Watch The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning

In this movie we get the first glimpse of Ariel's background. We actually get to see her mother, Queen Athena, for the first time and get the back-story as to why she is not in the original movie. Queen Athena and Ariel look very similar with a slight few changes to coloring. So its not hard to mistake who her mother is. Queen Athena and King Triton rule the Kingdom of Atlantica. The kingdom is full of music and fun and games. Everyone is laughing and having a good time. Athena and King Triton are relaxing in a lagoon with their seven children, the youngest being Ariel. Triton gives Athena a music box he had made. Inside is what looks like tiny models of themselves dancing. Athena smiles as she listens to the melody which happens to be their song. Suddenly a ship appears and they all start to leave in a panic. Everyone escapes safely except Athena who had tried to save her music box and in the process was crushed by the ship.

After the death of Athena, King Triton banished music from the entire Kingdom as it brought back memories and pain from the death of his beloved queen. It is now 10 years later and we see our beloved rebellious mermaid from the original movie. Unhappy with her life she goes out and meets Flounder. She follows him to an underground cavern which has a secret music club. She is surrounded by sweet music and is surprised when she sees Sebastian the Kings right hand, performing.

When Ariel's appearance is revealed everyone in the club stops playing and singing and hides in fear that Ariel will tell her father. She sings a song about how much she loves music and how it keeps the memory of her mother alive to her. She is allowed to join the cub when she takes the oath. When she returned home her sisters confront her about where she had been. She explains to them about the club and the following night they go with Ariel to the club.

Marina, who is in charge of care taking Ariel and her sisters to the club. She has been looking for a way to get Sebastian's job and now witnessing what everyone had been doing in secret she finally found her way. She quickly takes the information of what she had seen to the King and he puts Sebastian, Flounder and the rest of the club in jail.

King Triton confines his daughters to the palace and in doing so Ariel asks why music isn't allowed. King Triton refused to answer the question repeating the fact that he did not want music in the Kingdom. Ariel spitefully says that her mother wouldn't have wanted music banned and goes back to her room angry. That night she frees those that were put in jail and Sebastian takes her to find her mothers music box in hopes that bringing it back to the King would make him reconsider.

Marina tries stop Ariel from returning the music box and tries to attack Sebastian. Ariel puts herself between them getting hit as King Triton gets there. The music box opens and he hears the music and begins to sing the lyrics to Ariel. She wakes up and he deeply regrets his actions and restores music to the Kingdom.

This is a great movie for the kids and filled with wonderful Songs much like any other Disney movie.

The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning is a 2008 kids & family movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 17 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.2.