at a major backstory for Ursula, its weird that they didn't use that. Also, Its odd that they had a half dozen extra disney princesses lying around, and none of them had a sideplot featuring a love story.

[ivoryleopard]

I avoided those like the plague. I'm not a fan of Disney sequels.

[Aquatarian]

I was just thinking about how for the prequel there's a bunch of stuff that its surprising they didn't use. For one thing, considering the original and the broadway play hint at a major backstory for Ursula, its weird that they didn't use that.

I didn't like them. And I agree with you. When I first saw Marina I thought she was Ursula (cuz the purple theme plus the eels) and that she got power hungry and then at the end Triton would turn her into this octopus creature so everybody would know what she had done or something. But it's like they went of on tangent and created things almost completely irrelevant to the first film.

[jukumerboii]

i feel exactly where everyone is coming from. the original will always be the best. the 2nd,,im not gonna lie, i loved it cuz as a younger guppy i was happy as hell ariel was getting a 2nd movie. i loved melody and how they played of the whole saying "the apple doesn't fall to far from the tree." the 3rd,,eh i liked it to for the whole showering who her mother was and why she died and what not,,that's about it. i also loved how sarcastic andrina was lol!. the b-way version was good to,,the whole triton and ursula being family and how that goes back to the one line in the 1st "when i lived in the palace..." all and all im going to be an ariel fan for a looooong time lol

[MermaidSaku]

i agree with everyone the 1st one was the best but, I also don't like disney because they changed a story and put in unrealistic morals into it. lol.

[Taylor is a Mermaid]

^ Spot starred in 2 episodes lol He was in the second season i think the show was called "Save the whale", but anyway he comes back to meet Ariel during the yearly migration and he performs in a show for atlantica, during all this Spot is captured and force to perform in an aquarium, where he befriends some penguins and ariel goes into the park while guests come in (through the boat entrance) she releases Spot and his friends and along to complete the show they do a "high" jump over the park wall..lol it was cute to say the least, but i had that flashback to free willy for that moment.
Ahhh no kidding? I've got to find this episode and watch it. :D The TV show is kiddy and the plots are often silly but I really like it anyway. I guess that's nostalgia for you.

[HBMermaid_Angela]

It wasn't great...but I didn't MIND the 2nd one all that much. I think the main reason is because I was like 12 or 13 when the original came out and always wished I could trade places with Ariel. So, with Melody wanting to be in the ocean all the time and be a mermaid, I think I kinda identified with her. But that's really the only reason why I didn't MIND it. The prequel was...ehh...I liked the mother's song and that was about it.

[merboy78xy]

Hey-- a long as this topic is being explored (Sequels) can we talk about SPLASH TOO? (it was spelled that way and not "two" right?)

I liked it enough when I was a kid (I cannot even BEGIN to express the excitement I'd felt when I saw that it was coming on TV?
I had just watched the original again and was dreaming of them making a sequel and literally that evening my mom read to me that it was playing on the disney channel! I thought I'd die!
I was disappointed because disney cheapened it by "dumbing it down" for a larger audience, and I was also frustrated with the tail in this one. Still designed by Thom Shouse, it had lost something in the feel. It seemed heavier, larger, stiffer... it didn't have the life that the first one did. The fins looked less membraneous, less real, less living and felt like stiff rubber. I couldnt tell if Amy Yazbeck's swimming was just less smooth and natural that made it look that way, or if it was the tail.
In any case... I was still elated to have recorded it and watched it religiously just for the tail alone.
What were your responses to it?

[MermanJesse]

It wasn't Amy swimming in that tail. It was a stunt woman who is mutual friends of Thom and myself.

Thom is not allowed to replicate the original tail for LIFE! Also, Amy and Stunt woman could not fit into Daryl's tail. Thus a new tail had to be made.

[MermaidAubrin]

I kept thinking, Ariel had at kid at 16 or 17 so she was just 26 or 27 when Melody was 10. I thought this was Disney ?

[Spindrift]

I thought this was Disney ?

Yes, it is Disney.

