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Disney's 1959 animated effort was the studio's most ambitious to date, a widescreen spectacle boasting a gorgeous waltz-filled score adapting Tchaikovsky. In the 14th century, the malevolent Maleficent (not dissimilar to the wicked Queen in Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs taunts a king that his infant Aurora will fatally prick her finger on a spinning wheel before sundown on her 16th birthday. This, of course, would deny her a happily-ever-after with her true love. Things almost but not quite turn out that way, thanks to the assistance of some bubbly, bumbling fairies named Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather. It's not really all that much about the title character--how interesting can someone in the middle of a long nap be, anyway? Instead, those fairies carry the day, as well as, of course, good Prince Phillip, whose battle with the malevolent Maleficent in the guise of a dragon has been co-opted by any number of animated films since. See it in its original glory here. And Malificent's castle, filled with warthogs and demonic imps in a macabre dance celebrating their evil ways, manages a certain creepy grandeur. --David Kronke

On the Blu-ray

Sleeping Beauty was the last and most lavish of Walt Disney's animated fairy tales. He told the artists not to hurry and to give him "a moving illustration": The film required almost four and one-half years and one million finished drawings. Instead of the 19th century storybook illustrations that had influenced the look of Snow White and Pinocchio, the artists adapted the flattened perspective and jewel-like colors of 15th century French illuminated manuscripts. The results remain unmatched for sheer visual opulence. However, Sleeping Beauty suffers from a weak story: the vision of an ageless princess slumbering in a vine-shrouded tower was replaced with elements of Snow White and a boy-meets-girl musical. The evil Maleficent and the three Good Fairies (Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather) dominate the film, rather than Princess Aurora and Prince Philip. Sleeping Beauty was originally released in 70mm, and the Blu-ray edition restores the film to its original splendor. (Many earlier releases trimmed the wide-screen images and/or muted the glowing palatte.) The Bonus DVD looks good on a flat screen monitor, but it pales in comparison to the richness of the Blu-ray. In addition to the commentaries and a making-of documentary, the set includes myriad extras that vary widely in quality. Nostalgia buffs will enjoy the recreation of the old Sleeping Beauty's Castle attraction in Disneyland, and the TV program "Four Artists Paint One Tree" provides a welcome showcase for key talents from the film. But the CG animation of the dragon and the voice imitations of the Good Fairies fail to capture the magic of the originals in the "Dragon Encounter"; the "Maleficent's Challenge Game"--a hi-tech Twenty Questions--sounds only vaguely like the redoubtable sorceress. The BD-Live features require an awful lot of bother: after wading through (or ignoring) 130 screens of legalese, participants must enter their Social Security number or other personal information in the drawn-out sign-on process. Once that's finally done, viewers can send special messages to pop up during the film, chat online with others who are watching, and view it in synch with others. The question is whether or not you want to. (Rated G: violence) --Charles Solomon




Stills from Sleeping Beauty (Click for larger image)

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The Star Wars trilogy had the rare distinction of becoming more than just a series of movies, but a cultural phenomenon, a life-defining event for its generation. On its surface, George Lucas's original 1977 film is a rollicking and humorous space fantasy that owes debts to more influences than one can count on two hands, but filmgoers became entranced by its basic struggle of good vs. evil "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away," its dazzling special effects, and a mythology of Jedi Knights, the Force, and droids.

In the first film, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) gets to live out every boy's dream: ditch the farm and rescue a princess (Carrie Fisher). Accompanied by the roguish Han Solo (Harrison Ford, the only principal who was able to cross over into stardom) and trained by Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness), Luke finds himself involved in a galactic war against the Empire and the menacing Darth Vader (David Prowse, voiced by James Earl Jones). The following film, The Empire Strikes Back (1980), takes a darker turn as the tiny rebellion faces an overwhelming onslaught. Directed by Irvin Kershner instead of Lucas, Empire is on the short list of Best Sequels Ever, marked by fantastic settings (the ice planet, the cloud city), the teachings of Yoda, a dash of grown-up romance, and a now-classic "revelation" ending. The final film of the trilogy, Return of the Jedi (1983, directed by Richard Marquand), is the most uneven. While the visual effects had taken quantum leaps over the years, resulting in thrilling speeder chases and space dogfights, the story is an uneasy mix of serious themes (Luke's maturation as a Jedi, the end of the Empire-rebellion showdown) and the cuddly teddy bears known as the Ewoks.

Years later, George Lucas transformed his films into "special editions" by adding new scenes and special effects, which were greeted mostly by shrugs from fans. They were perfectly happy with the films they had grown up with (who cares if Greedo shot first?), and thus disappointed by Lucas's decision to make the special editions the only versions available. --David Horiuchi

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Versions of The Lion King on Blu-ray and DVD

	The Lion King (Two-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray / DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging)	The Lion King (Two-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray / DVD Combo in DVD Packaging)	The Lion King (Four-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy)	The Lion King Trilogy (Eight-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy)
Release Date	October 4, 2011	October 4, 2011	October 4, 2011	October 4, 2011
Format/Disc #	Blu-ray, DVD	DVD, Blu-ray	Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD, Digital Copy	The Lion King includes: Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD, Digital Copy The Lion King 1 ½ includes: DVD, Blu-ray The Lion King 2 includes: DVD, Blu-ray
Blu-ray 3D	No	No	Yes	Yes (The Lion King Only)
Blu-ray	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
DVD	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Digital Copy	No	No	Yes	Yes (The Lion King Only)
Bonus Features	4 Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scenes; Deleted Song; The Morning Report: Extended scene; Never-Before-Seen Bloopers; Disney Second Screen*; Pride of The Lion King; The Lion King: A Memoir- Don Hahn; Disney Sing Along Mode; Interactive Gallery; Audio Commentary; Disney’s Virtual Vault: Classic DVD Features Powered by BD-Live* *Not Available in all territories. Features subject to change.	Same as The Lion King (Two-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray / DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging	Same as The Lion King (Two-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray / DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging)	The Lion King: Same as The Lion King (Two-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray / DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging) The Lion King 1 ½: Timon and Pumbaa’s Vacation Safari; Deleted Scenes; Timon: Behind the Legend; Before the Beginning: The Making of The Lion King 1 ½; Music Video The Lion King 2: Timon and Pumbaa’s Insectapedia; “One by One”- Animated Short; Proud of Simba’s Pride; Timon and Pumbaa: Find Out Why; Music Video

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Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 04/15/2011

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The inspirational tale of dumbo the courageous baby elephant who uses his sensational ears to soar to fame with the help of his clever best friend timothy q. Mouse will thrill and delight audiences of all ages. Studio: Buena Vista Home Video Release Date: 09/20/2011 Starring: Dumbo Run time: 64 minutes Rating: G

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CONTAINS EPISODE 1 THE PHANTOM MENACE, EPISODE 2 ATTACK OF THE CLONES, EPISODE 3 REVENGE OF THE SITH, EPISODE 4 A NEW HOPE, EPISODE 5 THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, EPISODE 6 RETURN OF THE JEDI

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IN 1962, CHARLES XAVIER STARTS UP A SCHOOL AND LATER A TEAM, FOR HUMANS WITH SUPERHUMAN ABILITIES. AMONG THEM IS ERIK LENSHERR, HIS BEST FRIEND... AND FUTURE ARCHENEMY.
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