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Mary Costa, Bill Shirley, Eleanor Audley, Verna Felton, Barbara Luddy ... see more see more... , Bill Thompson , Taylor Holmes , Candy Candido , Pinto Colvig , Dal McKennon , Marvin Miller , Barbara Jo Allen

Disney produced this lavish animated fairy tale, the most expensive cartoon ever made up to its release with a budget of $6 million. When the young princess Aurora is cursed at birth by the evil fairy... read more read more... Maleficent, the baby is kidnapped by a trio of good fairies who raise the girl themselves, hoping to avoid the spell's fulfillment. Nevertheless, at the age of 16, the beautiful Aurora falls into a deep sleep that can only be awakened by a kiss from her betrothed, Prince Phillip. Knowing that Phillip intends to save Aurora, Maleficent takes him prisoner. When the good fairies launch a rescue attempt, Maleficent transforms herself into a spectacular fire-breathing dragon, forcing Phillip to defeat her in mortal combat. Sleeping Beauty (1959) was Oscar nominated for its musical score, which featured adaptations of Tchaikovsky compositions. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

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75% liked it

398,522 ratings

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88% liked it

34 critics

G, 1 hr. 15 min.

Directed by: Clyde Geronimi, Eric Larson (II), Les Clark, Wolfgang Reitherman

Release Date: January 29, 1959

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DVD Release Date: October 7, 2008

Stats: 17,772 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (17,772)

  • TheDudeLebowski65
    April 28, 2012
    TheDudeLebowski65
    Disney's Sleeping Beauty is a wonderful classic. The studio has always strived on bringing terrific animated features to the screen, and Sleeping Beauty continues that tradition. Brilliant from start to finish, and well drawn, this is a marvelous childhood favorite. Sleeping Beau... read morety is a bit dark, and it might scare little kids under the age of five, but for the most part. The film is easily one of the studios best since Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Like many of Disney's first films, this film still belongs among the best of Disney's output. The classic, simplistic nature of this film is what really makes it such a memorable film to watch. I very much enjoyed the film and thought it was a brilliant classic with a great voice cast. Disney's strength lies in the simplistic tales that each film has, but they do it in such a way that it's hard to forget these films. Sleepy Beauty is a great film, one that is perfect for anyone of all ages. Even with its dark overtones, this is a film that children will love; I certainly enjoyed it when I was young. If you're looking for another great Disney classic, Sleeping Beauty is a must film. This is a fine film from start to finish, one that is just as memorable as previous Disney films. Brilliantly acted, drawn and told; Sleeping Beauty remains a definite classic in the Disney catalogue. If you love the old school Disney films, give this one a shot, it is a very memorable film, and yet another classic.
  • spielberg00
    August 12, 2011
    spielberg00
    OK+
  • MidnightMadwoman
    May 30, 2011
    MidnightMadwoman
    Ugh, god. I think I must have outgrown this movie before I even gave it a decent shot. To give credit where it's due, it is a beautiful film. The backgrounds are to die for; the forestscapes are breathtaking and I found myself wishing that real thickets were as lush and idyll. Ma... read moreleficent's castle alone would have been worth the price of admission. Dude, it's freakin' Mordhaus 45 years before Metalocalypse! Indeed, the woman's got exemplary taste in architecture. Her taste in minions, foes and general story worlds however is really lacking. The poor witch is much too badass a villain to degrade herself in a movie like this. Three pudgy and inept fairy godmothers who, in fifteen years, can't learn to sew or bake are really below her as nemeses. Maleficent is better than that. This movie's got huge problems. The writing should have been so much tighter; instead of events advancing the plot, this is a series of vaguely amusing and unconnected events interspersed with cursory plot detail. Sleeping Beauty is an example of terrible storytelling: It could have been a rom-com farce about two royal lovers that don't know that they were bethrothed to begin with. It could have been a fascinating story of a bitter anti-monarchistic sorceress who's trying to wake up her countrymen to thier blind hero worship. In fact, that would have given the villain believable motivation for her deeds, which are instead done out of the evil of her heart. The closest thing we get to a real story would be the tale of three clingy spinsters who never grew up, but try to define thier own identities through thier artifical roles as mothers. Because really, the three portly sprites are the actual protagonists of the film, not the title character. I don't understand this movie. What's its moral? Be sure to invite everyone to your daughter's christening? Teach your children about the dangers of the world, instead of trying to isolate them from them all? Blech. I want to see Maleficent in her own movie.
  • DreamExtractor
    April 22, 2011
    DreamExtractor
    Great animation and story make this one of Walt Disneys most magical movies
  • ythelastman89
    April 22, 2011
    ythelastman89
    If I were to choose my favorite of the Disney Princess film collection, this would probably be it. I think it's probably due to the unbelievably great animation and the fact that it has the most realistic sense of danger. It's kind've more about Prince Adam's adventure of being a... read morewesome and defeating everything in his path than it is Aurora; making it the most unique in terms of atmosphere. I think Maleficent is the most downright evil and diabolical villain to exist in this mini-universe of fairy tales. The story is, as usual, fun to watch and timeless.
  • FilmFanatik
    February 28, 2011
    FilmFanatik
    I haven't quite made up my mind about which film I believe is the best of all Disney's animated ventures. I'm always grappling with
    Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Beauty and the Beast and Sleeping Beauty. Most people consider the latter to be their choice, and I can certain... read morely understand why. It is definitely one of Disney's crowning achievements (despite the fact that Walt himself didn't work as closely with the creative team as he had done in the past). Whether or not I make my mind up about it, I still hold it in the highest esteem.
  • skeletonking101
    December 13, 2010
    skeletonking101
    a fantastic disney film with a fantastic villain music and characters (and by that i mean the fairies)
  • 3niR
    December 9, 2010
    3niR
    I enjoy the old fairy tales a lot. They are short and cute. This one was similar with the "Snow White". But not entirely. I love happy ending(s).
  • ajv2688
    November 21, 2010
    ajv2688
    This is a pretty good Disney movie, which I saw as a teen, but I think I would have liked it better if I'd seen it as a kid.
  • groaningbitch
    October 22, 2010
    groaningbitch
    i always have an appreciation for the against-type roles, in other words, villains, especially when they're women, do you know that within 50 best villains in cinematic history, there're only 10 ones that are women? barbara stanwyck in double indemnity is surely gloriously includ... read moreed, and the other one which stays in my mind is maleficent in sleeping beauty which arouses my attention due to the well-publicized advertisements of M.A.C. cosmetics, which recently applies disney's "venomous villians" as their make-up muses. of course, i saw sleeping beauty long long long time ago when i was in elementary school and teacher played it in class and i never noticed how spitefully elegant that character is and enigmatic color-set of purple and green-blue in maleficient''s design...also, do you grasp the possibility that maleficient was inspired by greta garbo in queen christina? it often amazes me that lots of disney villains are inspired by 1930s feminist icons, the eyebrows, the facial features and the affected accents? once the glamour icons adored by all turn into some figures of twisted nightmares by the walter disney crew.

