My history with Disney movies is pretty pathetic. Maybe when I was a wee lad, I saw many of them and my memories of those viewings were forced out of my head by cars, sports, girls or something of that nature. So with my recent screening of "Sleeping Beauty", I begin a personal journey through as many Disney animated features as I can handle without being overwhelmed by fairy tales or cuteness. I'm not planning some marathon or project of any sort. I'm just going to mix them in where I can, between my usual watches of some borderline Horror flick, bad '50s B-movie or silly Kaiju rubber suit fest. So yeah...back to "Sleeping Beauty". First off, it's a run-of-the-mill fairy tale, not exactly thrilling for a middle-aged male like myself. The animation, particularly the backgrounds are stunning. And boy, do I like the super widescreen aspect ratio. Most everything has a very sharp or angular appearance and the colors are amazing. I found that the story centered around the three fairies, not Sleeping Beauty or the Prince. Geez, talk about the beautiful couple. No wonder a lot of little girls dream of being princesses. It almost seems like Barbie Dolls were modeled after the look of the Princess. I see that the release date of "Sleeping Beauty" was January of 1959 and Barbie Dolls were introduced in March of that same year, so that lines up a bit. However, a simple wiki search proves my theory to be bunk. But still, there is a resemblance there. Anyhow, my favorite thing about this film is the villain, Maleficent. The way she glides around menacingly is amazing and I love her mannerisms and voice. She's just a bad bitch, really. And when she transforms into a dragon...I can see why it's such a legendary moment in movie history.

Further romantic chapters in Disney's well-worn, singing storybook of familiar fairy tales. This one arrives late in the studio's golden period, as the creative staff is beginning to fragment, but the holdovers still know how to tap into the same old magic. Walt Disney was personally adamant that this film be wholly distinct from 1937's Snow White - with good reason, as the two share several crucial story elements - but I don't think it got there. It's a more proficient film, smoother and lovelier, better balanced, with a far more memorable foil, but in theme and appearance, there's just no escaping those similarities. That isn't a terrible thing, though; it's not like the Brothers Grimm never revisited the same fertile ground. Creative direction is where Sleeping Beauty really distinguishes itself, anyway, with a unified art deco flourish flooding the scenery and an awesomely sinister edge to anything even remotely menacing. They really outdid themselves with the evil castle/sorcerer/stormclouds stuff this time around. Maleficent alone is a stunning figure, simple and refined, elegantly evil, instantly recognizable and believably intimidating despite her slight frame. Excellent fantasy material with a touch of the whimsical, still beautiful after all this time, and the last chapter of an important era in animation history. A fond, carefully-orchestrated farewell.

A lovely film that incorporates arrangements of Tchaikovsky's ballet. Fantastic animation for it's time, Disney was on top form with this one.

I like Maleficent and Prince Philip, but the good fairies are a hardship to endure..