Sleeping Beauty

This region 2 UK 50th anniversary 2 disc edition has I'm sad to say, an authoring fault. It is not properly flagged as anamorphic 16x9, it appears the initial batch as I have had two copies now, are non anamorphic, resulting in the main feature playing with black bars on all four sides of the screen, rather than the usual widescreen bars top and bottom.

And before anyone asks, I have my dvd player and screen set up correctly.

A Great Disney Film...

This film is very enjoyable!
I would say this is the best Disney film made so far because it has a really good storyline, which is: Mowgli a little baby in a basket was found by a panther called Bagheera, who gave this man cub (as the animals call it) to the wolf pack to raise.
Years go by and the man cub, Mowgli had gotten so used to the jungle. Bagheera the panther realised that one day he had to take him to the man village.
When Bagheera tries to take Mowgli to the man village, Mowgli runs away and meets a friendly, whacky bear called Baloo.
After meeting Baloo, Mowlgi and the bear start to become friends and now Mowgli wants to live with him in the jungle.
Baloo and Mowgli sing a nice happy song about the 'Bear Necessities' which you might have heard of and then Mowlgi lies on Baloo's stomach in the water and suddenly a monkey grabs Mowgli and starts to tease Baloo.
It gets worse.
He takes him to the crazy, loony monkey king called King Louie who wants to know the key to make fire and this funny character is played by none other than Louie Prima.
There is also another song but this time is sung by Louie Prima.
This scene with the monkey king is my favourite part of the film.
After this scene Bagheera explains to Baloo why mowgli should go to the man village, after this Baloo realises that he should have took him to the man village with Bagheera.
When he tries to Mowgli runs away again and this time he runs into some vultures who sing him an entertaining song about friends.
Now it's the exciting bit.
Shere Khan the tiger finishes off the last part of the song which is quite humorous and then he gives 10 seconds to Mowgli to run and instead of running Mowgli picks up a stick with some fire on it and scares Shere Khan with it.
After this is Kipling's ending to a great story which is: A girl with a container for some water goes to get some water and Mowgli gets curious and interested.
She then drops her container on purpose so Mowgli goes to fill it up for her... he does.
Baloo says: 'She did that on purpose!'
'Obviously' said the wise panther.

The Bottom Line: Shere Khan the tiger has returned to the jungle and hates man with a vengeance, he is also afriad of fire + Mowgli does not want to go to the man village.

I would recommend buying this spectacular, animated film.
This would make a fantastic Christmas gift and is fun for all ages.

A GREAT DISNEY FILM

If Walt Disney had never made another cartoon feature after BAMBI in 1942 he would still be remembered as the man who transformed the animated full length film into an art form. SNOW WHITE , PINOCCHIO , FANTASIA and BAMBI all belong on the list of the greatest achievements in American Film. Disney's next phase in full length animation took place after World War 2 and although these subsequent works may not match the brilliance and creativity of the earlier films, they still possess the superb craftsmanship the Disney artists are famous for. Missing from the new batch of films was the meticulous background detail that distinguished the earlier projects. Starting with Cinderella in 1950, the animators seemed to concentrate more on clean, uncluttered backgrounds but the drawing was just as professional as before , characters still brought to life with fluid, lifelike movements. Colors tended to be bright and splashy, but the cartoonists also knew when subtlety was called for, and scenes occurring at night were done with convincing atmosphere and shadows. The success of Cinderella confirmed that the movie-going public was still willing to be entertained and moved by a cartoon movie, and Disney and his artists forged ahead with an impressive array of animated features that to this day remain models of the Art Form. Perhaps the greatest of these was PETER PAN, first released in 1953. Based on J.M. Barrie's immortal play and novel about the little boy who doesn't want to grow up, PETER PAN had been a project stewing in Disney's mind for years. It wasn't until after the War that work on the film really took off. When the movie was completed and finally released to theaters, Disney seemed rather ambivalent about its achievement. He had a hard time defining who Peter actually was as a character but to millions of children in movie theaters all over the world, that didn't seem to matter. PETER PAN is not very deep story-wise. It lacks the heart and sentiment of the Barrie original, which to some degree is a good thing. Past stage versions and the spectacular 1924 Paramount film version could be cloyingly sentimental at times.

