Review of Sleeping Beauty (1959) by Stephen S — 23 Dec 2009

This is perhaps one of if not the most beautiful animated film of all time, hand drawn or CGI. The landscapes are absolutely gorgeous, the colors are vibrant, and even the recesses of the outermost parts of the background are stunning. I read that a background drawing for Sleeping Beauty took 7 times longer than a usual background for a regular animated movie. After viewing this, I can understand why. Blu-Ray is definitely recommended for this gem. The beauty is almost arresting and it is amazing to me that this came out 50 years ago, before any computers or whatnot. This is a perfect example of how when people labor hard upon a hand drawn movie, it trumps any CGI one.

Having not seen this for 6 or more years I was pleasantly surprised by everything. The characters and the events all rushed back into my mind and through watching I felt reunited with some long lost cousin. I was reminded of how villanous a villain Maleficent was and I was dazzled by the superb animation which keep me glued to the screen at all times. It is a different style of animation than any other Disney movie and that keeps the tale fresh for repeated viewings. The plot is pretty familiar, yet charming, but the evil of Maleficent, the fairies, and the action scene with the dragon at the end keep the movie interesting.

As for Sleeping Beauty herself (also called Aurora or Briar Rose) and Prince Phillip...they are the weak point. The couple is nice and cutesy but neither has much charisma or personality. The romance isn't as strong as Beauty and the Beast or The Little Mermaid but it is still good. Aurora actually spends extremely little time on screen in Sleeping Beauty and she has few lines of dialogue. She is shown for less than 20 minutes of the 75 minute film and when she does talk it is mostly singing. She is probably the worst Disney princess for that reason, however given the nature of the story that isn't really her fault.

With extraordinary animation, one of Disney's best villains, and a sweet story, Sleeping Beauty is one of the Mouse House's top 15 best. This is a rightful classic and if nothing else see the jewel for its breathtaking animation.