[MermaidAubrin]

Yes, it is Disney. and we wonder why there is so many teen pregnancy (and school and most parents never teach protection only absence )

[merboy78xy]

Fascinating Jesse! I wonder why he was not allowed to replicate it. I understand rights and legalities, but disney owns the original movie, and therefor it would make sense that they'd have the rights to the original tail design. Ah well... that explains a lot.
I think it's awesome that you know the stunt woman who did the swimming for Amy. I certainly hope that you didn't construe my frustrations with the sequel tail as any slight at Thom's or your friend's talents. I still bow to the Great Thom Shouse. And I respect any mermaid incarnation.
I just liked the gritty real-life of the original Splash! movie and was disappointed that the sequel had been disney-fied.
such is life hehehe.

[Rasika92]

The thing about the time period when the little mermaid 1 takes place, it was common for many girls to be married by the age 16 or even 18. Having a child that was 10 at the age of 26 wasn't that rare back then. Also I'm not complaining. All of them had mermaids in them. Perfect enough for me.

[SweeteSiren]

Sequels are never as good as originals. That dates back all the way to "Miranda" and "Mad About Men".

[malinghi]

Sequels are never as good as originals. That dates back all the way to "Miranda" and "Mad About Men".

Generally sequels aren't as good, but there's a difference between not having all the magic of the original, and being simply terrible.

[Aquatarian]

^ Serioulsy. Like I didn't realize it at the time but Disney had made SO MUCH Little Mermaid memorabilia in the early 90s. They made 12 chapter books (among other books), not to mention the tv which had some good source material in regard to Atlantica and the culture and even Ariel's sisters. It's like in "Ariel's Beginning" they just randomly chose a plot and went with it. There were also some very nice villains from the show that they could have used as antagonists.

I guess I just hate that they didn't even try to be consistent. I mean even the birth order of the sisters is different. :/ I still have to admit that it's better than nothing. I'm at least glad the Little Mermaid got another look over.

[secret_ocean]

Ok... just saying that i do agree i will never enjoy the rest of the films no where near the first. The first film had more depth to it, and wasnt focused on just 4 year olds. it grabbed the attention of all ages, pure romance with danger. if you noticed they keep making ariel bit more chuby and her tail gets smaller and more round instead of a pointy tip. The little mermaid 2 was relevant to the prequel because ariels mother had died and she became a mother of her oun, and i think that putting some more issues into the film i.e. that ariel would have been afraid to not be in melodys life like athena left so early in ariels life. and i REALLY disliked how the mermaids hair were always in pony tails ANNOYING lol. the 3rd movie i was upset with because they made everything so human like- the mermaids lost the sense of elegance and beauty and were goofy and acted a bit slow at times. im soo tired havent slept in 2 days so i hope this makes some sense lol

[malinghi]

I totally agree secret ocean, though I do hope you get some sleep.

I can't believe Triton banned music in TLMIII, and somehow wasn't considered a villain. Seriously, banning music is such a human rights violation that it puts him in company with the taliban. There were people that spent ten years in a dungeon cause he's a selfish, thoughtless, tyrant, and then when he goes, "lol, my bad" at the end everyone cheers, even though hes just fixing a problem he created and could have fixed at any time but let it go on for TEN YEARS. They should have revolted. Also, no wonder Ariel doesn't listen to him in the first movie- I wouldn't obey someone that obnoxious and stupid either.

And that's just ONE of the things in the movie that I hated. I could go on about this all day.

[Mermaid Sirena]

In TLMIII I feel Triton was way out of character, though I did like seeing ariel and her sisters when she was little and her mom was pretty... though she looked just like a grown up ariel. I really wondered how two read heads could have a daughter with every color of hair sense it's a recessive gene all they could of had were red heads -sigh- Pretty much the third one never happened so it's all good :P

I liked the second one though I did see it when I was younger so my opinion could easily be biassed.

[secret_ocean]

well i think it fits his "cant controll his temper". there have been many related story's as to Triton or Poseidon falling in love with a human female and she ends up dieing and he goes on a rampage making a terrible number of rules "boundrys" as to similar things in the LMIII. Also Triton is the ruler of all the oceans, he holds great power and all things under his ocean respect him greatly and there are few rebellious fishes lol

[merman475]

Okay guys. It's fantasy. Albeit BAD fantasy, but don't get so up in arms about it..Lol.

[Mermaid Saphira]

^ XD