The Disney version is light and breezy and moves at a clip. The London sequence which opens the picture is spectacular in both the backdrops and the animation itself. When Peter, Wendy, John and Michael leap out of the Darling nursery window and fly over nighttime Edwardian London the viewer is treated to some of the most thrilling animation ever created for the movies. Later sections of the movie are equally enchanting, and the personage of the villainous Captain Hook is brought to great comic life by Disney animators and the marvelous vocal talent of Hans Conried. As with past Disney efforts, the song score is superb."Second Star to the Right","You Can Fly" and"Your Mother and Mine" are highlights in a tuneful soundtrack created by Sammy Cahn and Sammy Fain.

PETER PAN holds a special place in my heart. It was the first movie I ever saw. As a 4 year old sitting with my father in an ornate, red carpeted movie palace in Cincinnati, Ohio, looking up at that big screen watching Peter and his friends swooping and flying over the roofs and spires of London was an overwhelming experience. I was hooked, so to speak, and it is an image that has stayed with me ever since. This is the film that initiated my love affair with movies. PETER PAN is one of the iconic films of the Baby Boom Generation

101 Dalmations

This is one of the best Disney films ever made and is an absolute classic. It has action, suspense and comedy and have brilliant characters like Cruella DeVil, Horace and Jasper and of course the Dalmations, all in all a very good film.

SuperWonderfullcalifragilisticExtraordinary

I love Disney filmas a lot. Well I have Disney in all my veins. Mary Poppins is a wonderful film. Well written, well acting, adn animated as well. The songas are among the best of Disney. What can I say more... Buy it!

One of Disney's best

Dumbo was probably the first Disney film I ever saw. I remember popping my old video tape into the player, sitting through all the previews and copyright warnings, and then smile with joy as the opening credits came up. I loved Dumbo because it was colourful and fun, despite the intense cruelty that our little protagonist and his mother go through.

Of course, there were some things I noticed that I'd been blind to at the age of three. For example, there are a few WWII refernces - I'll leave you to figure them out. Another example is the crows. They sound a lot like the stereotype of black people in America at the time. This might seem a little insensitive, but trust me, there's worse things out there. Dumbo is not racist. Remember that those crows, aside from Timothy Mouse, are the only characters who feel sympathy for Dumbo. I feel that the crows all share a close bond and that they are somewhat outcasts too. And oh yes, they have the most catchy and irresistable song!

Dumbo is such an adorable little elephant. Like similar characters such as Pinocchio and Bambi, he has that round 'pudding like' charm. This gives him the appeal of a human baby. He has adorable little blue eyes which give away all his emotion. He does not speak a single word and yet he moves you to tears. It's the way he acts and his innocent expressions that really talk to you. As well as not being much of a talker, Dumbo isn't much of a thinker either. He just naively follows Timothy mouse, all in his own little world.
The other characters are interesting too. Timothy is a fiesty little rodent with a kind heart. The other elephants remind me of the girls at my school who like nothing more than to gossip. I might also mention the train - Casey Junior. He seems to be alive but he isn't creepy. (Thomas the Tank Engine scared the heck out of me!) He has his own catchy rhythm which is just pure fun to listen to. The Ringmaster has the most funny expressions too!

The soundtrack is a real treat. If you do not tear up during 'Baby Mine,' then please see your doctor for your heart has turned into coal. 'Pink Elephants on Parade' is a funny but slightly disturbing sequence that gets stuck in your head with it's clever lyrics and artistic animation.

Dumbo is a very colourful film, but there are times when life in the circus can be very bleak. In an attempt to protect a her youngster from some harassing boys, Mrs Jumbo is cruelly seperated from her baby and poor Dumbo is ignored by the other elephants. The film expertly conbines the romantic view of the circus - bright lights and colours, animals and clowns with the realities - greed, hard work and animal cruelty. Anyone who thinks that some circuses can be 'humane,' then they'd better see Dumbo as it will change their mind.

Bambi may be at the top for me, but Dumbo is just too good to put down. For a film that's only sixty minutes long, it's a real emotional feast upon the eyes and the mind.
However, I'm only giving four stars because Dumbo really needs restoring and remastering. Hope there's a Platinum Edition coming soon.

Best Feel Good Film EVER!

This is one of my all time favourites. This film has the best feel good factor of any movie I have ever watched. Definitley one for the family at Christmas time! I too have a tradition with this film. Chritmas Eve, Children in Bed, Husband & I wrapping presents, glass of Wine & watching It's a Wonderful Life.............If you have NEVER seen this film, please buy it, you will never regret it. I have never met anyone who doesn't like this movie!!!!

Much better than I once thought

As other reviewers have duly noted, this film (first released in 1963) is based on the first of four parts of T.H. White's The Once and Future King (1958), focusing on Arthur's birth, childhood, and youth before he became king of England. The film has been reissued as a 45th anniversary edition. It features the well-selected voices of Sebastian Cabot (Sir Ector/Narrator), Karl Swenson (Merlin), Rickie Sorensen (Arthur/"Wart"), Junius Matthews (Archimedes), and Alan Napier (Sir Pelinore). Frankly, I was underwhelmed when I first saw it many years ago and had little patience with the antics. While seeing it again recently, I found the film much more entertaining and frequently charming.

In our family, a film's"acid test" for grandchildren is for them to want to see it again, immediately. After I watched it with several of the younger ones, they requested that but agreed, instead, to check out"Merlin's New Magical Academy Game," passing on the other bonus features. I would not rank The Sword in the Stone among the"classic" animated features produced by Disney (e.g. Bambi, Beauty and the Beast, Dumbo, Pinocchio, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) and Pixar (e.g. Finding Nemo, Ratatouille, Toy Story, Toy Story 2, and WALL-E) as well as DreamWorks' Antz and Shrek. However, how many animation features do?

Perhaps there are other grandparents and parents who also saw The Sword in the Stone years ago, as did I, and are not inclined to have a copy available for children to see. I urge them to reconsider because it possesses a unique"magic" of its own. I think they will also enjoy the bonus features. Hopefully this reissued version will attract the interest and gain the appreciation the film clearly deserves.

a medieval tapestry coming to life..............

What is so exquisite about Sleeping Beauty is that it looks like a medieval tapestry coming to life. If you look closely at the details in the backgrounds you can see little twists in the leaves and curves in the tree bark which overall gives an ornate and opulent look still refreshing to this day. It was the most expensive film in it's day, it took over four years to make and Walt Disney stated to his artists and animators that they should take their time over it, make it beautiful and so it came as a shock when it didn't do all that well in the cinemas. It wasn't really able to communicate to an american youth who were smoking things they shouldn't and it seemed this highly romantic film was too idealistic in it's portrayal of young love, it felt as if it should have been released earlier than the late 1950's, so culturally you can see that it wasn't able to make audiences identify with it. But this is probably the one Disney film which stands the test of time better than any other, artistically speaking; since the music is exemplary and the imagery and animation highly captivating, more so than anything Disney has attempted in recent years. In places it is so beautiful to watch.

The Disney studios today have developed the way they tell fairy tales now to another stunning level as 2010 will mark a new leap in visual storytelling for the company with the release of Rapunzel Unbraided, a computer animated film which has the feel and sensitivity of a traditional animated 2d film yet with the texture of an oil painting coming to life. For years now the company has been trying to reinvent their style, pushing their visual language to another stratosphere and they may well have done it in Rapunzel, but from what I have viewed it does echo slightly the romantic style of Sleeping Beauty, it's attention to detail is just as shimmering and splendid ... we'll have to see. We can see though that this film, Sleeping Beauty, set a standard which modern animators and film makers still aim for and that is why Sleeping Beauty is such an enduring work of art, as it really aimed to make animation a cinematic art form, it was ahead of it's time and held a maturity wiser than it's time.

This edition is presented in a beautifully gold embossed covering, with a thoughtfully produced book, printed very well (with more care and attention than the previous editions; The Jungle Book ... collectors edition with book wasn't that well produced). The book has art work and an informed text which makes this version very attractive.

a modern take on classic tale

In an adaptation of William Shakespeare's tragic love story, Romeo falls for Juliet, a beautiful woman born in the Capulet family, a family which his Montague family is destined to hate.

