Featured Audience Ratings

• Michael E

  
  An interesting look back at the past of Disney's second age of Renaissance in the late 80s and early 90s. But my only problem with the film, its SO SLOW PACE. It may only be around an hour and a half, but it moves at the speed of a snail, and it feels like its 2 and a half hours,… More
  An interesting look back at the past of Disney's second age of Renaissance in the late 80s and early 90s. But my only problem with the film, its SO SLOW PACE. It may only be around an hour and a half, but it moves at the speed of a snail, and it feels like its 2 and a half hours, but still it is a very interesting look back at Disney's second rebirth.

• Jennifer X

  
  I really want to like this movie, but it was basically a big "aren't we all awesome" masturbatory celebration rather than any juicy dirt.

• Fernando Rafael Q

  
  Engrossing account of the men who saved Disney's animation branch and brought it to a second "Golden Age" from the late-eighties to the mid-nineties (and all the drama that arose between them). Touching film is filled with interesting trivia and little-known facts about… More
  Engrossing account of the men who saved Disney's animation branch and brought it to a second "Golden Age" from the late-eighties to the mid-nineties (and all the drama that arose between them). Touching film is filled with interesting trivia and little-known facts about the biggest name in family entertainment ever. Waking Sleeping Beauty incorporates testimonies old and new, vintage video footage, animated clips, and, most importantly, the opinions of everyone that matters. The many different points of view prevent it from becoming a one-sided account. Essential viewing for Disney junkies.

• Jake .

  
  The thing I love the most about Waking Sleeping Beauty is that it really is about absolutely nothing. I mean, alright, there's stuff going on, but it's not this complicated, detailed mess. It's more like, 'yeah, this what we did and how we felt while doing it.… More
  The thing I love the most about Waking Sleeping Beauty is that it really is about absolutely nothing. I mean, alright, there's stuff going on, but it's not this complicated, detailed mess. It's more like, 'yeah, this what we did and how we felt while doing it. Isn't it great?' It's just this celebration of what was arguably the greatest era of Disney animation. That is just before Pixar's thugs took over the market. Personally, I got a bit sentimental, curz tha little mermaid is like the best movie eva! <3 And then there are also a couple really brief shots of Jack and Sally - if you don't know who they are by name alone, just leave. Now. Anyway, I was really surprised and the film is a helluva lot of fun. It's sort of reminder of why you fell in love with Simba, Ariel, Lumier, or Miku to begin with.

• Ken S

  
  Fantastic, great footage that shows Tim Burton as the creepy weird kid you always knew he was.

• Walter M

  
  "Waking Sleeping Beauty" is a breezy backstage look at the reemergence of the formerly moribund Disney animation studios, starting in 1984 with the hiring of Michael Eisner and Frank Wells to run the company, with Eisner bringing in Jeffrey Katzenberg. It had been decades… More
  "Waking Sleeping Beauty" is a breezy backstage look at the reemergence of the formerly moribund Disney animation studios, starting in 1984 with the hiring of Michael Eisner and Frank Wells to run the company, with Eisner bringing in Jeffrey Katzenberg. It had been decades since Disney was tops in animation and "The Black Cauldron," the first production under the new regime, was less than successful. So much so, at one point, that it looked like the animation division was going to be shut down, so the animators staged their own version of "Apocalypse Now." But then Disney went on a winning streak starting with "The Little Mermaid" which led to "Beauty and the Beast" which led to "Aladdin" and finally "The Lion King." Even with all the glitz and glamor, "Waking Sleeping Beauty" rightfully concentrates on all the hard work it took to get there.(How anybody could concentrate on drawing with a live lion in the room is beyond me.) But I disagree with the assertion that the above films made it cooler for adult audiences to like animated films. That would come later with the rise of Pixar. In fact, a lot of this entertaining and insightful documentary feels like prologue, and not just because a young Tim Burton is photographed at a drawing desk.

• Jeff T

  
  Wonderful documentary covering the Disney animation years from 1984-1994 (the re-birth of the brand, from LITTLE MERMAID through LION KING). Full of insider you-were-there interviews, footage and home movies, this film also covers the great infusion of creativity that Howard Ashman… More
  Wonderful documentary covering the Disney animation years from 1984-1994 (the re-birth of the brand, from LITTLE MERMAID through LION KING). Full of insider you-were-there interviews, footage and home movies, this film also covers the great infusion of creativity that Howard Ashman brought to the studio when he and writing partner Alan Menken came on board. It also, quite movingly, chronicles Ashman's last days, and that alone is enough to make this essential viewing for not only the animated film fan, but the musical theatre fan as well. It's one of those documentaries that zooms by, and leaves you wishing it were twice the length, because every tidbit you get is a gem. Don't miss the gems!

• Jason V

  
  Does Waking Sleeping Beauty get deep enough or honest enough about the trials of the Disney company? Not really. Does it give a tantalizing glimpse into a dysfunctional organization where expectations kept getting raised without needed improvements in staffing and infrastructure,… More
  Does Waking Sleeping Beauty get deep enough or honest enough about the trials of the Disney company? Not really. Does it give a tantalizing glimpse into a dysfunctional organization where expectations kept getting raised without needed improvements in staffing and infrastructure, not to mention in interpersonal relations? Absolutely. Are some of the films between 1984 and 1994 glossed over with precious little information (like The Rescuers Down Under)? Yup. Are there fundamental problems with the way the doc is edited together, such as not having current interviews on camera and opting for only the audio of those conversations? Double yup. But you know what? For a company with an image of family and friends, Waking Sleeping Beauty throws cold water on the entire endeavor. A brisk 85-minutes, WSB gives the audience a starting place from which to seek out other docs on the Disney company. It begins the conversation and doesn't pretend to finish it.

• Dannielle A

  
  The true story about the people behind Disney's magic who brought in millions and could "do no wrong." The truth is that they were arrogant and prideful and fought all the time but they were brilliant entertainers and amazing businessmen who took risks and succeeded in… More
  The true story about the people behind Disney's magic who brought in millions and could "do no wrong." The truth is that they were arrogant and prideful and fought all the time but they were brilliant entertainers and amazing businessmen who took risks and succeeded in delivering some of the most beloved Disney films of all time. This movie includes testimonies and vintage home videos along with clips from our favorite stories. I never knew they basically made up the story as they went along. No wonder The Black Cauldron sucked so bad!!!

• Andrew F

  
  Fascinating and insightful, but it felt a little too much like one big commercial for Disney.

• Andrew P

  
  An absolutely fascinating and truthful account of Disney from mid 80s until the mid 90s. All of the footage feels like a really special and uncut insight into the world of Disney. Totally worth the watch.

• Kyle S

  
  Facsinating and enthralling documentary of "The Disney Renaissance," the period from 1984-1994, where Disney hit their all-time low (The Black Cauldren) followed by a gradual increase both critically and commercialy, until they hit their all-time high (The Little Mermaid,… More
  Facsinating and enthralling documentary of "The Disney Renaissance," the period from 1984-1994, where Disney hit their all-time low (The Black Cauldren) followed by a gradual increase both critically and commercialy, until they hit their all-time high (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King). It chronicles the rise and fall of big names such as Roy Disney, Michael Eisner, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Frank Wells, Peter Schneider, Howard Ashman, Ron Clements, John Musker, Don Bluth, Tim Burton, Richard Williams, John Lasseter, Joe Ranft among others. See this if you are interested in Disney, Animation, or can appreciate documentaries in general.

Read all 12 featured audience ratings