4/5
I had never seen Disney's Sleeping Beauty until now. I can imagine watching it back in the 50's and being astounded by the artwork and design. Even now it stands apart from the cartoons that preceded it and the CGI that followed it. It feels like a lost relic, a type of animation all its own, and a treasure to behold. Although I was always a bit fuzzy on the details of the story, the age-old cliche of a prince's kiss waking up a princess from slumber is familiar territory for anyone who's ever heard a fairy tale. But this movie goes beyond the story, filling its minutes with charm and levity to balance out the frightening evil and villainy. Speaking of Maleficent (the character), it's actually really interesting to see the interplay between this movie and the live-action Maleficent (the movie). Although created 55 years apart, the plot and characterization of one adds to the other. Perhaps I judged Maleficent a bit too harshly and without the requisite background information to allow me to enjoy it to its fullest. (Although I blame my wife, who was so excited to see Maleficent that she couldn't wait for me to see Sleeping Beauty.) Even with the splendor of today's CGI, Sleeping Beauty stands out as an utterly mesmerizing piece of art.
IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053285/