Baz Luhrmann brings a modern feel to this romantic drama with guns, drugs and cars replacing all classic props used in the playwright's time.

Though this doesn't always work during the film, there is a good motive to use these particular props and is executed well. During the opening sequence in a petrol station where the two rival families are weighing each other up with modern tools it felt too modern, like an action film or something, and often was exaggerated.

However when used correctly it was exciting and tense, particularly the ending which was tense, dramatic and a perfect execution of the true ending to Shakespeare's play.

Leo Di Caprio (Titanic) stars as Romeo, a young man who falls in love at first sight with Juliet and from when these two are introduced does the film start to become more intriguing. Not his best performance, but Di Caprio is still excellent as Romeo, especially hearing news of Juliet late in the film, he was the perfect choice for the role. Danes (Stardust) gives an average performance as Juliet. Beating off heavy competition for the part, Danes could have executed some scenes better but she certainly looks terrific and her final scene she outshines Di Caprio completely, but the film belongs to Di Caprio.

Using modern day life with Shakespearian language was always going to be a risky move but after some bizarre opening sequences this formula worked well and Posthlewaite executed the words better than anyone.

Though 2 hours long, it felt short and there could have been more direction to emphasize characters better. However Di Caprio is excellent, Shakespeare's dialogue can never be questioned and neither can the plot, no matter what adaptation or spin is put on the tale, it is still the most dramatic love story ever written.

7/10

Bargain boxset.

This is a great boxset for a christmas present, we all know Peter Pan is good and this has the special edition and I loved Tinkerbell it's a really sweet film which as always with Disney is sure to go down well all in all it's a bargain which the kids will love.

40 years on and they're still alive with the sound of music

Maria and the Von Trapp children still sound good after all these years. There can hardly be a person on the planet who either owns a television or lives within 20 miles of a cinema and who doesn't know the story of The Sound of Music. Although I haven't been a fan of musicals until quite recently, I did watch and enjoy this film when I was a child, several decades ago. It's great fun and I can quite understand its popularity. Watching it again was lovely and very nostalgic. The restoration people have made a fine job so that the picture and sound quality are excellent. The special features are a considerable bonus and there's a long list of them as you can see from Amazon's 'Product Details' section above. The item on disc 2 that I found especially interesting was the 'Biography' programme about the real Von Trapp family. The real Maria was an astonishing character and far more complicated than the film version. It seems that she had an absolutely hellish childhood and the horror of it furnished her with a couple of darker facets to her personality than might be guessed from a familiarity with the film version of Maria - which all just adds to the fascination of the Von Trapp story.

If you haven't seen the film or haven't watched it for some years, give yourself a treat: watch it and get soppy, sentimental and uplifted ... and have a bit of a sing too.

The most fun anyone can get from a movie

Some Like It Hot could be the funniest film ever made. It certainly is one of the funniest films I've ever seen. Not only does it feature great chemistry between Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis, not only does Marylin Monroe look gorgeous in it, not only do the gags work perfectly every time, but it also features possibly the best ending for any movie. 50 years old it may be, but the gags, jokes and laughs never age a bit.

a medieval tapestry coming to life........

What is so exquisite about Sleeping Beauty is that it looks like a medieval tapestry coming to life. If you look closely at the details in the backgrounds you can see little twists in the leaves and curves in the tree bark which overall gives an ornate and opulent look still refreshing to this day. It was the most expensive film in it's day, it took over four years to make and Walt Disney stated to his artists and animators that they should take their time over it, make it beautiful and so it came as a shock when it didn't do all that well in the cinemas. It wasn't really able to communicate to an american youth who were smoking things they shouldn't and it seemed this highly romantic film was too idealistic in it's portrayal of young love, it felt as if it should have been released earlier than the late 1950's, so culturally you can see that it wasn't able to make audiences identify with it. But this is probably the one Disney film which stands the test of time better than any other, artistically speaking; since the music is exemplary and the imagery and animation highly captivating, more so than anything Disney has attempted in recent years. In places it is so beautiful to watch.

