Disney classic is delightful but sometimes scary.

Princess Aurora's birth is hailed far and wide, and during the celebration, good fairies offer her gifts of beauty and song. Then comes Maleficent (voiced by Eleanor Audley), a cruel fairy who curses the princess. If pricked by a spinning wheel's needle before her 16th birthday, Aurora will die. But one good fairy who has yet to bestow a gift offers the princess enchanted sleep instead of death -- sleep that can only to be broken by true love's kiss.

The king and queen act quickly, hiding their daughter away in a cottage with the three good fairies until she turns 16. On that faithful day, she both meets her prince (Bill Shirley) and is discovered by Maleficent -- who's determined to find a spinning wheel before sunset.

There's a reason why this classic tale is so often imitated and referenced -- how many successful modern fairy tales still have characters singing to woodland creatures, fighting dragons, and awaiting true love's kiss to lift curses? "Shrek" and "Enchanted" are three for three.

This 1959 classic weaves in these necessary elements with charm, lovely melodies (especially "Once Upon a Dream"), and that touch of fright that comes from a truly unforgettable villain who can disappear in a poof of green mist and has ogre-like minions at her command. A touch of cute comes from the bustling, slightly bumbling good fairies, who are hopeless with chores without their magic. And all that fits within the short 75-minute running time -- getting sleeping beauties everywhere to bed promptly on movie night.

Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that, for most kids, the scariest part of this Disney classic will be the prince's fight with the dragon. He fights it with a sword and almost falls from a cliff. Other scary moments involve the witch Maleficent and her ogre-like goons. Maleficent kidnaps the prince, and the goons beat him up (mostly shown in shadow). She also shoots lightning bolts with her staff and at one point dissolves into a green mist. There's one notable drinking scene where the two kings toast to their children's impending nuptials, and the attending minstrel sneaks enough wine to get drunk, falling down under the table and hiccuping.

Families can talk about scary villains. Is Maleficent scarier than say, Cruella De Vil from "101 Dalmatians"? How about the witch from "Snow White"? Also, for kids who like the movies "Shrek" and "Enchanted", what did those movies imitate from this one?

Rating: G Studio: Disney Directed By: Clyde Geronimi Cast: Eleanor Audley, Mary Costa, Bill Shirley Running Time: 75 minutes Release Date: 01/29/1959 Genre: Family and Kids

Reviewed by Carrie R. Wheadon

See more about "Sleeping Beauty" at Common Sense Media.