--- title: "Sleeping Beauty: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/sleeping-beauty/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/sleeping-beauty" critics_score: 76 critics_reviews: 10 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Sleeping Beauty (1959): what the critics said Critics' score 76 from 10 reviews: 8 positive, 2 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics like Sleeping Beauty, and nearly all of them like it for the same reason: the look. The reviews cluster around Eyvind Earle’s stylised backgrounds, the wide Technirama frame and the depth of the colour, and several call it a leap in ambition for the studio. Maleficent is the other point of agreement, named in almost every review as the film’s strongest element, with the three good fairies and the score drawn from Tchaikovsky close behind. The reservations are about warmth and about the heroine. Several critics find the film cooler and more remote than Disney’s earlier features, and they disagree about where it ranks: Slant thinks it betters Snow White, while Time Out thinks it falls short of it. Den of Geek finds the animation uneven in places and Aurora too passive to carry her own story. The spread runs from a lukewarm three stars to unqualified praise, wider than the average suggests. ## Slant Magazine — Ed Gonzalez Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 5 October 2008. The review praises the 1959 film's cosmic pathos, pagan ritual staging, and especially the autonomous, expressionistic visual stylings of Eyvind Earle and his team as superior to Snow White. Maleficent's ferocious, almost postmodern bitchery is highlighted as a standout element. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/sleeping-beauty-1410/) ## Radio Times — Andrew Collins Rating 4/5. The critic praises the film's technical ambition and strong supporting characters, especially the good fairies and Maleficent, along with standout sequences like the spinning wheel scene and the climactic battle. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-9v73ne/sleeping-beauty/) ## The AV Club — Keith Phipps Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 29 March 2002. The critic finds that time has been kind to this lavish but initially disappointing Disney film, which benefits from a strong video re-release. The elaborate gothic-inspired designs and lively supporting characters like the fairies and Maleficent are singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/sleeping-beauty-1798195404) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 14 October 2008. The Blu-ray restoration highlights the film's state-of-the-art 1959 technology and grand scale as a return to epic Disney animation. It notes the picture's visual ambition but mixed original reception due to its remote, less warm style compared to earlier features. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/14/movies/homevideo/14dvds.html) ## Variety — Variety Staff Rating **. 31 December 1958. The film follows the familiar Perrault fairy tale of Princess Aurora cursed by Maleficent and awakened by Prince Philip. It praises the vocal work, especially for the three good fairies, and notes the technical achievements in Technirama and Technicolor. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1958/film/reviews/sleeping-beauty-3-1200419326/) ## Time Out — GA Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 26 May 2014. The review notes that the film falls short of Disney classics like Snow White but highlights its polished animation and the exciting final confrontation with Maleficent as moments where the magic succeeds. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/sleeping-beauty-2) ## Collider — Eli Rating A+. 9 October 2008. The critic calls Sleeping Beauty the best classic fairy-tale Disney film, praising its atmospheric art direction, Tchaikovsky-inspired score, and cool villain Maleficent while noting strong character work from Aurora and Prince Phillip. [Read the review](https://collider.com/sleeping-beauty-dvd-review/) ## /Film — Josh Spiegel Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 29 January 2019. The critic highlights the film's ambitious animation style, widescreen presentation, and musical score inspired by Tchaikovsky, while noting its initial box office failure and how it influenced Disney's future approach to animation. Praises the visual feast and elemental fear and joy it evokes. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/563885/sleeping-beauty-at-60/) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 30 October 2008. The critic praises the jaw-droppingly good animation and eye-popping colors from the restoration, along with the simple fairytale story and memorable characters like the fairies and Maleficent. They note minor dated elements but highlight its enduring magic and timeless theme. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/sleeping-beauty-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) ## Den of Geek — Mark Pickavance Rating 3/5. 25 November 2008. The critic praises the 1959 Disney animated classic as one of the studio's most polished fairytales, highlighting its technical innovations, stunning color design, and the restoration's vibrant transfer on Blu-ray. Minor complaints focus on inconsistent animation quality in some sequences and the passive nature of the title character. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/sleeping-beauty-blu-ray-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/sleeping-beauty.md