Just to clarify, the main characters of Sleeping Beauty are The Fairies: They appear the most and are the ones who has the most development.

Alright, now for my thoughts:

Sleeping Beauty(1959): Hands down, the best Disney movie to use Widescreen to it's full use: Every scene is shown on it's epic scale. With the exception of Prince Phillip and Princess Aurora, all the characters are great, especially Maleficent. About the look of the movie, yes Doug, it was Disney's intention to make it look like a painting. On a funny bit from its production history, Walt Disney had often told his crew to not make it like Snow White(Sleeping Princess, need to be wake up from true love's kiss, blah, blah, blah) many times. I often think that Walt Disney was like Dr. Barry Rumack from Airplane! on telling his crew about it: Walt opens the door and says "I just want to tell you don't make it like Snow White, and I'm counting on you."

101 Dalmations(1961)- Aside from Cruella De Vil, this movie is boring and I'm not a dog hater(I love dogs more than cats but whatever).

Sword in the Stone(1963)-The last movie released while Walt Disney was alive(His final movie he was involved with is his next, Jungle Book). Again, aside from Merlin and the Wizard Dual, the movie is just boring; It's just a series of events put together. Oh, and to clarify of why Arthur's voice sounding different every scene it's because three different actors voiced him.

Overall, keep up the great reviews.

PS: Is everyone on this site a cat person? Can any one clarify this because the only one who I've seen having another animal is Spoony, who has a dog.

Nostalgia Chic has a puppy.

Thanks. That's two dog owners, any more? Or any one that doesn't have a cat?

PS: I'm not a cat hater, just curios.

Brad Jones (aka cinema snob) I believe had three cats at one point, but there's only one cat that I know of right now...

(And I have three of them xD)

Yeah, his name is Lloyd. He's funny.

Phelous has a stupid cat.

Lupa has a cat called "Checkers". Not sure how to spell it though..

Fun fact: 101 Dalmatians is (loosely) based upon a book by Dodie Smith called "the Hundred and One Dalmatians." It's a bit darker than the Disneyfied movie and there are notable differences. For example: Pongo and Perdita were never together. They simply call Pongo's mate "Missis Pongo." Perdita wound up being a surrogate wet nurse for Pongo and Missis's puppies. Other Disney films have a similar history, such as the Fox and the Hound (the book is incredibly dark and depressing), but I'm getting ahead of myself and should save that for when the review of the aforementioned is released.

>> PS: Is everyone on this site a cat person? Can any one clarify this because the only one who I've seen having another animal is Spoony, who has a dog.

Lindsy has a Boston Bull Terrier.

Lindsey has a dog that randomly appears in her videos a lot.

Why was Arthur played by 3 kids? Could they not keep one actor?

I love 101 Dalmatians. True, it might not have the action that many other Disney movies have and it is a bit more laid back, but that's kind of why I like it.
The animation is decent, the emotion expressed by the characters seems to be present, and I love the facial expressions the animators put into the dogs.
The voices for the characters seem spot on and I agree that Sgt. Tibbs is awesome, as is his voice.

P.S
Did you know that Perdita was voiced by two different women? After Perdita says, " Oh, I hope were not too late." the next line she says (after the travelling montage), "Oh, Pongo, Pongo. I do believe we're lost," sounds a bit different from the lines before it. The voice still works for Perdita and unless you pay really close attention you'll eventually not notice.

Wart/Arthur was actually voiced by three different kids, two of which were sons of the director.

Awww, I remember "101 Dalmations!" That was my favorite movie as a kid, after "The Wizard of Oz", "Jurassic Park", and "The Land Before Time." Have to say it: Velociraptors + T-Rexes >> Puppies. Though in retrospect, I think the main reason I liked that movie was because my parents wouldn't let me get a pet.

I really enjoy these reviews, and I also enjoy Augusts M. commentaries :)
Keep it up guys.

I never saw any of these as a kid but there were these storybooks based on the film that I had a few of. Including the one about the Penguin going to a hotter place, I had completly forgotten it until I saw the review for Three Caballeros and I got a really weird fuzzy nostalgic feeling when I saw that review :)

Thank you!

Sleeping Beauty is my personal favorite of all the Disney movies. I just love everything about it. 101 Dalmations never sat well with me, but I do have fond memories of The Sword In The Stone.

I'm really digging these reviews Doug, keep em up!

Though I have to say it's funny that in there reviews if you ever criticise the animation as being poor, its almost as if you have to add the qualifier "by Disney standards", because even Disney's "bad" animation still looks gorgeous.

Always loved the Dalmations. Always will. Mostly because I kinda found it funny how the dogs looked like their masters and visaversa.

