Sleeping Beauty (Special Edition)
starring: Mary Costa, Bill Shirley, Eleanor Audley, Verna Felton, Barbara Luddy
directed by: Charles A. Nichols, Clyde Geronimi, James Algar, Wilfred Jackson
directed by: Charles A. Nichols, Clyde Geronimi, James Algar, Wilfred Jackson
Audience Rating: G (General Audience)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 0786936213645
Format: Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Special Edition, Widescreen, NTSC
Label: Walt Disney Video
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
Number Of Items: 2
Publisher: Walt Disney Video
Region Code: 1
Release Date: September 09, 2003
Running Time: 75 minutes
Sales Rank: 10169
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Theatrical Release Date: 1959
Related Items:
- Tinker Bell
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Disney Special Platinum Edition)
- The Little Mermaid - Ariel's Beginning
- Beauty and the Beast
- 101 Dalmatians (Two-Disc Platinum Edition)
- see more
Editorial Review:
Description:
Heralded by audiences and critics alike, SLEEPING BEAUTY was the final fairy tale to be produced by Walt Disney himself. Now fully restored with revolutionary digital technology, its dazzling colors, rich backgrounds, and Academy Award(R)-nominated orchestrations shine brighter than ever. When an enchanted kingdom and the most fair princess in the land fall prey to the ultimate mistress of evil, the fate of the empire rests in the hands of three small fairies and a courageous prince's magic kiss. Their quest is fraught with peril as the fellowship must battle the evil witch and a fire-breathing dragon if they are to set the Beauty free. From spectacular action to the breathtaking pageantry of the princess and her kingdom, SLEEPING BEAUTY has something to charm every member of your family.
Amazon.com:
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's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs taunts 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
On the DVD
Sleeping Beauty was the last and most lavish of Walt Disney's animated fairy tales. He told the artists not to hurry and to give him 'a moving illustration': The film required almost four and one-half years and one million finished drawings. Instead of the 19th century storybook illustrations that had influenced the look of Snow White and Pinocchio, the artists adapted the flattened perspective and jewel-like colors of 15th century French illuminated manuscripts. The results remain unmatched for sheer visual opulence. However, Sleeping Beauty suffers from a weak story: the vision of an ageless princess slumbering in a vine-shrouded tower was replaced with elements of Snow White and a boy-meets-girl musical. The evil Maleficent and the three Good Fairies (Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather) dominate the film, rather than Princess Aurora and Prince Philip. Sleeping Beauty was originally released in 70mm, and the Blu-ray edition restores the film to its original splendor. (Many earlier releases trimmed the wide-screen images and/or muted the glowing palatte.) The Bonus DVD looks good on a flat screen monitor, but it pales in comparison to the richness of the Blu-ray. In addition to the commentaries and a making-of documentary, the set includes myriad extras that vary widely in quality. Nostalgia buffs will enjoy the recreation of the old Sleeping Beauty's Castle attraction in Disneyland, and the TV program 'Four Artists Paint One Tree' provides a welcome showcase for key talents from the film. But the CG animation of the dragon and the voice imitations of the Good Fairies fail to capture the magic of the originals in the 'Dragon Encounter'; the 'Maleficent's Challenge Game'--a hi-tech Twenty Questions--sounds only vaguely like the redoubtable sorceress. (Rated G: violence) --Charles Solomon
Stills from Sleeping Beauty (Click for larger image)
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
Average Rating: 
Rating:
- Perhaps the greatest of Walt's films, fatally marred by Blu-ray technical problemsWoe is me!
I've been looking forward to this most recent release of Sleeping Beauty for ... Read More
Rating:
- Very PleasedI ordered for my grandaughter for Christmas. They offered free shipping and I was surprised how quickly ... Read More
Rating:
- Defective DVDThis was a gift for our granddaughter and the DVD is defective. We will soon be going through the return ... Read More
Rating:
- Sleeping Beauty IndeedThis has exceeded my expectations more than any BD I've watched thus far. The AQ is fantastic and the PQ ... Read More
Rating:
- Great!I was very excited to receive this product so quckly and in great condition. Thanks!
Browse for similar items by category:
- Action & Adventure - Genres - DVD - Video - General
- Animation - Genres - DVD - Video - Feature Films
- Animation - Genres - DVD - Video - General
- Animation - Genres - DVD - Video - Fairy Tales
- By Theme - Drama - Genres - DVD - Video - Biography
Copyright ©2003, Mark Carey.