Review of Sleeping Beauty (1959) by Katie K — 18 Nov 2012

The best Disney film ever made, "Sleeping Beauty" is a beautiful, funny and (for lack of a better word) magical film.

The film begins with the birth of Princess Aurora. Three fairies (Verna Felton, Baraba Jo Allen and Barbara Luddy) arrive to give her gifts, but they are interrupted by the arrival of Maleficent (Eleanor Audley), a bitter witch upset about not being invited. To protect her from her curse (which will kill her on her 16th birthday), the fairies hide her in the woods until she comes of age.

The characters in this movie are all great. Aurora (Mary Costa) is the best-developed of the first three Disney princesses, although she doesn't do anything for the last third of the film. The reason for that is because the focus of the film is actually on the three fairies, not the princess.

It's an interesting choice, but I think it works. The fairies are interesting, and although they're not truly three-dimensional, they're different enough from each other to remain entertaining. Prince Phillip (Bill Shirley) is also a refreshing change of pace for a Disney prince; he's brave, kind and sort of a badass. The film's real standout, of course, is Maleficent.

While I still believe that the most evil Disney villain is the Coachman from "Pinocchio", no one can deny that Maleficent is probably the most powerful and scary. She is a great malevolent presence that knows what she's doing, and this leads to some of the best action sequences in the Golden Age of Disney.

The film is also beautifully drawn, especially the backgrounds. It's different from any Disney film, but that's what helps make the movie so great.

The music is also great. From what I've gathered, most of the songs are based on Tchaikovsky's "Sleeping Beauty" ballet, and it shows. "Once Upon a Dream" is one of the best songs Disney's ever had in a film, and the other songs are pretty good as well.

Is the film perfect? No, of course not. It drags at times, Aurora and Phillip say nothing during the third act, and it's unfortunate that Maleficent doesn't have a villain song.

But so what? It's still a fantastic film, and the best Disney has to offer.