ViewGuide

Created Apr 14, 2011 06:18AM PST • Edited Apr 14, 2011 07:13AM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   OK 2.5

   Growing up as a child in the 60s and 70s, Disney animation was becoming more and more irrelevant. I had seen most of the traditional great Disney movies, such as Bambi, Snow White, and Fantasia. They were nice, but were not as accessible and enjoyable for me as Looney Tunes that came on every Saturday morning. Prior to VHS and DVDs, we just didn’t have readily available access to most Disney films.

   In the documentary Waking Sleeping Beauty, we learn of the slow decline in animation at Disney, leading to its eventual unenviable position of losing out to The Care Bears Movie in an opening weekend showdown. Using archival footage of the animators at work and play, we see the generation of artists who brought us the traditional classics slowly be replaced by animators with newer thoughts and visions. We learn about regime leadership changes, and executives who helped turn around a component of Disney that had reached bottom. And we are given behind the scenes narrative of the decisions that went into making some of Disney’s newer masterpieces, such as Little Mermaid and Lion King.

   In the end, Waking Sleeping Beauty plays out more like a full-length bonus feature on a DVD. Yes, it was somewhat entertaining. However, it also was narcissistic in its approach, wanting the viewer to believe that the sole provider of quality animation was Disney. The portrait of self-absorbed executive leadership at Disney is echoed throughout the film, as glimpses of Disney as a goliath marketing machine are always in the background.

   If you are a hardcore Disney fan, then you would probably enjoy this documentary. If not, it will probably grow tiresome for you quickly.

4. Acting

   Barely OK 2.0

   Most of the dialouge in this movie is off screen narration. While it’s from the real sources, we rarely actually see the people talking. Instead, a creepy cartoon voice bubble pops up at the bottom of the screen to tell you who is speaking.

5. Male Stars Barely OK 2.0

6. Female Stars Barely OK 2.0

7. Female Costars Barely OK 2.0

8. Male Costars Barely OK 2.0

10. Film

    OK 2.5

11. Direction OK 2.5

    The film relies on homemade footage a lot, so we have different qualities of viewing. Because it frequently changes between archived film, it can be a bit disorienting. Quick editing is ok, but it takes a while to determine what we are looking at.

12. Play OK 2.5

13. Music Good 3.0

    Behind the scenes footage of Disney music for its films being created was a highlight.

14. Visuals OK 2.5
15. Content

16. Edge

    Tame 1.0

17. Sex Innocent 1.0

    None…it’s Disney

18. Violence Gentle 1.0

19. Rudeness Polite 1.0

21. Reality

    Natural 1.0

22. Circumstantial Natural 1.0

23. Biological Natural 1.0

24. Physical Natural 1.0