Sleeping Beauty (Two-Disc Platinum Edition)

Sleeping Beauty (Two-Disc Platinum Edition)
by Clyde Geronimi

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DVD details

Actor: Barbara Luddy, Bill Shirley, Eleanor Audley, Mary Costa, Verna Felton
Director: Clyde Geronimi
Brand: Buena Vista Home Video
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); French (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 5.1; Spanish (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: AC-3, Animated, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, NTSC, Restored, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.55:1
Running Time: 75 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-10-07
Audience Rating: G (General Audience)
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

DVD Reviews of Sleeping Beauty (Two-Disc Platinum Edition)

DVD Review: What Size Is Your Set?
Summary: 4 Stars

What? Disney's released another two-disc edition of "Sleeping Beauty?" Why, pray tell? Because they can? Because poor Disney-addicted saps like myself will fall for the ruse and pony up more of our hard-earned cash, even though we already own the Special Edition that was released a mere five years ago? You can tell I was skeptical. But there are some wonderful new extras on this release that weren't included in the last, and for hardcore fans, they're definitely worth having. And the film itself...? Well, for those of you who have never seen "Sleeping Beauty," by all means snatch it up. This may not be Disney's most entertaining film in terms of story line, but it's certainly its most visually gorgeous. The look of the film is based on ancient tapestries and medieval artwork, and the way that the studio's animators and background artists have translated them to the screen (led by the brilliant, visionary Eyvind Earle), is nothing less than breathtaking.

The biggest drawback to any edition of "Sleeping Beauty," and it's not necessarily a small one, is that the scope of the film, its visual, widescreen beauty and impact will be completely lost on a conventionally sized television. If you don't have a big screen TV, it's almost not worth the investment.

So, if you have the old edition of the film, try selling it on Amazon and put the money towards getting the new one. If you don't have either, just be aware that the size of your set may seriously effect (or enhance) your enjoyment of this most beautiful and unique of Disney's masterpieces.

DVD Review: Amazingly clear video and audio
Summary: 3 Stars

Having been a fan of previous Disney efforts on Platinum DVD, I was looking forward to their first "classic animated film" release in HD on Blu Ray... then I found out their first outing would be Sleeping Beauty. For me, of the "classics" in Disney's line up, Sleeping Beauty is the weakest effort put forth on the story side.

Despite my general apathy towards Sleeping Beauty, I bit the bullet and decided to purchase it on Blu Ray to see just what it is that Disney has in itself for these HD releases. In terms of the release, I couldn't be happier.

First, let us take a look at the story. We all know the story, most likely, by now. Sleeping Beauty, or Princess Aurora, is born, is granted gifts of physical beauty and beautiful voice, but is also then cursed with dying on her 16th birthday thanks to Maleficent. The final gift is one of, instead of death, one of eternal sleep until the princess is awakened by her true love.

Here the story takes a nose dive as you are instantly transported to the 16th year of the girl's life, where the movie just seems to fly by and is extremely light on story telling.

Next, comes the video. For this release (and the DVD edition), Sleeping Beauty has been digitally restored and as such, there is no dust, dirt, scratch or any other type of film error to be seen on this release. The colors are bold and vibrant and jump off the screen; as designed. It is presented in 1080p, using the AVC codec. For the first time ever on a home release, we are presented with the film as originally intended, in the full 2.35:1 aspect ratio. Previous efforts have all put forth 4:3 letter boxed editions. Disney has done an amazing job in the video department for this title, and if you want an animated movie to show off the power of your HD system, this is certainly a contender. If you really concentrate, however, there are some issues in certain scenes. In one forest shot, for instance, Aurora/Briar Rose, is seen from a distance and is quite blury. I will assume this is a source issue given it seems to be an anomaly over all, but it is still a bit disconcerting given the clarity given to the rest of the film.

As I've said of numerous movies on Blu Ray before, this is the best the movie has likely ever looked, especially on a home theatre.

As for the sound, Disney has also restored and remastered the audio (also on the regular DVD). On the Blu Ray the audio is presented in two formats; first is the newly remixed DTS HD Master Audio (English) format and also the original 4 channel "stereophonic" (English) soundtrack is also provided in it's restored glory. There are no pops, no hiss and absolutely no issues to be heard in either mix. Again, to fall back on a familiar description, this film has never sounded better. One complaint some may have is the lack of other audio options; the only soundtracks available are in English, while on the DVD several other options, such as French and Spanish (both included on the DVD but not here) and also a lack of subtitle options in other languages as well. A bit puzzling given the DVD has these options available, as do other Disney Blu Ray releases.

When it comes to extras, as with Disney's previous Platinum DVD releases, this Blu Ray comes with a second disc chocked full of extras. The first disc includes the Grand Canyon short that accompanied the theatrical release (in HD), a commentary, a trivia game, music video and Dragon Encounter, a show case for 7.1 audio. Also included with the film is a BD-Live capable disc where you can chat with others watching the film (assuming they are on your "friends" list) and some other on-line features. I didn't delve too deeply into the BD-Live options given my lack of enthusiasm for them, however I can see where someone might enjoy it; I don't.

