This movie was so boring until the very ending. The music is forgettable and Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) is the worst Disney princess she has nothing going for her in anyway. Her voice isn't too good, her looks don't really stand out and she has no character development I mean she's only in 18 minutes of the film. This was wasted potential she could have been better if they tried. The only thing that saves this movie from being utter trash is Maleficent. Her humor I funny and she is a delight to watch as well as watching the prince go out to save the princess. Trust me all you have to do is watch the first 10 mins and the skip to the last 30 mineutes and you will perfectly fine.

There are some classic movies that you get to know so well, that eventually you think you can just put it on as background noise while you do other stuff, but if you happen to look up at the screen for one moment, you are completely captivated and kept from looking away until the credits have rolled. Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty is one of those movies. This animated production is that rare, perfect alignment of masters of their crafts, like Marc Davis, directing animator of both the film's protagonist and antagonist, and painter Eyvind Earle who served here as production designer, among many other artists, that creates something wonderfully unlike anything else. When it was decided to do Sleeping Beauty, the company knew they would have to push the artistry further than they ever had before to purposefully make the film stand out from everything that had ever come before it. The story's medieval setting perfectly caters to this with Gothic architecture, patterned tapestries, sculpted box trees and other hyper detailed background elements. To match, Disney ditched the soft and round and inviting characters that they usually portray for character designs that are more jagged and angular, strong with deep straight and vertical lines. The detail of the film really is just staggering. Add to that the fact that this was all done in Super Technirama 70 means not only more detailed art, but physically larger portions of art needed to be created to fill the film's frame, and every single frame from this film could be a framed painting hanging in a museum all on its own.Just as your eyes finally settle from all the detail and you think the movie couldn't be any more perfect, it happens. A blustery wind and a flash of lightening introduces you to the most iconic villain in all of the Disney stable. If anyone can crash a party and completely steal a show, it is Maleficent, which is a feat from a character with very little action. She's a speech giver, which means her captivation comes completely from her design, her slight movements, her voice, and her overall demanding presence. She can stand completely still and yet you will never lose her within the intricacies of the settings around her because you will never even take your eyes off of her. A spell has truly been cast, and while our princess has the least amount of lines for any human title character in a Disney animated movie, Maleficent more than fills the stage, making the movie really all about her.Other characters, like the film's hero Prince Phillip, are also more well rounded than the archetype had been in previous Disney films, and he would have to be to even enter into such a dark and threatening climatic battle. This Dark Ages atmosphere of Sleeping Beauty is spurned on by its classical score, a brilliant arrangement by George Bruns of the original music from the Sleeping Beauty ballet composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The idea to take this well known music and reset it to the events of the movie adds weight and seriousness, as well as an heir of familiarity. It also does well to heighten certain moments in the film to truly chilling and mesmerizing states.It's a wonder that the film was a failure upon its initial release. The increase to its art and production meant that it was also Disney's most expensive animated film to date, and unfortunately could not make its money back at the box office, resulting in quite a change in style at the studio. The company's next release would be the scratchily designed 101 Dalmatians, with Sleeping Beauty ending the era of the lush and overly romantic Disney animated film. It has since gained both its money back and popularity, though, considered by many to be one of Disney's crowning achievements. As for me, I am perfectly comfortable in going further than that to call Sleeping Beauty the best animated film of all time.

Walt Disney wanted Sleeping Beauty to look completely different to the rest of Disney's animated features and be the pinnacle of animation at the time. In a number areas that was certainly achieved. Though not a success on its release, Sleeping Beauty is a visual wonder and has some of the best elements ever put in a Disney film. The film based itself around both the Charles Perrault and Brothers Grimm versions, as well as using points from the Tchaikovsky ballet. It revolves around a princess cursed to fall into a sleep on her 16th birthday by pricking her finger on a spinning wheel, from which she can only be awaken by her true love. It's a story that is widely known, but what makes the film so effective are the methods used to tell it.There's only one major issue with the film and sadly it's with the main characters. Both Aurora and Prince Phillip are incredibly dull. Aurora does practically nothing of note, all she does is stand around looking pretty or sing with the animals and she just comes off as plain boring. In her defence she is asleep for the second half of the film, but it's difficult to care for her as we know nothing about her because we never get an insight into her character. Prince Phillip is equally as uninteresting. He gets a few funny moments at first, but his attraction to Aurora is rushed and he doesn't really have a personality. He is the focal point of the climax, but he doesn't say a word during it which is odd and gets rather tedious.Elsewhere however the characters are fantastic. The three fairies are wonderful and are effectively the true heroes of the film. They all have distinct personalities without being clichéd, they provide a good balance of appropriate comedy as well drama and the voice actresses (including regulars Verna Felton and Barbara Luddy) do excellent jobs. The two kings who flip-flop between bickering and friendliness get a few good laughs too. With that said, what really pushes the film to great heights is Maleficent who is easily one of Disney's greatest ever villains. It is frighteningly evil the sheer lengths she'll go to over being snubbed at a party, showing that she is simply a superb mix of terrifying and cunning. Her design is a perfect blend of scary and stylish, while Eleanor Audley's classy voice adding even more punch to the character.The animation is simply stunning, completely different to anything Disney had done before or done since. It reminds me a lot of tapestry work or medieval art. It isn't as bright as previous films and everything is drawn in a more realistic style that gives the film an added uniqueness. The overly angular design and muted colour scheme work brilliantly in this respect too. The backgrounds are very flat and allow for the characters to pop out more, but the amount of detail that goes into them is incredible. The forests and castles are just beautiful to look at. The score is equally as good, coming straight from the famed ballet. It allows for some wonderful melodies and some great builds of tension, with songs such as 'Once Upon A Dream' also being very enjoyable.Another impressive aspect is the films atmosphere. There is a great deal of tension present throughout the film and an ever building sense of dread that makes everything at stake seem all the more important. I also enjoy how unsettling the film can be, the whole sequence involving the spinning wheel is extremely creepy thanks to the visuals and the haunting music which are both used expertly. The film also has a lot of slower moments that work in its favour in allowing the atmosphere to build up. There's also a lot more action and intensity than you would expect, in fact the climax is one of Disney's best. It keeps on building in obstacles that Prince Philip must face and Maleficent becoming a dragon takes it all to another level.On the whole I'd say Sleeping Beauty is one of Disney's strongest works from their golden age. It does have its faults mainly in its two leads who are very dull, but what it does well it does incredibly well. As said this is possibly Disney's best looking film, certainly one of their most unique, and it's a film worth viewing for the visuals alone. I think the fairies are very enjoyable, there is a wonderfully sense of atmosphere throughout and the music is fantastic. Maleficent is one of Disney's greatest villains, whenever she appears you can't take your eyes away and she has everything you would want in a villain. It's a film that rewards repeated viewings and one that is always engaging whenever I watch it.

Classic Disney fairy tale adaptation about a princess named Aurora who is cursed by an evil witch named Maleficent. Lovely in every way with memorable characters and scenes that have stood the test of time. The animation is beautiful and stylish with rich, vibrant colors. The voice actors all do wonderful work. If I had a complaint, it would be that the narrator is rather bland. Someone with a stronger voice would have been better. But it's a minor thing in a film that is so wonderful from start to finish. The Tchaikovsky music is amazing and the song "Once Upon a Dream" is a real gem. I'm no film historian but it seems like, in many ways, this movie represents the end of an era for animated Disney films that began with Snow White in 1937. There would certainly be some great movies to come, even some classics, but they wouldn't have quite the same grand feeling and charming old-fashioned qualities of the films from this era.