May 8, 2012

Sleeping Beauty (1959)


RECENTLY, JACK-JACK’S kindergarten class went on a field trip to see a children’s play.

But when I heard the play was Sleeping Beauty, I grew concerned. I’ve documented my boys’ track record of anti-princess sentiment, so I was worried he may not care for the play. Turns out, he really liked it.

Hoping to capitalize on this, I showed Jack-Jack my pristine, barely used, 50th anniversary DVD of Sleeping Beauty I bought from our local library for $3 (that’s not a typo). He was fascinated, carrying it around the house for several days, staring at the box art.

Yet as the whole family sat down to watch Sleeping Beauty, I wondered if it could capture the attention and imagination of two young boys more than half a century after its release…

Sleeping Beauty follows 16-year-old Princess Aurora, who’s put in the care of three bumbling fairies to avoid the curse of being cast into a deep sleep by the evil witch Maleficent – a curse that can only be broken by true love’s first kiss.

Some of the plot developments in Sleeping Beauty are a bit odd by today’s standards…
  • When Maleficent declares, during Aurora’s infancy, that she will curse the princess on her 16th birthday, the king and queen give her to the three fairies to raise until she turns 16 (though parents of teens may agree with this technique).
  • On the eve of Aurora’s 16th birthday, the fairies send her out into the woods – unchaperoned – so they can plan her birthday party. (What could possibly go wrong?)
  • Prince Phillip, who’s destined to wed Aurora in an arranged marriage, may want to check the statutes in his kingdom concerning his plans to wed a 15-year-old minor.
What’s interesting is that while Sleeping Beauty (aka Princess Aurora) gets top billing, it’s the three fairies who carry the film. In fact, Aurora is virtually a bit player in her own movie; she’s more of a plot device than a fully developed character.

Is this movie old? Yes, it is. But thanks to an amazing transfer full or rich, vibrant colors, it looks very new. And the animation is classic Disney in every way possible: fluid character movements surrounded by gorgeous set pieces and backdrops.

Aside from the antics of the fairies, the wickedness of Maleficent, and the climactic battle, Sleeping Beauty plays a bit quiet. However, the last ten minutes are truly exciting as Prince Philip faces off against Maleficent in the form of a fire-breathing dragon (her, not him).

With Sleeping Beauty, there’s not much more you could ask for from a classic Disney movie: a prince, a princess, cute and funny animals, comedic relief, an evil queen, and a fairytale ending.

So did it capture the attention and imagination of my boys? The answer is yes. Maybe not a resounding yes…let’s call it a confident, admirable yes.

Rating:

What did Dash and Jack-Jack think?
Sleeping Beauty was a tougher sell for Dash than Jack-Jack. He almost declined to watch it with us, but finally agreed. While he did sit through it without protest (and actually seemed to enjoy it), I doubt he’ll ask for a second viewing.
For his part, Jack-Jack did like Sleeping Beauty. But due to my hard sell of the dragon, he asked “Where’s the dragon?” or “Is the dragon coming soon?” several times.

Is it suitable for your kids?
Sleeping Beauty is rated G, and is largely appropriate for all ages. Some minor concerns for small children: Maleficent can be menacing at times; one of the king's servants gets tipsy on wine; Maleficent declares that she is summoning “all the powers of Hell;” a dragon is stabbed by a sword, with some blood coming from the wound.

Will your FilmMother want to watch it?
Hmm...does she like Disney? Does she like princesses? Do you know I’m asking these questions rhetorically?

SPOILER ALERT!!!

Sleeping Beauty
* Director: Clyde Geronimi
* Screenwriter: Erdman Penner
* Stars: Mary Costa, Bill Shirley, Eleanor Audley, Verna Felton, Barbara Luddy, Barbara Jo Allen, Taylor Holmes, Bill Thompson, Marvin Miller
* MPAA Rating: G


Rent Sleeping Beauty from Netflix >>

7 comments:

Phillyradiogeek said...

This is one of my daughter's favorites. Of course, no one is more into princesses than her :)

Budd said...

my girls loved this one, but they are...girls. I actually didn't mind watching this one with them the first half dozen times. The next couple of dozen times, I wasn't interested.

A few months ago I won the Johnny English contest and Just thought I would tell you that I used the Fandango gift card to take the family to see the Avengers this weekend. We loved it. Thanks, so much for all the contests you run.

Unknown said...

hahaha..well I'm a male and in my 30s and it's been my favorite Disney animated movie since I was a kid followed by The Black Cauldron so I can see why it semi-appealed to your boys!

dr dre headphones said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Islam said...

yeh kids love fantasy...

StuartOhQueue said...

This is one of my favorite Disney films, short of the underrated "Black Cauldron," for its wonderfully Gothic aesthetic.

Honestly, though, Disney had bright colors and deep (dark) contrast down in the early years. Even as far back as "Snow White," they had some pretty powerful and popping visuals.

Call me a grouch, but I just didn't get that from "Princess and the Frog" or "Home on the Range."

Gemma said...

What a fabulous review! Good job. Makes me want to run out and see it, or at least grab a copy and watch it!

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails