Sleeping Beauty
Release date: 1959-02-17
Votes: 5398
Genres: Fantasy, Animation, Romance, Family
Cursed to die by the evil fairy Maleficent when she was a baby, Princess Aurora is sent into hiding under protection from three good fairies. As she grows up far away, Maleficent becomes increasingly determined to seal the princess's fate.
Reviews
John Chard
Beautiful Disney Production Of A Wonderful Fairytale. When an evil witch places a curse on an infant princess that will cause her to fall into eternal sleep on her 16th birthday, her three fairy godmothers whisk her away to a life of normality and ignorance of her birthright. But can they stave off the curse when the 16th year of age arrives? It upped the ante in costing for Disney, also taking a decade to produce. The ambition was high as new techniques were being used such as rotoscoping, while the musical score is brilliantly devised from Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty ballet. The story itself is a pure joy, based on Charles Perrault's ever enduring fairytale, it's awash with rich characters, led by the delightful three fairy godmothers - Flora - Fauna and Merryweather, all plumpy and sweet, while evil witch Maleficent is brilliantly produced, with a long pointy chin and devil horns on her head. There's a whole bunch of charming fun on show, as the three ladies bring the magic and potter around while gently ribbing each other, but it's with the drama where Sleeping Beauty most soars. The nightmare sequence luring Briar Rose (Princess Aurora) to the dreaded spinning wheel is unnerving, and the battle between Prince Phillip and Maleficent is exhilarating and shows the animators at their best. As for the colour? Spanking! Upon release it wasn't the roaring success Disney had hoped and planned for, but the decades since then have been very kind to Sleeping Beauty. For it's a magical film for children and adults to dreamily get lost in. 9/10
CinemaSerf
Now then, for any fans of the more recent "Maleficent" films - this is how it is supposed to be done! I think this film goes a long way to explaining why I almost always support the baddies in films. A princess ("Briar Rose") is born and the three good fairies are summoned to the Christening to bestow their blessings on the newborn. Just as the third is about to lavish her gift on the baby, the ominously evil witch arrives with her trusted black raven. Not invited, how rude - but she still generously gifts the child a Christening present. Needless (or should that just be needles?) to say, the spindling trade in the kingdom took a bit of a hit after that and the girl is secreted deep in forest trying to keep away from the dreadful consequences of this nasty curse. Amongst the best ever sequences in animation - the three fairies try to make a cake and a dress for her impending 16th birthday and their efforts turn out to be disastrous. After 16 years - they resort to using their wands and we have five minutes of pure Disney magic. They cannot agree on a colour for the dress, have a bit of a magical colour-fight which is noticed by the evil sorceress's searching bird and their cunning secret is carelessly exposed... The colours, gently humorous dialogue and George Bruns' (with some Tchaikovsky) score makes this a thoroughly enjoyable fantasy romantic adventure - in my book, the best Walt ever produced.
Movie Recommendation
Lady and the Tramp1955-06-22Lady, a golden cocker spaniel, meets up with a mongrel dog who calls himself the Tramp. He is obviously from the wrong side of town, but happenings at Lady's home make her decide to travel with him for a while.More...
One Hundred and One Dalmatians1961-01-25When a litter of dalmatian puppies are abducted by the minions of Cruella De Vil, the parents must find them before she uses them for a diabolical fashion statement.More...
Cinderella1950-02-22Cinderella has faith her dreams of a better life will come true. With help from her loyal mice friends and a wave of her Fairy Godmother's wand, Cinderella's rags are magically turned into a glorious gown and off she goes to the Royal Ball. But when the clock strikes midnight, the spell is broken, leaving a single glass slipper... the only key to the ultimate fairy-tale ending!More...
Beauty and the Beast1991-10-22Follow the adventures of Belle, a bright young woman who finds herself in the castle of a prince who's been turned into a mysterious beast. With the help of the castle's enchanted staff, Belle soon learns the most important lesson of all -- that true beauty comes from within.More...
Peter Pan1953-02-05Leaving the safety of their nursery behind, Wendy, Michael and John follow Peter Pan to a magical world where childhood lasts forever. But while in Neverland, the kids must face Captain Hook and foil his attempts to get rid of Peter for good.More...
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs1938-01-14A beautiful girl, Snow White, takes refuge in the forest in the house of seven dwarfs to hide from her stepmother, the wicked Queen. The Queen is jealous because she wants to be known as "the fairest in the land," and Snow White's beauty surpasses her own.More...
Pinocchio1940-02-23When the gentle woodcarver Geppetto builds a marionette to be his substitute son, a benevolent fairy brings the toy to life. The puppet, named Pinocchio, is not yet a human boy. He must earn the right to be real by proving that he is brave, truthful, and unselfish.More...
