Sleeping Beauty (Disney) [Blu-ray]

Visually, this is without a doubt the most beautiful piece of work that came out of Disney studios, and for mainly economic reasons, it just wouldn't be topped after. But just like Pinocchio [Blu-ray] [1940], another wonderful film, it is the blu-ray format itself that unlocked a film I hardly recognised compared to my VHS version. In its original 'Technirama' super wide format (the only Disney film to have this) and completely restored musical score, Sleeping Beauty appears as though it was filmed yesterday thanks to the amazing restoration and digital clarity that, once paused, allows the viewer to calculate how just one paused frame of animation is a work of art in itself.

Sleeping Beauty is notable for its original style of art that that took nearly a decade to research and complete, as Walt was defiant on having a film that, visually, was very different from his other films. The outcome is an amazing mix of Medieval stylistic shapes and incredibly bold colours that makes this one of the most original Disney films of the past. The backgrounds are often almost photographic quality whilst being contrasted by the geometric shape of the characters with bright, bold paint that just jump out the screen. Perhaps the most impressive scene in the film now is towards the end where Malificent, the villainess, transforms into a beautifully modelled dragon just oozing of 1950's stylistic elements, and yet retaining the terror of such a simple, alarming form.

The popularity of Sleeping Beauty is still rather inconsistent though. Despite the flawless visual elements, many believe the plot itself is weak and doesn't flow as well as earlier films. This is a good argument, but one which can be argued against because Disney wanted to produce a different kind of fairy-tale; one that was more progressive and shared the story more between the characters, rather than letting the Princess have most of the screen time.

The restoration makes the film a brand new experience. The ultra-wide scope reveals things you've never seen before, as well as giving a huge benefit to the animators in that movements and actions could sweep straight across the screen for a whole new dimension - one such example being the lightening bolts darting across the screen before the dragon fight. Every detail of the artwork is crisp as it could possibly be, whilst looking astonishingly like a brand new film because its so darn clear.
Soundtrack wise, its also very interesting that the original musical score was discovered in its original takes during practice sessions (on magnetic tape), allowing the people at Disney to use these un-blemished cans and do away with the original soundtrack! An amazing discovery that again, gives the film a new feel because the Stereo and clarity is far greater than old nitrate film.

As usual, the second disc is crammed full of featurettes and galleries, making the most of the Blu-Ray disc. In fact, theirs probably about 3 times more information on the disc than that of 'Pinocchio', with many featurettes being at least half an hour long. The one I have particularly enjoyed the most is called 'Three Men Paint One Tree'; a short documentary from the time of release where Walt narrates how some of his artists have gone out to a field and painted a tree in their own unique way. Such rare documentaries as this included in the package makes this the best value Blu-Ray I've bought - something of a major bargain.

Up to now, I'll still conclude that Disney have given Sony a 'major' helping hand in showing off the capabilities of blu-ray, as the few other publishers seem to take advantage of it, let alone show it off. Sony could be blamed partly for this, but the format in question, even down to its anti-scratch coating, should be preserved for the near future.

Final note - Unlike Pinocchio, this does not contain the additional standard DVD disc in the case. Just the 2 blu-ray discs.

Unfortunately demand from the public caused Sleeping Beauty to be almost rush released a few years ago. Now it's fantastic to have this classic back getting the 'Platinum Edition' treatment it deserves.
The digital restoration makes Sleeping Beauty look incredible... beautiful is kind of an understatement. If you researched into this film you'd discover that Walt's vision was for the art to carry the movie. Being able to see Sleeping Beauty in its original widescreen splendidness certainly highlights that. The restoration really makes those colorful backgrounds stand out. It's incredible to think that this entire movie was produced by hand even though some of the special effects look like they could have been produced in the computer editing process (that kind of editing wasn't invented in the era of this movie though). Sleeping Beauty truly was the end to an era.
The extras are the standard kind of thing we've come to expect from Disney's 'Platinum' series... deleted scenes, a making of featurette, deleted songs, an alterate opening and some games for the really young ones. The 'making of' is extremely informative and a must for anyone fascinated by the art of this movie. Disney have kept this fresh for the new generation by having Emily Osment of Hannah Montana fame sing a new version of 'Once Upon A Dream' in an exclusive music video just for the DVD.

Keyed to the style of Disney artist Ervind Earle, SLEEPING BEAUTY has long been renowned as one of Walt Disney Studio's most artistically beautiful films--and now with this meticulous restoration Earle's vision comes to the home market in a DVD package that is sure to win praise from every fan of hand-drawn animation.

The story, of course, is the time-honored fairy tale. Princess Aurora is cursed at birth by the evil Maleficent, who declares that on her sixteenth birthday the princess shall prick her finger on a spinning wheel's spindle and die--but fortunately the powers of good are able to mute the effect of the curse; the princess shall not die, but shall instead fall into a deep sleep from which she can be only awakened by love's first kiss.

Earle's vision for the story is drawn from a host of sources, some of them more immediately apparent than others. The result is a curious mixture of flat illustration and meticulous detail that imparts both a modernist edge and the quality of an ancient illuminated manuscript--a truly remarkable concept that gives the film a visual style completely unlike any other among the Disney classics. The DVD offers the option of viewing the film in either its original widescreen ratio or pan-and-scan format--but why any one would elect pan-and-scan is completely beyond me; if ever there was a film that made good and full use of the widescreen ratio, this is it, and you'll want to see every inch of Earle's remarkable work.

Earle's style aside, SLEEPING BEAUTY has been influenced by a number of films that are worth noting. In terms of plot detail, it has been very clearly influenced by Disney's earlier SNOW WHITE, and the designs for the evil Maleficent and her "goons" are very clearly influenced by FANTASIA's "Night on Bald Mountain" sequence--and to magnificent effect; Maleficent is easily among the darkest characters ever created for film. Interestingly, many visual set-ups also seem to have been influenced by MGM's THE WIZARD OF OZ, most notably in the scenes in which the three good fairies rescue Prince Philip from Maleficent's nightmarish castle.

Unlike some animated films, the voices are beautifully matched to the characters, with Mary Costa as Princess Aurora and Eleanor Audley (who also performed the Wicked Stepmother in Disney's CINDERELLA) as Maleficent standouts among the cast. The score, which is based on the brilliant Tchaikovsky ballet score, is also extremely well handled and includes the memorable "Once Upon a Dream."

All of this has been lovingly, shining restored, and quite frankly even if you saw the film in its first release the result here will no doubt surpass it. There is not a blip, a glitch, or a sound-surge to be found. And as is usual with Disney "limited release" DVD editions, the package includes a host of extras, some designed to appeal to the younger set (there are two simple games, neither of which require a CD-ROM) for children and a host of interviews and documentaries. Fortunately, many of the people involved in SLEEPING BEAUTY are still with us--including Ervind Earle and Mary Costa--and their various contributions make the bonus package truly superior.

All of this said, it should be noted that like FANTASIA, SLEEPING BEAUTY is more likely to appeal to adults who can fully appreciate the visual charms of the film than to children, who may find the film's tendency to linger over visuals a bit too much for a limited attention span. But this is indeed a Disney masterpiece, and it belongs in your collection.