the best thing "The Little Mermaid" has going for it is Poppy Drayton. She gives the character so much life..and charm to the role that the grade for this movie sounds like a trip on the ocean
an insipid family fantasy; "The Little Mermaid," almost feels like a trap: Creaky visual effects, slapdash plotting and a script drunk on cliche: There's pretty much nothing but cheap parlor trickery here
although it's a serviceable enough story, the script is often too earnest and forced to prove sufficiently fun or wondrous; Still, there are likely enough sweet, effective moments to engage kids and their parents looking for a safe escape
by Gary Goldstein [Tribune News Service ]
