8 9 ▁Disney ▁animated ▁film ▁The ▁Little ▁Mer ma id ▁and ▁the ▁second ▁install ment ▁in ▁The ▁Little ▁Mer ma id ▁tr il ogy . ▁Direct ed ▁by ▁Jim ▁Kam mer ud ▁and ▁Brian ▁Smith , ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁the ▁film ▁takes ▁place ▁ 1 2 ▁years ▁after ▁the ▁original , ▁and ▁focus es ▁on ▁A riel ▁and ▁Eric ' s ▁daughter ▁Mel ody , ▁a ▁human ▁prin cess ▁who ▁long s ▁to ▁sw im ▁in ▁the ▁ocean ▁despite ▁her ▁parents ' ▁law ▁that ▁the ▁sea ▁is ▁forb idden ▁to ▁her . ▁The ▁film ▁features ▁the ▁voices ▁of ▁J odi ▁B enson ▁as ▁A riel , ▁T ara ▁Char end off ▁as ▁Mel ody , ▁and ▁Pat ▁Car roll ▁as ▁M org ana , ▁the ▁film ' s ▁new ▁villa in . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁Disney ▁released ▁a ▁third ▁film ▁in ▁the ▁Little ▁Mer ma id ▁series , ▁The ▁Little ▁Mer ma id : ▁A riel ' s ▁Begin ning , ▁which ▁is ▁a ▁pre quel ▁to ▁the ▁original ▁film . ▁This ▁was ▁Bud dy ▁H ack ett ' s ▁final ▁film ▁role ▁before ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁June ▁ 2 0 0 3 . ▁The ▁film ▁received ▁mixed ▁to ▁negative ▁reviews ▁with ▁criticism ▁directed ▁at ▁the ▁plot , ▁which ▁many ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁generic ▁re hash ▁of ▁the ▁original ▁film . ▁ ▁Plot ▁ ▁A riel ▁and ▁Eric ▁celebr ate ▁the ▁birth ▁of ▁their ▁new born ▁daughter ▁Mel ody ▁on ▁a ▁ship ▁at ▁sea ▁with ▁all ▁the ▁mer