Alice in Wonderland1951-07-28On a golden afternoon, wildly curious young Alice tumbles into the burrow and enters the merry, madcap world of Wonderland full of whimsical escapades.More...
The Aristocats1970-12-24When Madame Adelaide Bonfamille leaves her fortune to Duchess and her children—Bonfamille’s beloved family of cats—the butler plots to steal the money and kidnaps the legatees, leaving them out on a country road. All seems lost until the wily Thomas O’Malley Cat and his jazz-playing alley cats come to the aristocats’ rescue.More...
The Sword in the Stone1963-12-25Wart is a young boy who aspires to be a knight's squire. On a hunting trip he falls in on Merlin, a powerful but amnesiac wizard who has plans for him beyond mere squiredom. He starts by trying to give him an education, believing that once one has an education, one can go anywhere. Needless to say, it doesn't quite work out that way.More...
The Jungle Book1967-10-18The boy Mowgli makes his way to the man-village with Bagheera, the wise panther. Along the way he meets jazzy King Louie, the hypnotic snake Kaa and the lovable, happy-go-lucky bear Baloo, who teaches Mowgli "The Bare Necessities" of life and the true meaning of friendship.More...
The Little Mermaid1989-11-17This colorful adventure tells the story of an impetuous mermaid princess named Ariel who falls in love with the very human Prince Eric and puts everything on the line for the chance to be with him. Memorable songs and characters -- including the villainous sea witch Ursula.More...
Dumbo1941-10-31Dumbo is a baby elephant born with over-sized ears and a supreme lack of confidence. But thanks to his even more diminutive buddy Timothy the Mouse, the pint-sized pachyderm learns to surmount all obstacles.More...
The Princess and the Frog2009-12-08A waitress, desperate to fulfill her dreams as a restaurant owner, is set on a journey to turn a frog prince back into a human being, but she has to face the same problem after she kisses him.More...
Pocahontas1995-06-16Pocahontas, daughter of a Native American tribe chief, falls in love with an English soldier as colonists invade 17th century Virginia.More...
The Rescuers1977-06-22Two agents of the mouse-run International Rescue Aid Society search for a little orphan girl kidnapped by sinister treasure hunters.More...
Beauty and the Beast2017-03-16A live-action adaptation of Disney's version of the classic tale of a cursed prince and a beautiful young woman who helps him break the spell.More...
Bambi1942-08-14Bambi's tale unfolds from season to season as the young prince of the forest learns about life, love, and friends.More...
The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea2000-01-23Set several years after the first film, Ariel and Prince Eric are happily married with a daughter, Melody. In order to protect Melody from the Sea Witch, Morgana, they have not told her about her mermaid heritage. Melody is curious and ventures into the sea, where she meets new friends. But will she become a pawn in Morgana's quest to take control of the ocean from King Triton?More...
Tangled2010-11-24Feisty teenager Rapunzel, who has long and magical hair, wants to go and see sky lanterns on her eighteenth birthday, but she's bound to a tower by her overprotective mother. She strikes a deal with Flynn Rider, a charming wanted thief, and the duo set off on an action-packed escapade.More...
Similar Movies
Undercover Grandpa
2017-07-07When the girl he likes goes missing, Jake enlists the help of his grandpa and Grandpa's former special ops buddies.Roustabout
1964-11-11After a singer loses his job at a coffee shop, he finds employment at a struggling carnival, but his attempted romance with a teenager leads to friction with her father.Monsters, Inc.
2001-11-01Lovable Sulley and his wisecracking sidekick Mike Wazowski are the top scare team at Monsters, Inc., the scream-processing factory in Monstropolis. When a little girl named Boo wanders into their world, it's the monsters who are scared silly, and it's up to Sulley and Mike to keep her out of sight and get her back home.Big Fish
2003-12-10Throughout his life Edward Bloom has always been a man of big appetites, enormous passions and tall tales. In his later years, he remains a huge mystery to his son, William. Now, to get to know the real man, Will begins piecing together a true picture of his father from flashbacks of his amazing adventures.The Snows of Kilimanj...
1952-09-17Writer Harry Street reflects on his life as he lies dying from an infection while on safari in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro.Enchanted
2007-11-20The beautiful princess Giselle is banished by an evil queen from her magical, musical animated land and finds herself in the gritty reality of the streets of modern-day Manhattan. Shocked by this strange new environment that doesn't operate on a "happily ever after" basis, Giselle is now adrift in a chaotic world badly in need of enchantment. But when Giselle begins to fall in love with a charmingly flawed divorce lawyer who has come to her aid - even though she is already promised to a perfect fairy tale prince back home - she has to wonder: Can a storybook view of romance survive in the real world?The Last Witch Hunter...
