Sleeping Beauty (Special Edition)
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VHS Movie Reviews of Sleeping Beauty (Special Edition)
Movie Review: Not as good as I remember, but still a classic
Summary: 4 Stars
It's strange that they would release this on Platinum Edition now when they just released a "Special Edition" a few years ago. That release was pretty much on the "Platinum" status to me. They should have done this then. Maybe this is part of their plan of releasing their classics every 7 to 8 years. I guess they started a little early with this one. I heard they'll be releasing Beauty and the Beast again in a couple of years, so I guess we're beginning another cycle of paying for things we already own. I'm talking about the DVD fanatics, of course. This is still a maybe for me since I have the other version, but I'm still glad they're putting it out again for the future generation. I grew up with it. Others should too. The only cons of this movie: kinda hollow of a movie if you think about it, and the Prince doesn't have any lines at the finale, which was rather strange and awkward to me. Still, one of the best Disney films of all time.Movie Review: 2 Disc Platinum Edition: Fantastic Movie & Extras
Summary: 5 Stars
Sleeping Beauty is considered one of Disney's most artistically beautiful films, and the new Platinum Edition 2 Disc DVD release is a fitting new polishing of the Disney gem. The story is about Princess Aurora, who was cursed as a baby by the evil witch Maleficent due to the fact that she was not invited to the christening. Fated to an eternal sleep upon reaching the age of 16, she is given somewhat of a reprieve by one of the Good Fairies who bestows upon Aurora the blessing of being reawakened by true love's kiss. The 3 Good Fairies (Flora, Merryweather, and Fauna) take Aurora into the woods as a baby and raise her as Briar Rose in order to keep her away from Maleficent, hopefully avoiding the curse in the first place. However, on the crest of her 16th birthday, Aurora happens to meet Prince Phillip and naturally falls in love. Neither knows the true identity of the other and that their kingdoms have already decreed that they marry each other. When she is returned to her parents, the King & Queen, Aurora is upset that she cannot marry her boyfriend from the woods, and instead, must marry a Prince she has not met (as far as she knows). Maleficent finds the Princess and carries out her original curse. Can Prince Philip save the Princess with true love's kiss?
The film looks and sounds spectacular. Shot in Super Technirama 70, the widescreen (2.55:1 enhanced for 16x9 TVs) film has been restored using state-of-the-art technology, and will fill up your speakers with its 5.1 enhanced home theater mix. For purists, the restored original theater track is also included. Either way you choose, Mary Costa (the voice of Aurora) sounds incredible. It would be hard to imagine anyone else vocalizing the Princess with such warmth and beauty. Eleanor Audley also deserves kudos for her vocalization of the evil Maleficent. She is definitely one of the most scary and memorable Disney characters.
This project was special to Walt; it was the last feature based on a fairy-tale (until 1989's "Little Mermaid"). Since the studio had already done a similar tale with "Snow White," Walt wanted to make it different by adding a classical music inspired Tchaikovsky score and giving the film a less cartoony and more artistic visual representation. Breaking all box-office records, this film succeeded on all levels.
And the extras...wow! On Disc One, in addition to the feature, you get:
*Music & More: "Once Upon A Dream" music video performed by Hannah Montana's Emily Osment, who updates the song with a pop rock beat
* Disney Song Selection: Instantly access your favorite songs from the movie
* Backstage Disney includes audio commentary for the film (John Lasseter, film critic Leonard Maltin, and Disney animator Andreas D?ja), Princess Fun Facts (pop-up trivia fact option while watching the movie), "Grand Canyon" short (1959 Oscar winner for best short subject film and features the music of Ferde Grof's "Grand Canyon Suite"), and The Peter Tchaikovsky Story. The Peter Tchaikovsky story was featured on the 1959 Walt Disney Presents anthology. It was a historic telecast due to the fact that home viewers could listen in true-stereophonic sound, by turning on two additional radios with ABC simulcast of the necessary stereophonic channels. Disney explains the process at the beginning of the featurette. You can choose between this version and the version that replaces Disney's explanation. Although the featurette was first broadcast in black and white, it was shot in color. The remaining color footage is here on this DVD set.
* Naturally, there are trailers/promos for other Disney films, including the upcoming theatrical release "Princess & The Frog" and the next Platinum Edition DVD release, "Pinocchio."
Extras on Disc 2:
Games & Activities:
* Briar Rose's Enchanted Dance Game: Learn to Waltz, taking on the role of Princess Aurora or Prince Phillip.