The Disney studios today have developed the way they tell fairy tales now to another stunning level as 2010 will mark a new leap in visual storytelling for the company with the release of Rapunzel Unbraided, a computer animated film which has the feel and sensitivity of a traditional animated 2d film yet with the texture of an oil painting coming to life. For years now the company has been trying to reinvent their style, pushing their visual language to another stratosphere and they may well have done it in Rapunzel, but from what I have viewed it does echo slightly the romantic style of Sleeping Beauty, it's attention to detail is just as shimmering and splendid ... we'll have to see. We can see though that this film, Sleeping Beauty, set a standard which modern animators and film makers still aim for and that is why Sleeping Beauty is such an enduring work of art, as it really aimed to make animation a cinematic art form, it was ahead of it's time and held a maturity wiser than it's time.

A western with a difference

Not to be confused with Wayne, Scott, Stewart westerns, as good as they were, this is almost a genre all of its own, a sixties cult that hasn’t aged probably due to it being set in days long gone. Redford and Newman bring to life the characters of Butch and Sundance (whether accurately or not it dosent really matter), and you really would forgive them anything. The whole film is done with such style and humour that for a while you enter a new world, something which all great films do. The filming is beautiful and the attractiveness of the stars including Katherine Ross who is stunningly gorgeous just makes the film one which you will remember forever.

The greatest film ever made?

It sounds so boring and dull that we should spend 90 mins or so watching a black and white film where 12 men are sitting around a table discussing a court case and not only that but give or take a few seconds the whole film is set in just that one room.

The fact that such a 'boring' film can put you on the edge of your seat EVERY time you watch it is pure testament to the art and skills of debutant director Sidney Lumet, writer Reginald Rose and the cast of twelve talented actors.

To prove the point, the remake from 1997 which also features sterling actors of great calibre such as Jack Lemmon and George C.Scott with an almost identical script could not pull it off as well as the 1957 version. In fact it was nowhere near.

At this price you'd be a fool to miss out on this invaluable addition to your collection.

Just to give you an idea of the tastes of this particular reviewer, they vary from Harold Lloyd to Pulp Fiction and beyond. So get it now.

So is it the greatest movie ever made? Perhaps it is. Enjoy.

Amazon sent me disc2 Bonuses and not the damn movie!

I have had to resort to writing a review because - I use the Rental system which I must say is very good - however my daughter wanted to watch 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' so I ordered it. Low and behold Amazon sent not Disc 1 (the movie) but only Disc 2(the bonuses)! If anyone has found a way of emailing Amazon or actually able to speak to anyone please let me know as YOU CANNOT CONTACT THEM, EVER! Amazon please, be more customer facing - have a phone number, have an email address - it's called CUSTOMER SERVICE oh and yes, please send me THE MOVIE, my daughter did not want to watch 10 variations of the TRAILOR! Yours, Frustrated from the Cotswolds!

great value

excellent value for money cheaper then any where else would buy from them again great axmas present

very magical

well what can i say its disney!! you know that its good as it has been remasterd it brings this cartoon feature film back to life and there are some really interesting dvd extras that really go in depth on how the feature was made. although cinderella is not completly my cup of tea you gotta love those mice!!! and as it is disney you have got to have it. disney fans it is a must

Magical movie!

This movie is so iconic it is deeply ingrained in our culture. As a little girl, and as an adult too, we all want a magical pair of"Dorothy" shoes. The movie's message is very simple; there's no place like home. The magical world of Oz is in technicolor whereas the scenes in Kansas are in black and white. This helps to show how enticing Oz is. The characters are pretty damn good, they don't make em like that anymore. All of the characters go through a personal journey in the film; to get home, to become brave, to get a heart. The plot is as delightful as the characters and the setting, with a dash of humour added in; a must see for young and old, even my quite sensitive 6yr old daughter can handle the scarier bits. The replay value is immeasurable, I have seen the movie so many times and will watch it many times more. The music is enchanting too!


Overall I think this movie is a must see.

I would rate it 9/10