Little Mermaid II - Return to the Sea [VHS]

As with Disney's other made-for-video sequels, The Little Mermaid 2 looks and sounds wonderful (and reunites much of the same vocal talent). Four to nine-year-olds who grew up with the original will certainly enjoy seeing the friends again. A new set of artists has come up with four catchy tunes and some fun new characters, including Tip and Dash, a pensive penguin and his blubbery walrus friend. Yet where Beauty and the Beast had a deliberate Christmas-themed sequel and Pocahontas told the tale of her historical trip to England, the plot here is somewhat forced. It is pretty much a rehash of the first film with different characters. Tip and Dash are a reincarnation of Timon and Pumbaa and Morgana is exactly like her sister, except thinner. Besides the stellar music, this unneeded sequel also misses another important aspect of the original--heart. --Doug Thomas, Amazon.com