Sleeping Beauty
Ages: General Audience

I was brought up on Mother Goose's Sleeping Beauty and the Petipa/Tchaikovsky ballet, and so I set out to review Disney's version with a lack of enthusiasm. Was I surprised - this is an animation masterpiece. The exuberant detail in the scenes, the smooth animation and the expressiveness in the characters bodies, faces - will make not only girls, but everyone love it.

Disney has shortened the story - taking place in months, not 100 years, and has made the toe dancing fairies into the grandmotherly Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather. Maleficent, the evil vengeful fairy, so angry that she has condemned the princess to death, is the uber-all evil female that has influenced other Disney pictures.

The bonus disk is a treasure trove of information for animation aficionados - a history of Eyvind Earl - the man behind the animation and an insider story about Sequence 9 which is the scene with Aurora the prince waltzing in the forest. It took a year to make. People who left Disney and then returned found that it was still being worked on. For children, the bonus disk has step by step instructions on how to waltz - boys and girls parts. For a mere pittance, you can own it forever.

Fun Factor: An animation spectacular
Female Factor: Practically an all female cast.

Reviewed by: Editor - 09/08