I had so much merchandise from that show as a kid. i had the stuffed toys, the audio books, the girly headband... a snowglobe, the Christmas ornaments, you name it. I might watch it for Christmas actually. Half of the movie takes place where there's snow.

Fun Fact: When the movie 101 Dalmations came out, sells for dalmation puppies skyrocketed because everyone wanted one.

Unfortunely though this also led to documented cases of children being biten by them because some dalmations have been known to have a bitter disposition and not very social around children.


Also I love Sleeping Beauty. Even though its funny, the part where she walks in a trance up the stairs and is all greenly pale and ghastly scared me as a kid, but now that I am older I actually love it for its creepiness and atmosphere. Not to mention, the song "Once Upon A Dream" is beautiful and is one of the few Disney Princess songs that I can sing within my octave range (I am a alto) due in part to the actresses wonderful singing ability.

The part with the squirrels was REALLY screwed-up. I mean, the more I think about it, the more it hurts the head...

Yeah I agree. The way Disney gave animals human qualities was strange. And here they blur the line between real animals an people. Disney played a large role in the creation of furries lol.

"It sounds like two different kids!"

THREE different kids, dear NC. Arthur was voiced by Rickie Sorenson, Richard Reitherman and Robert Reitherman.

Don't ask me why Disney went with this, but the transitions are REALLY jarring, especially in the way they lined up the voice clips, as you pointed out.

Hey, if you ever seen the MST short "Mr. B Natural", I think the boy who plays "Buzz" in that short maybe one of the boys you mentioned who played Arthur.


Because I swear to god, the two voices sound very similar.

Sleeping beauty pretty much seems like an animated fairytale book through and through to me. Down to the great visuals and kind of cookie cutter narrative and characters. I mean yes it could definitely be a deeper story but what can I say there is some fun to be had in its anachronistic simplicity, because its so fully realized for what it is.

101 Dalmatians, what can you say the entire movie is bland cuddly puppy fest sans Cruella De Vil. She pretty much steals the show and is definitely the mos memorable part of the movie. Without her pretty much absolutely nothing would happen. It be just like an extened bit from old Dinosaurs T.V. from the 90's where they had a fake T.V. show called "Box full of puppies"

The Sword in the Stone is just movie I never really got into as a kid I mean there are bits I like in it but it always seemed like more a series of shorts staring same characters than a real movie.

Sleeping Beauty is one of my all time favorite movies in general, and by far my favorite of the pre-renaissance Disney movies. It's epic, it looks freaking amazing, the music is fantastic, the ending chase and fight scenes are some of the best in movie history, and Maleficent is the most classy and badass villain ever. I don't mind the prince and princess, I think they are okay, even if not the focus of the movie.

I'm so glad Doug brought up the music. Really, it has been cartoons that have given me a love of classical music to build upon.

By the way, everyone, even you Doug misspells DALMATIANS, it's not dalmatiOns. Have you guys not seen the title screen of the movie?

see Top 11 Nostalgia Critic Fuck-ups..

The three fairies are the main characters of Sleeping Beauty. Aurora only had one scene where she spoke!

Since Pixar and Disney are now merged, will you be doing the Pixar movies as well? Or are you just sticking to Disney?

He's mention only the hand-drawn Disney films(hopefully only the official canon and not the Disney Toons) plus Enchanted and Tangled.

I gotta stick up for 101 Dalmatians for having one of the catchiest Disney songs in 'Cruella Devile'

Aw, 101 Dalmations is probably one of my Top 5 favorite Disney flicks. I watched it in theaters when they re-released it, so I have a bit of nostalgia for it.

That aside, I did re-watch the movie recently, and I found it pretty entertaining. I thought Sgt. Tibbs (the cat) was definitely the best character, too.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion though =)

Aurora is not the main character in Sleeping Beauty. She is the title character, but the main characters were always the three fairies. And for what it's worth: Phillip always was and still is my favorite Disney Prince. Yes, he doesn't say much, but that doesn't automatically mean that he is bland - I'm always cracking up about the "we are living in the 14th century" part. Though I agree that it would have done the move some good to cut the scene with the two kings short and add a little bit more about Phillip and Aurora instead. Problems aside, it's easily one of my fav Disney movie, with my fav villain (I don't think that it was really revenge for not getting invitied, Maleficent was just evil, and seeing everyone so happy, she wanted to ruin it for everyone). It's too bad that it was the last truly handdrawn movie from Disney - the theme of the following movies is mostly "how to do it cheap, but not looking that way". They didn't always succeed.

