Movie Review: Sleeping Beauty
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that, for most kids, the scariest part
of this Disney classic will be the prince's fight with the
dragon. He fights it with a sword and almost falls from a
cliff. Other scary moments involve the witch Maleficent and her
ogre-like goons. Maleficent kidnaps the prince, and the goons
beat him up (mostly shown in shadow). She also shoots lightning
bolts with her staff and at one point dissolves into a green
mist. There's one notable drinking scene where the two kings
toast to their children's impending nuptials, and the attending
minstrel sneaks enough wine to get drunk, falling down under
the table and hiccuping.
Families can talk about scary villains. Is Maleficent scarier than say, Cruella De Vil from 101 Dalmatians ? How about the witch from Snow White ? Also, for kids who like the movies Shrek and Enchanted, what did those movies imitate from this one?
Common Sense Media Review
Princess Aurora's birth is hailed far and wide, and during
the celebration, good fairies offer her gifts of beauty and
song. Then comes Maleficent (voiced by Eleanor Audley), a cruel
fairy who curses the princess. If pricked by a spinning wheel's
needle before her 16th birthday, Aurora will die. But one good
fairy who has yet to bestow a gift offers the princess
enchanted sleep instead of death -- sleep that can only to be
broken by true love's kiss. The king and queen act quickly,
hiding their daughter away in a cottage with the three good
fairies until she turns 16. On that faithful day, she both
meets her prince (Bill Shirley) and is discovered by Maleficent
-- who's determined to find a spinning wheel before sunset.
There's a reason why this classic tale is so often imitated and referenced -- how many successful modern fairy tales still have characters singing to woodland creatures, fighting dragons, and awaiting true love's kiss to lift curses? Shrek and Enchanted are three for three.
This 1959 classic weaves in these necessary elements with charm, lovely melodies (especially "Once Upon a Dream"), and that touch of fright that comes from a truly unforgettable villain who can disappear in a poof of green mist and has ogre-like minions at her command. A touch of cute comes from the bustling, slightly bumbling good fairies, who are hopeless with chores without their magic. And all that fits within the short 75-minute running time -- getting sleeping beauties everywhere to bed promptly on movie night.
Fans of this classic will also enjoy Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs , The Little Mermaid , and Cinderella .
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