2015-10-21The modern world holds many secrets, but by far the most astounding is that witches still live among us; vicious supernatural creatures intent on unleashing the Black Death upon the world and putting an end to the human race once and for all. Armies of witch hunters have battled this unnatural enemy for centuries, including Kaulder, a valiant warrior who many years ago slayed the all-powerful Witch Queen, decimating her followers in the process. In the moments right before her death, the Queen cursed Kaulder with immortality, forever separating him from his beloved wife and daughter. Today, Kaulder is the last living hunter who has spent his immortal life tracking down rogue witches, all the while yearning for his long-lost family.King Arthur: Legend o...
2017-05-10When the child Arthur’s father is murdered, Vortigern, Arthur’s uncle, seizes the crown. Robbed of his birthright and with no idea who he truly is, Arthur comes up the hard way in the back alleys of the city. But once he pulls the sword Excalibur from the stone, his life is turned upside down and he is forced to acknowledge his true legacy... whether he likes it or not.The Lego Ninjago Movi...
2017-09-21Six young ninjas are tasked with defending their island home of Ninjago. By night, they’re gifted warriors using their skill and awesome fleet of vehicles to fight villains and monsters. By day, they’re ordinary teens struggling against their greatest enemy....high school.Corpse Bride
2005-09-12In a 19th-century European village, a young man about to be married is whisked away to the underworld and wed to a mysterious corpse bride, while his real bride waits bereft in the land of the living.Tell Her That I Love ...
1977-09-28Industrious accountant David Martinaud claims to be visiting his parents every weekend, but it's merely a cover for the labor-intensive refurbishing of his country cottage. The reason for David's secrecy is that his childhood crush, Lise, lives nearby, and, although she's married, he still believes they'll get together. His devotion to the idea borders on mania, and, when Lise's husband is accidentally killed, he quickly spirals out of control.Impromptu
2017-01-01A journey to the origins of cinema, starting with its forgotten fathers: the pioneers who achieved moving images before 1895, the official year of the Lumière cinematograph. Through five studies by Frédéric Chopin, 'Impromptu' is also a tribute to the end of the 19th century, to its immortal muses, and to the fascination with movement itself.Just a Question of Lo...
2000-01-26After his gay cousin dies from hepatitis, young Laurent, who lives with his best friend Carole, falls in love with Cedric, a plant scientist. He's afraid to inform his conservative parents that he is gay.Cute High Earth Defen...
2017-08-26The older boys are graduating school and recount their memories together. The next day everyone defends the graduation ceremony against Zundar and Dadacha's Second-Button Monster, but Yumoto struggles using his love power.Asterix the Gaul
1967-12-20In the year 50 BC, Gaul is occupied by the Romans - nearly. But the small village of Asterix and his friends still resists the Roman legions with the aid of their druid's magic potion, which gives superhuman strength. Learning of this potion, a Roman centurion kidnaps the druid to get the secret formula out of him.Singles
1992-09-18A group of young adults in their twenties, who share an apartment in the city of Seattle, ponder on love and face all the challenges of adulthood.The False Prince
1985-06-01The Sultan awaits the arrival of his son, Prince Omar, who has brought up in a distant land. The master tailor and his assistances are making clothes for the prince. Labakan, the most gifted of his assistances, craves to be a Sovereign's heir so he steals the princely garments snd poses as the Sultan's son.The Haunted Mansion
2003-11-26Workaholic Jim Evers and his wife/business partner Sara get a call one night from a mansion owner, Edward Gracey, who wants to sell his house. Once the Evers family arrive at the mansion, a torrential thunderstorm of mysterious origin strands them with the brooding, eccentric Gracey, his mysterious butler, and a variety of residents both seen and unseen.Dragon Hunters
2008-03-19Dragon Hunters is a fantastic tale telling the adventures of two dragon hunters: the world has become a vast conglomerate of islands of varying size and shape. This babbling universe is mainly peopled with ruthless rogues, surly peasants and illiterate, petty lords Their main concerns revolve around two fundamental rules : Eat and don't get eaten.DuckTales: The Movie ...
1990-08-03With his nephews and niece, everyone's favorite rich uncle, Scrooge McDuck, treks from his mansion home in Duckburg in search of the long-lost loot of the thief Collie Baba. But finding the goods isn't quite what it's "quacked" up to be! Their thrilling adventure leads to comical chaos, magical mayhem, and a lesson about what is far more valuable than money, gold and jewels.