"101 Dalmatians" and "The Sword and the Stone" are simply one of the few Disney movies which are primarily aimed for kids - and they both do a very good job in it. I really, really disagree about not much happening in "The Sword in the Stone" - each "lesson" has an exiting climax. There is the scene with the giant fish, which really, really freaked me out as a child, the love story with the squirrel (one of the most heard-breaking scenes ever) and yes, Madam Mim, one of the best duells in movie history. For an adult they loose a little bit of their dramatic, but for children, this movie is perfect.

Sleeping Beauty is probably one of my favorites, especially when I got older. I never really thought it was about Aurora and the prince though. They seemed like they were always at the whim of the fairies and Maleficent. I always thought the fairies were the main characters.

This one I didn't grow up on, but I did see it a few times when I was a bit too old to enjoy it for what it was but I will admit and agree the Villain is great I loved her character!

Did the dress change colors in that final scene from red to blue!?

honestly i see aurora as a plot point more than character, she's just there, that being said i wouldn't change it
the fairies, the kings, and maleficent revolve around aurora's world in such a way that feels appropiate,
after if the movie is called sleeping beauty
the focus is gonna be on a character that is basically required to do nothing for a while

@BooRat The fairies are bickering all the time which colour Aurora's dress should have - one wants it pink, the other blue, and the movie ends with them constantly changing the dress. (I always wished that the third one would push the other two out of the way to spell it green).

Ah ok I thought I caught a blooper or coloring error on the film!

Now, this one I recall wearing out the VHS tape of when I was little I watched it so damned much! I loved this movie! My only problem with it wasn't the movie itself it was when I was little and contently watching it I lived with my aunt and uncle and she's watch it with me and bawl crying when the fake out dead puppy scene would happen during the birthing part!
I like the old dog and the cat's character and the 2 bumbling henchmen! I didn't like the live action movie as much!
I'm surprised no mention of the TV series from the 90s!

Superior version of Sword in the Stone: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=uT2rgPsVSAw

This is another movie I tried my damnedest to wear-out the tape of!
I loved this movie as a kid! The scenes I hated were the Squirrel scenes but other than that this movie brings back many great memories! I love Authorian legends and it's all thanks to this movie!
I really liked the character of Archimedes the Owl!
I wished this one had a sequel to finish the story of Author in the best way Disney could dropping the incest and his inbred son killing him stuff!
I also really liked Merlin here!
The villains to me were always Author's uncle and cousin! But, they aren't the conventional villains just the guys that get in the hero's way and annoy him!

I'm sure the same stoner crowd that loved Alice were the one's that loved this one! XD

Sleeping beauty; how to turn an X-rated wivestale about rape, necrophilia, & adultery into a children's story.

101 Dalmatians was supposed to be a comedy? I remember liking the TV series.

Yeah, I agree, TS&TS isn't awesome, but a good laid-back watch & you can't really see anyone hating it either.

I have always despised The Sword in the Stone. A few years ago I forced myself to sit through it and found it unbearable. I like 101 dalmatians but I hated almost every character except the dalmatians (actually I hate Pongo too). I do like you can see Lady and the Tramp characters in the twilight bark. Sleeping Beauty was another one of my favorites. As a child that was one I would watch over and over again.

If the faries have more screen time and more development, wouldn't they be the main characters, when I saw this as a kid the faries and the villain were the most memorable.

You're not alone, Doug. I watched The Sword and the Stone a *LOT*. And to this day, it is the classic Disney I remember the most because of it. I remember them putting it on constantly, and I, like a good girl who watched her television, lapped it up. It was Disney, how could I not~?
But seriously, the movie doesn't get enough credit that it deserves. We've all watched it to death if we were around that age, but it truly is an incredible story, and that's why, even as little kids, we kept watching. Though you *know* in the end, it was for Merlin. Who cares about Arthur? Merlin was the cool one~!

Out of all these three movies 101 dalmatians is my favorite disney film. I just loved that the story gave me that silent hill love of a real parent approach. A parent not related to the children and yet showing so much love that they would go through hell and back for them. In which pongo and perdita do for their children as well as the others that are not theirs. Also that they were willing to adopt and take care of so many without even a second thought. That's a very different type of love I love to see in movies.

All the things you said about sleeping beauty I agree with. But what I will say in defense of Aurora or Briar rose is that when she got the news that she was a princess and all. She did take responsibility and was willing to give up her love to rule over her kingdom.

Same with the sword and the stone.

The only thing I found to be distracting in the 'Sword in the Stone' was Merlin's pop culture references... But those are in a lot of movies now a days but that is the same reason I couldn't fully enjoy the genie from Aladdin.