Rating: 
Summary: BEAUTIFUL, THRILLING AND ROMANTIC
Review: Disney's 1959 groundbreaking, animated epic production SLEEPING BEAUTY Special Edition, the first animated feature drawn and photographed in a widescreen format (70mm Technirama), finally arrives on DVD in a glorious, fully-restored two-disc edition with superb, re-mixed surround sound and a wealth of extras. It's the 14th Century and evil queen Malificent curses Aurora, the king's infant daughter, taking away her happily-ever-after. Or so it would seem. The brilliant interpretation of Tchaikovsky's ballet score and the distinctive medieval-inspired art of Eyvind Earle's detailed, pastel-hued, vertical-horizontal compositions, make this timeless romance -- based on a folk tale that arose after the Dark Ages (and a metaphor for the times?) -- a must-have for the digital family library and a masterpiece of animators' art. Hold on to your dreams. True love conquers all. Available for a limited time.
Rating: 
Summary: A EXCELLENT EDITION TO YOUR DISNEY COLLECTION!
Review: Walt Disney inspired us with his colorful and romantic cartoon movies.He gave us Snow White(1939),and now he gave us Slepping Beauty(1959). In this movie,in a land ar away a child named Pricess Aurora was born.The whole country was happy intil the evil witch Maleficent paied a visit one day at the castle.The evil witch put a spell on the infant."Before the sun sets on her 16th birthday she will prick her finger on the spindle of a spinnigwheel and die! King Stefan and his queen were so frightened for their baby.So was thier friend King Hubert and his son Prince Phillip.So they said that on her 16th birthday her and Phillip would be married. But thanks to the help of the three good fairies,Flora,Fauna,and Merryweather they protected the princess intil that day.But what will happen to the kingdom,will Maleificent be killed,will Phillip and Aurora get married find out!This film is for young and old.The film's artwork and music is extremely good.Walt Disney made this film work!Also see Snow White,Peter Pan,Little Mermaid,Dumbo,LionKing,and much more!Great film to give at birthdays,Christmas,Hannukah,Kwanza,and other occasions.A MUST SEE FOR ALL DISNEY FANS AND PEOPLE WHO JUST LOVE MOVIES!
Rating: 
Summary: A Pretty Good Animated Disney Movie!
Review: Like other reviewers Sleeping Beauty was one of my favorite fairytales when I was a child and this Disney movie based on the fairytale is not my #1 favorite Disney movie but it is pretty good and I recommend it to fans of animated movies.
Rating:
Summary: My #1 Favorite Disney Movie of all Time!
Review: I have alway's loved this movie.It has great art,and this movie is a must see.I bought the vhs version in 1995 and absolutely loved it.When I heard it was comming out on Special Edition DVD in November of 2003 I was really Excited and could not wait to purchase it.My favorite scene is the part where Maleficent turns into the dragon and trys to defeat the brave Prince Phillip.I will not tell what happens at the end just incase you have never seen it but,I am sure you know it has a Fairy tale ending.
Rating:
Summary: A Magical Kingdom
Review: The Disney of today could take a lot of lessons from this movie. Eisner has taken a wonderous, sweet, innocent, and childlike American Icon and turned it into the corporate entertainment equivalent of a fast food chain, desperately trying to please everyone, including audiences not normally associated with what Disney used to stand for (think Tarantino's "Kill Bill"). Most of Disney's recent animated films tinker with the classics in an effort to bring them up-to-date. As if today's kids are so hip, so thoroughly modern in every way, that they can't take a step back in time without references to modern-day satire. Who, I ask you, wants to bother with "Lilo and Stitch"? This masterpiece was Walt Disney at his best. Look at the landscapes. The artists didn't bother with 3 dimensions. They revelled instead in creating terrific designs based loosely on the shapes and lines of nature. This was more in keeping with medieval painting. And listen to the lush musical score. Not a late 50's sound to be heard. All the music for "Sleeping Beauty" is adapted straight from Tchaikovsky's ballet of the same name. The creators of this movie heralded back to previous centuries not only for the story, but for the soundtrack and artistic inspiration as well. This is exactly what Disney was meant to do, and sadly, no longer does. Put in the DVD and escape.
Rating:
Summary: An Instant Classic
Review: Looking at it today, one can't realize how could this film possibly flop in its initial release. Back in 1959, it cost a monstrous $6 million to produce and earned back less than that. Its failure almost caused the company a bankruptcy and as a resault, subsequent Disney releases used the cheaper Xerox style and the cut-in-costs immediately showed. Disney films never looked as glamorous or as lavish as they used to, up until "The Little Mermaid" arrived in 1989. Nevertheless, all the hard work put on "Sleeping Beauty" paid off. This film is still as breathtaking as ever, especially from today's point of view. Unlike today, where every animated film is made fully by computer, "Sleeping Beauty" dates back to a time where human hands used to do the whole job. And visually, it's definitely in the same league as today's features. One can't realize the amount of attention to detail (most notably in the forest where Aurora meets Prince Phillip). The music in the movie is by Tchaikovsky, so you might recognize some old tunes you know. Character-wise, Aurora is a pretty passive heroine, whereas her sidekicks, three charmingly sweet fairies, are much more effective in the story. The villainess in the film is the diabolic Melficent. She is up there with Ursula as the two best Disney villainesses ever. The film's highlight is generally thought to be the dragon fight at the end, and for good reason. It's masterfully animated and is an excellent example of how a good climax should be.
