DVD Review: Sleeping Beauty Platinum Edition - Standard + Blu-ray
Sleeping Beauty
Voice Talents: Mary Costa, Eleanor Audley
Animation Direction: Milt Kahl and Ollie Johnson
Runtime: 75 minutes
DVD Release: October 7, 2008
Rated: “G”
Disney’s Sleeping Beauty is magically brought to life in this astonishing new DVD visual display. An elite and sinister animation, combined with heroes, villians, memorable songs and a crafted story that is taken from the very heart and soul of Walt Disney’s historic storytelling prowess. This is truly Disney’s most well adjusted and ambitious tales to ever come to DVD but this time it also makes it on Hi-Def Blu-ray.
Sleeping Beauty remains one of my favorite Disney movies of all-time, right next to Robin Hood, Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast, it maintains all the classical elements of the original work while giving it a wondrous and invigorating look only seen on DVD and Blu-ray. The visual style is something to admire and applaud and is one that holds up even in the digital age of film. Before Pixar this is what made Disney who they are today.
In the original story of Princess Aurora who 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 blends the 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 - so it was motion capture before it existed.
In the special edition of this DVD it is the beginning of a new era for Disney DVD, with these new “Platinum Editions” they are allowing viewers to see more than ever with the Walt Disney BD-Live Network. This provides the chance for viewers to combine some of today’s most popular interactive communications platforms of chat, video, online, gaming and more.
The Blu-ray version is also a first for Disney Home Entertainment - this version of the classic tale includes a bonus standard definition DVD of the film along with the Hi-Def version within the same package. With new pristine picture and sound quality this is the final tale to be produced by the master himself, Walt Disney.
Bonus Features for Standard Version
- Original Disneyland Sleeping Beauty Walk-Through Attraction with Walt Disney - this feature takes the viewer on a 3D experience that recreates the original Sleeping Beauty castle walk that Walt supervised almost 50 years ago. You have 2 modes to choose from - “Auto-mode” aka: the original intention to see it or “Commentary mode” with famous “Imagineers” taking you behind the scenes.
- There is also Alternate Opening sequences, New Documentaries, NEW DVD games, Four deleted songs, the short film Grand Canyon that accompanied the original theatrical release of the film, Tchaikovsky’s story and more!
Bonus Features for the Blu-ray Version
All the stuff from the standard version plus…
- Maleficent’s Challenge Game, Dragon Encounter - an audio adventure designed for 7.1 or 5.1 audio quality, Cine Explorer - a one on one full motion Picture-in-Picture with commentaries from John Lasseter, Andreas Deja and Leonard Maltin.
- Other Hi-def features include: Restoring the Soundtrack, Customized Living Menu and the infamous Disney BD-Live Network.
All in all this is truly a must have for your DVD collection, whether it be Blu-ray or Standard. Sleeping Beauty is a timeless tale that makes any Pixar film, including Wall*E, have no comparison.
