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Sleeping Beauty

Walt Disney Studios' classic 1959 animated film, featuring the music of Tchaikovsky.

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A True Masterpiece

Oct 9, 2008

by kfontenot
posted in Movie Hype

Rating:

For all of the thirty two years I've been on this planet, "Sleeping Beauty" was one of the few Disney films that I never viewed. My wife and daughter have watched it numerous times on VHS, but I either wasn't home at the time or I was interested in something else. My wife considers this film to be her favorite Disney movie. Having watched it for the first time tonight, I understand why.

The Disney version of this fairy tale is inspired by Tchaikovsky's ballet. With the wonderful "Once Upon A Dream" waltz, a cast of likeable characters including the fairies Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather and a classic Disney villain in Maleficent, "Sleeping Beauty" is two parts love story and one part action yarn. Humor is provided by the fathers of Aurora and Prince Philip, as well as the fairies.

For those unfamiliar with the story, Maleficent casts a spell on the infant Aurora. On her sixteenth birthday, she is to fall into a deadly sleep. Luckily the kind fairy Merryweather had not yet given Aurora a gift. In order to save her life, Merryweather casts a protective spell that prevents Aurora from passing away but puts her into a deep sleep. This slumber can only be broken by her true love's kiss. From there, the story has magic, a dragon, and an ending that's both beautiful and funny.

The 50th Anniversary Platinum Edition of Walt Disney's classic is a masterpiece. The film looks beautiful. It is set in a widescreen format and has been digitally restored to a colorful and eye-popping presentation. The sound is also excellent and the music is simply wonderful.

The DVD is loaded with special features. It includes an alternate opening sequence, a game in which you can learn a waltz, a look into the life of Tchaikovsky, the musical "Grand Canyon Suite" and much, much more. Heck, even the standard Disney Channel television star music video is good. This time around it's Emily Osment's popped-up version of "Once Upon A Dream."

I can honestly say that "Sleeping Beauty" has worked her way into my top ten list of Disney films. It's a wonderful film for the whole family and deserves a spot on everybody's DVD (or Blu-ray) shelf.

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More Sleeping Beauty reviews

Quick Tip by djchloey. July 02, 2010

posted in Movie Hype

A Quick Tip by djchloey

I didn't get a chance to see this one until recently, and I see it much different than other Disney films. Nonetheless, it's a classic to see.

Comment Compliments (6)

Quick Tip by GiovanniSodi. July 19, 2010

posted in Movie Hype

A Quick Tip by GiovanniSodi

One of the great disney classics. I cant wait for the live action one

Comment Compliment

review by Robert1936. October 14, 2008

posted in Movie Hype

Even more dazzling and more delightful 50 years later

This is a new release of a Disney classic that first appeared in 1959. As is my custom, I much prefer to watch an animated feature film with several of my younger grandchildren (ages 3-7) and did so again with Sleeping Beauty on its 50th anniversary. Once again, they were engrossed in the story line whereas I was somewhat more interested in how the quality of animation measures up (after 59 years) when compared and contrasted with recent films such as Toy Story and Toy Story 2, the three Shreks, … more

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review by tomtom13. October 06, 2008

posted in Movie Hype

Beauty and MaleficienceTogether.

Disney's SLEEPING BEAUTY is based upon the story of Briar Rose by the Brothers Grimm. In this version of the tale, a beautiful baby girl named Aurora is born to a friendly king and queen. After her birth people and creatures from all around come to give her gifts, including three good fairies. Two of the fairies give their gifts to the child but before the third fairy is able to do so, an un-invited guest, the evil sorceress Malificient, appears and places a curse upon the child. Before the end … more

Comments (1) Compliments (12)

review by Byron_Kolln. July 26, 2005

posted in Movie Hype

a "Once Upon a Dream" experience

In 1987, as a wide-eyed 6-year-old, I saw SLEEPING BEAUTY during it's cinema re-release. It was probably the first time I ever went to the movies. The experience definitely stayed with me and fired my love of Disney movies which had begun when I was a toddler with ALICE IN WONDERLAND and MARY POPPINS on video. Now so many years later I have relished collecting and revisiting all the Disney classics on DVD, and the 2-disc edition of SLEEPING BEAUTY is something really special. Six years in the making, … more

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see all Sleeping Beauty reviews (8)

About the reviewer

Kendall Fontenot (kfontenot)
Ranked #19

Despite looking extremely cool, I have to admit that I'm a dork. I grew up on the outskirts of the small town of Oberlin, LA. I have since relocated to the Lake Charles, LA area.I love my home state … more

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About this movie

Wiki

Disney's 1959 animated effort was the studio's most ambitious to date, a widescreen spectacle boasting a gorgeous waltz-filled score adapting Tchaikovsky. In the 14th century, the malevolent Maleficent (not dissimilar to the wicked Queen in Disney'sSnow White and the Seven Dwarfstaunts a king that his infant Aurora will fatally prick her finger on a spinning wheel before sundown on her 16th birthday. This, of course, would deny her a happily-ever-after with her true love. Things almost but not quite turn out that way, thanks to the assistance of some bubbly, bumbling fairies named Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather. It's not really all that much about the title character--how interesting can someone in the middle of a long nap be, anyway? Instead, those fairies carry the day, as well as, of course, good Prince Phillip, whose battle with the malevolent Maleficent in the guise of a dragon has been co-opted by any number of animated films since. See it in its original glory here. And Malificent's castle, filled with warthogs and demonic imps in a macabre dance celebrating their evil ways, manages a certain creepy grandeur. --David Kronke

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