"Sleeping Beauty" is a masterpiece which should be enjoyed by everyone.
Rating:
Summary: One of Disney's Best Acheivements!!
Review: One of Disney's best animated films has to be Sleeping Beauty. The story of Princess Aurora who is taken away from the kingdom by the three good fairies in order to protect her from the curse of the wicked fairy Maleficent. The film looks just like a medieval tapestry and the scenery is amazing. Disney's Sleeping Beauty has some of the best animation ever seen on film. It is wonderful that Disney has been releasing these restored versions on DVD of their classic films and adding some wonderful documentaries and behind the scenes. Sleeping Beauty contains some of the most widely recognized Disney characters: Princess Aurora(Briar Rose), The three good fairies Fauna, Flora and Merryweather and the most notoriously diabolical villain Maleficent. While being an animated film, that doesn't make it any less thrilling, suspensful or exciting. I recommend seeing this movie just to see Maleficent. She appears in flames at Aurora's christening and she goes out with a bang as a ferocious fire breathing dragon. This movie is truly an epic in every sense of the word: from the wicked fairy's curse, to the princess hiding out in a cottage with the three good fairies, to the princess meeting her fate atop the castle to Prince philip slaying the dragon and running up the stairs to find the Sleeping Beauty. This is one film that both adult and child can truly enjoy. The Perfect Disney Film!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful Artistry and Animation
Review: Sleeping Beauty is Disney's retelling of the fairy tale of the same name. This DVD release of Disney's 75 minute movie features options to view it in either the original 2.35:1 widescreen aspect ratio, or in a "pan and scan" 1.33:1 aspect ratio version that captures most of the action while using the full height of a standard television screen. A second DVD includes supplemental material on the history and making of the film. The story itself departs somewhat from the traditional fairy tale version, with a story line that provides a little more scope for character exposition and interaction. The result still retains a fairy tale feel, and the plot remains simpler than most of Disney's other animated features. The biggest strengths of the movie are in its wonderful animation, artwork, and music. The animation is perhaps the best of any Disney movie. The animators were exceptionally good at using facial expressions to help tell the story - Maleficent's face perfectly expresses her smug satisfaction when something goes her way, and Princess Aurora's expression when she first meets Prince Phillip by surprise perfectly communicates the various emotions that are running through her. The animation of the action is also wonderful, with some of the best moments being Aurora's dancing and Phillip's battle with the dragon. The background artwork is terrific. Each background is really a high quality painting, full of scene specific detail and yet all coordinating to give the picture overall artistic unity and medieval feel. And yet, all this beautiful background coordinates with the characters in a way that avoids overpowering them. Unlike some of Disney's other animated classics, this film did not use original music, but instead wisely went with Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty ballet music. Tchaikovsky's beautiful classic music perfectly complements the beautiful, artistic nature of everything else in the film. All the attention to artistry and detail made the film too expensive to be a commercial success in 1959, but it also made the film a timeless classic that can continue to be enjoyed today and far into the future. Get it now, or you may have to wait seven years for Disney's next rerelease.
Rating:
Summary: This DVD Special Edition is Magnificent
Review: This is my favorite of all the animated Disney films..... and I have reasons... it was the first to be filmed in wide screen.... it was also made with a stereophonic score and it was stylish and artistic, not "cartoon-like"...... this Disney restoration is amazing however, and the film looks like I remember it when I saw it in 1959. The colors are brilliant and clear.... the blue is sky blue and the pink is true rose pink.... and every color has the subtile shades that they should have... obviously reproduced from the exsisting cells and background art in the Disney archives. The additional features are plentiful and fun, and the menus are consistant with the look of the film. There is a game section that uses rock and roll music for an intro and there is a modern interpretation of the main song by a pop group, but these are very minor concessions to modern maids..... on the whole, this is an incredible 2 disc package for anyone who loves the painstaking and time consuming art that these pre-computer animations now use. There are several short subjects, including a biography of Tchaikovsky, "Four Artists Paint a Tree" and "Grand Canyon" which are all pluses and fun to see and take us back to 1959. Amazing!!
Rating:
Summary: One of the more unique Disney films.
Review: Following in the hard to fill footsteps of Cinderella and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Sleeping Beauty is totally and completely detached from the way typical Disney fairy tales are told. The movie has more of a storybook feel to it than it's predecessors. The art style is completely original, it resembles a medevil/gothic approach. The characters are wonderful, and the evil fairy Malificent is one of the most creative and evil of all the Disney villains. The music is very good and addictive and it whisks you away to another world. It is a once upon a dream. See it if you love Disney films.
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