    sleeping beauty is a story commonly known by all, the new-born princess is cursed by a witch of evil force that she will pick on her own finger and die on her sexiteenth birthday, then the good fairies come to rescue and redeem the curse of death into eternal slumber until the kiss of true love. what makes this version lasting even till today is the sophistication of its villain. first of all, the reason why maleficient veils the princess with her malicious damnation is because she gets rejected and marginalized by the royal court who even denies her the entrance into their baby-shower banquet. one of the good fairies, merryweather, even insults maleficient and ridicules her as "un-wanted"...second of all, in the final confrontation between maleficient and the good fairies, merryweather even uses her magic to transform maleficient's beloved pet (a raven) into stone, how cruel it is to deprive a friendless person of her only one friend in this world. and the dialogues do mention for several times that maleficient is unhappy and nobody cares at all. third of all, the supposed hero, in this story, is not so heroic. the prince, who saves the princess by his kiss of love, could only rescue his precious lover under the guidance and the aid of the good fairies. he cannot handle maleficient alone, and his sword-shot at her heart is only an accient catalyzed by the good fairies. in other words, it's like he's only there to take credits of others' works. so what's so heroic about him?

    the princess' getting picked by the sharp wooden needle of a sewing machine has the metaphor of virginal deflowerment: she must really get "curious" enough to let her get hurt by exploring "this sharp penetrating gadget." (catch it now? ha) death by the pick refers to the loss of virginal blood. basically the story of sleeping beauty is a fight between chaperonage of feminine chastity and the dark force which intends to baffle the growth of feminine virtues. but in either way, the conclusion is simple: the girl has to remain virgin in pre-nuptial term or she dies! (what a costly hymen!) and maleficient has to be uglified for being a liberated woman without getting bound by those notions of womanhood, marginalized as the everlasting loner/rebel who poses a threat to the world of mainstream....to me, the most annoying character here is the good fairy merryweather, for being so self-righteously moralistic! just like a straight-laced puritan from bible belt, so eager to criticize and condemn, so haste on her judgement toward the outsider without a bit of emphatic sympathy!

    (ps) do you recall the last scene where prince dancing with princess, the two good fairies are quarrealing whether the princess' gown should be pink or blue? the meaning of that quarreal is: pink stands for timid innocence of maidenhood; blue means the self-discipline of a fresh debuntante. therefore two fairies' quarreal is simple: a halting point between maidenhood and womanhood before her "consummation" with the prince, thus the result would be: sometimes she's a girl but sometimes she's also a young woman just as the gown keeps changing between pink and blue on the dance ball. but she's only 16 (before 18, it's minor), so you figure...

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Critic Reviews

Dave Kehr
September 3, 2008
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

The masterpiece of the Disney Studios' postwar style. Full Review

September 2, 2008
TIME Magazine

The hero and heroine are sugar sculpture, and the witch looks like a clumsy tracing from a Charles Addams cartoon. Full Review

Variety Staff
July 2, 2008
Variety Staff, Variety

Mary Costa's rich and expressive voice for the title character gives substance and strength to it. Full Review

Bosley Crowther
March 25, 2006
Bosley Crowther, New York Times

The colors are rich, the sounds are luscious and magic sparkles spurt charmingly from wands. Full Review

Josh Larsen
October 19, 2011
Josh Larsen, LarsenOnFilm

Has poor party etiquette ever been so costly? Full Review

Carrie R. Wheadon
December 14, 2010
Carrie R. Wheadon, Common Sense Media

Disney classic is delightful but sometimes scary. Full Review

Tim Brayton
November 12, 2009
Tim Brayton, Antagony & Ecstasy

One of the handful of Disney features that can be rightfully called perfect. Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
December 20, 2008
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Has grown better with age. Full Review

Amber Wilkinson
November 3, 2008
Amber Wilkinson, Eye for Film

The animation is -- as with all the early Disney's -- jaw-droppingly good. Full Review

Kevin Carr
October 22, 2008
Kevin Carr, 7M Pictures

taken as a childhood adventure, you can't get much better than this film Full Review

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    • Maleficent: Now shall you deal with me o' prince, and all the powers of HELL!
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  • what disney movies i8nvolves a fire-breathing dragon. a castle under a sleeping spell and a 16th birthday?  Answer »
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