* "Sleeping Beauty" Fun With Language Game. This one is definitely for VERY young children who must identify the most basic of words using visuals from the film.
Backstage Disney:
* Picture Pefect: The Making Of "Sleeping Beauty" (43:32) A wonderful documentary detailing the making of the movie. Features interviews with animators and Mary Costa, who is still beautiful today. Watching this will definitely enhance your appreciation for this movie as the artistic masterpiece that it is.
* Eyvind Earle: The Man and His Art (7:33) is about the man responsible for the artistic backgrounds and overall look of the film. Disney stepped up everyone's game at the animation studio by having Earle oversee the design. Features interviews with Alice Davis and John Canemaker.
* Alternate Opening (3:28) is recreated with storyboards and sketches. After viewing this, I'd say they made the right decision, as the music intended for this sequence was more pop-oriented and not fitting the classical Tchaikovsky score.
* 3 Deleted Songs
* 8 Art Galleries, including visual design, character development, storyboards, publicity, and a detailed look at the Storybook featured in the film's opening,
* Original Disneyland Sleeping Beauty Castle walkthrough attraction, unseen for years, presented in a virtual digital recreation which is BREATHTAKING. Almost like being at Disneyland. "Tour" it yourself, or with host Tony Baxter explaining your tour as you go through. There is also a featurette explaining the history of the walkthrough.
* Sequence 8 (Forest Scene) (5:30) is a featurette that shows the detail and labor that went into this sequence put together by Disney's famous "Nine Old Men." This sequence alone cost the studio over $10,000. It is also interesting to note that only about 8 drawings were able to be done per day because of the precision required; considering it takes 24 to make a second of film, well...you do the math.
* Publicity features 3 trailers (teaser, original 1959, and 1995 re-release)
* "Four Artists Paint One Tree" (16:08) is a 1958 featurette that has four Disney artists (Marc Davis, Eyvind Earle, Joshua Meador, and Walt Peregoy) painting the same tree, each showing their own personal style. Walt Disney himself encourages each to "be themselves." An excellent lesson for budding young artists.
* Storyboard sequences
* Live-action reference footage. See three of the black and white films that were shot to aid the animators. Especially fun to watch is the sequence where Prince Phillip fights the dragon.
What a set! Definitely not to be missed for your Disney home movie collection.
Movie Review: bad
Summary: 1 Stars
I have not yet received this item and have tried to contact the seller as well as amazon.com but no responses. I am extremely unhappy with the way this has turned out. Up til now, I've had nothing but wonderful service. I hope that it will continue. Movie Review: "Now, Father, You're Living in the Past. This is the 14th Century."
Summary: 4 Stars
This is another classic fairy tale given the Disney treatment. The story is rather familiar. When the Princess Aurora is born, she is presented to her kingdom. Yet the celebration is short lived when the evil enchantress Maleficent (Eleanor Audley) shows up uninvited. As retaliation, she curses the baby to prick her finger on a spinning wheel and die by the evening of her sixteenth birthday.
Fortunately, the three good fairies, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, are there to soften the curse. Aurora won't die, just fall into an enchanted sleep so only love's first kiss can wake her. They even plot to hide and raise Aurora as their own to keep the curse from coming true. Will that plan succeed? Is there any way to defeat Maleficent?
This movie is often praised for it's look, and rightly so. Based on artwork from the Middle Ages, it provides a stylized look. The amount of detail in the backgrounds alone is amazing. The characters fit this stylized world while still looking real. Additionally, the background music is majestic. It is adapted from bits and pieces of Tchaikovsky's ballet based on the fairy tale, and it fits the look of the film perfectly.
And as much as it looks and sounds great, this isn't my favorite of the Disney princess movies. There is only one song from the movie that is at all memorable. "Once Upon a Dream" is great. The others are choral pieces that slow things down. Speaking of slowing things down, the prologue, while needed to set up the story, is very slow. Once we get to Aurora's sixteenth birthday, things pick up. But even then, the princess comes across as a boring character. The thing that saves this film story wise are the fairies. The three good fairies are wonderfully funny. And Maleficent is an exciting evil villain. In fact, she might scare young kids.
Don't get me wrong, this is a good movie. But when compared to Disney's other fairy tales, it is a little weak.
Movie Review: A great Disney film!
Summary: 5 Stars
Sleeping Beauty is a great Disney movie. Even though I have all of the Disney Platinum Edition DVDs, I'm not planning on buying this because I already have the 2003 DVD Special Edition release. I will add my Special Edition DVD to my Platinum Edition collection.