Then you have the second disc which is all bonus material. There are several games (geared towards children mostly), several featurettes (one as long as 43 minutes) on the creation of Sleeping Beauty and restoring the audio, a longer story board only alternate opening sequence, deleted songs and a few more featurettes ported from the previous DVD release of Sleeping Beauty. The last bits, those ported from the original DVD release, are the ONLY ones in standard definition.

If you enjoy extras to accompany your DVDs and Blu Ray discs, this one should surely please you.

One other extra, that is supposedly only available for a limited time, is the first DVD from the Platinum DVD release (you get the film and bonus features available on disc 1 of the set). So if you don't have a Blu Ray player/PS3 but know one is in your future, you can purchase the Blu Ray now and still enjoy the film while waiting for your Blu Ray player.

In the end, the movie, while lackluster in my opinion, is presented in as perfect a method as possible today. If you are a fan of the film, you will be astounded by the clarity of this release and likely couldn't be happier. If you are like me in that the movie itself doesn't do much for you, this release won't likely do anything to change that opinion.

DVD Review: Is it just me?
Summary: 4 Stars

This review is for the recently released Sleeping Beauty (Two-Disc Platinum Edition). The colors are gorgeous, love the widescreen presentation, but I have an issue. I have a 40" flat screen LCD HD television (but a non-HD DVD player) and when I play this DVD I notice a lot of blurring of the crisp edges, particularily when the characters are in motion. It's especially noticable in the opening sequence ("Hail to the Princess Aurora"), and when Kings Stefan and Hubert are toasting the impending marriage of Aurora and Phillip ("Skumps"). Those are the worst instances I've noticed so far, but it's all through the film. When the fairies wave their wands or move too quickly the wands and the outlines of their clothing have a zig-zag appearance instead of crisp edges. Even when chracters turn their heads sometimes it's noticable. Something makes me think it's not a defect with the disc itself. I'm not sure if this is just because TV technology has progressed so far beyond the original animation, or maybe my standard DVD player isn't up to snuff. Or maybe it's an issue with the restoration. Anybody else with a large screen television notice the same thing, or is it just me?

DVD Review: Sleeping Beauty is prettier than ever!
Summary: 5 Stars

Sleeping Beauty, the classic tale, looks better than ever in this blu-ray version. As a bonus I was quite surprised to find a DVD version also included in this package. You really cannot go wrong with this title on blu-ray especially since they are including the DVD version on a seperate disc. It's simply a must-have title.

DVD Review: Sleeping Beauty
Summary: 5 Stars

Such a sweet movie glad i got my copy it brings back a lot of childhood memories recommend it highly.

Anne

Description of Sleeping Beauty (Two-Disc Platinum Edition)

Awaken your senses to the majesty of SLEEPING BEAUTY, Walt Disney's classic fairy tale. See more than you've ever seen before through the magic of state-of-the-art technology, and experience this groundbreaking film restored beyond its original brilliance, in the way Walt envisioned it pristine, beautiful, utterly breathtaking. SLEEPING BEAUTY will transform your home into a fantastic world your family will want to experience again and again.

In the original story, Princess Aurora sleeps for 100 years before being awakened by a prince's kiss. In the Disney version, Prince Philip comes to her rescue much sooner.
George Brun's orchestral score, which was nominated for an Academy Award, expertly blended famous themes from Tchaikovsky's ballet.
With a budget that exceeded $6 million in 1959, this was Walt Disney's most lavish and expensive animated feature to date.
Determined to make the characters as realistic as possible, Disney had a live action film shot with actors posing as Sleeping Beauty, the Prince, and Maleficent, for the animators to use.
New York Times critic Bosley Crowther called the fight between Prince Philip and Maleficent the noisiest and scariest go-round he (Disney) has ever put into one of his films.
All-New Digital Restoration With Enhanced Picture And Sound
All-New 5.1 Disney Enhanced Home Theater Surround Sound
All-New Once Upon A Dream Music Video, Performed By HANNAH MONTANA'S Emily Osment
Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough A Fully Immersive Virtual Tour
All-New Enhanced Dance Game With Help From Briar Rose's Forest Friends, You Can Learn How To Dance
Never-Before-Seen Alternate Opening
Deleted Songs
All-New Making Of SLEEPING BEAUTY Featurette
And Much, Much More

Disney's 1959 animated effort was the studio's most ambitious to date, a widescreen spectacle boasting a gorgeous waltz-filled score adapting Tchaikovsky. In the 14th century, the malevolent Maleficent (not dissimilar to the wicked Queen in Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs taunts a king that his infant Aurora will fatally prick her finger on a spinning wheel before sundown on her 16th birthday. This, of course, would deny her a happily-ever-after with her true love. Things almost but not quite turn out that way, thanks to the assistance of some bubbly, bumbling fairies named Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather. It's not really all that much about the title character--how interesting can someone in the middle of a long nap be, anyway? Instead, those fairies carry the day, as well as, of course, good Prince Phillip, whose battle with the malevolent Maleficent in the guise of a dragon has been co-opted by any number of animated films since. See it in its original glory here. And Malificent's castle, filled with warthogs and demonic imps in a macabre dance celebrating their evil ways, manages a certain creepy grandeur. --David Kronke

Stills from Sleeping Beauty (Click for larger image)

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