Movie Review: Sleeping Beauty (1959)

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Artwork, background music, the four magical creatures

Cons: Aurora has little personality; story slow to start

The Bottom Line:

Once upon a dream

A bit familiar story

Still fun Disney film

"A Wondrous Future Lies Before You, the Destined Hero of a Charming Fairy Tale Come True."

When the true classics of Disney animation are discussed, Sleeping Beauty is often listed near the top of the list. But not my list. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the film. But it has some serious story and character weaknesses that I can't completely get over.

The story is rather familiar and simple. When the Princess Aurora (voiced by Mary Costa) 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 (Verna Felton), Fauna (Barbara Jo Allen), and Merryweather (Barbara Luddy), 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 film is mainly praised for its art and music. And both are deserved praises. Let's start with the artwork. Based on paintings and tapestries from the Middle Ages, it is the most stylized animation ever done. The backgrounds themselves are highly detailed. You can see the leaves in every bush and tree, not to mention the moss on stones. The characters fit into this world while still looking human. There are lots of angles. Yet it never detracts from the story. It incorporates the Middle Age art without distracting us and looking too unrealistic.

Then there's the musical score. 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. I can't imagine anything else fitting the look of the film.

But the music is also my first drawback. The original songs are a bit lacking. The love song, "Once Upon a Dream" is outstanding. But the rest of the songs are rather boring. They sound like classical choral pieces. Considering they are also based on Tchaikovsky's ballet, it makes sense. But they also slow the story down for me.

Speaking of slowing the story down, what I consider the prologue is also rather slow. Yes, we need the scene that sets up the curses and the four fairies. But I always feel like I am waiting for the story to start while watching that scene.

However, once things shift to Aurora's sixteenth birthday, things definitely pick up. The cuts to Maleficent keep the tension growing while the three good fairies provide some much needed comic relief.

In fact, it is the magical creatures that make this movie. The three good fairies have the most personality of any of the characters. Of course, since Aurora and her Prince Phillip have very few speaking lines, it's hardly their fault. I will concede I think this is the best developed prince of the pre 1980's movies, however. Anyway, the constant battle of pink verses blue that Merryweather and Flora have is great. And Maleficent is truly evil. She makes for an exciting villain. In fact, some of her scenes may be too intense for young children.

All this is sounding rather harsh, but I do truly enjoy the film. The love story is good and there are some truly funny moments. I just don't think it is quite as good as everyone else makes it out to be.

So I will continue to watch Sleeping Beauty when I am in the mood for its artwork and humor. But it will continue to fall behind some of Disney's better developed fairy tales.