Waking Sleeping Beauty
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | Release Date: March 26, 2010 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
70
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 18 Critic Reviews
Positive:
13
Mixed:
5
Negative:
0
Watch Now
Stream On
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
The A.V. ClubTasha Robinson
A surprisingly intimate behind-the-scenes documentary. Read full review
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
The most fascinating scenes in Waking Sleeping Beauty involve the infamous Disney work ethic. Friends of mine at the studio said the unofficial motto was, "If you didn't come in on Saturday, don't even bother to come in on Sunday." Read full review
83
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
The joy of cartoons meets the agony of office politics in this fascinating, inside- Hollywood-baseball documentary. Read full review
80
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
Even in its sanitized state, this movie about the generational revolt that reinvigorated Disney’s animation department in the 1980s and ’90s is fascinating, thick with studio intrigue and lavishly illustrated with archival sketches and test animations. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
It's got a terrific inside Hollywood sensibility plus an unblinking candor that lets the chips fall where they should. Which, given who made it, is something of a pleasant surprise. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeMark Feeney
Vividly captures a period of movie history. It’s just that the period seems less vital -- sleepier, if you will -- than it once did. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChroniclePeter Hartlaub
The movie turns from good to great as the layers are peeled away and director Hahn provides an insider's look at the creative epicenter of the studio. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea
A fascinating, albeit self-congratulatory, account of how Disney's fabled animation department was reenergized and reimagined between 1984 and 1994. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterStephen Farber
Surprisingly hard-hitting and revealing. The topic is a bit specialized to draw a wide audience, but those who see the movie will definitely enjoy the intrigue depicted. Read full review
70
Village VoiceErnest Hardy
Tying it all together is Hahn's transparent love for the art of animation and for Disney--its history and once geek-heavy in-house culture. Hahn balances that love with a critical eye that allows him to sing the praises of unsung heroes while letting the a--holes hang themselves. Read full review
67
Christian Science MonitorAndy Klein
Objectivity is impossible under the best circumstances, and perhaps Hahn comes as close to "fair and balanced" as possible. But unavoidably there's a sense of untold stories and elided details lurking right beneath the surface. Read full review
63
USA TodayClaudia Puig
It could have delved a little deeper to keep us wide-eyed and engaged. Read full review
63
New York PostKyle Smith
Doesn't have as much behind-the-scenes juice as you'd hope. Read full review
60
Time OutDavid Fear
The film’s tendency to wax sentimental occasionally undermines its authority, but you won’t find better behind-the-scenes looks at the era’s mouse-eared power struggles or at the making of modern Disney classics. Read full review
60
The New York TimesStephen Holden
A sly retrospective exercise in corporate self-congratulation masquerading as an insider’s tell-all. Read full review
60
New York Daily NewsJoe Neumaier
Watch for a cameo by young animator Tim Burton. Read full review
50
Boxoffice MagazineBarbara Goslawski
Don Hahn’s documentary is an animator’s attempt to invigorate what is otherwise a dry story. Read full review
50
VarietyRob Nelson
The documentary has but one revelatory insight -- that "The Lion King" can be read as an allegory of the territorial peeing match between big cats Michael Eisner, Roy Disney and, least flatteringly, Katzenberg. Read full review
More From This Movie

70 Critic Reviews

7.5 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 81 Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
2 73 Creed III
3 67 Avatar: The Way of Water
4 63 Knock at the Cabin
5 62 Plane
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL