The Sleeping Beauty: A Long, Long Nap

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, only if you have a thing for old-school puppet aesthetics or just really need something quiet and gloomy on in the background. If you want a fast-paced fantasy adventure, you’re gonna hate this. It’s for the folks who like staring at ornate set designs more than they like actual dialogue.

The whole thing moves at the speed of a snail crawling through molasses. But that’s kind of the point, right? Everyone is asleep.

George Pal manages to make the silence feel like a physical weight in the room. There’s a specific shot of a banquet table covered in dust that felt like it lasted for three whole minutes. My mind started wandering, thinking about how long it takes to actually clean up that much cobweb.

The vibe is... weirdly lonely.

It doesn't have the glossy magic of a modern movie. It feels like someone filmed a museum exhibit that came to life just to show off how bored it was. Watching the kingdom stay frozen while the world moves on outside is actually pretty unsettling if you think about it too much.

• The witch’s entrance is surprisingly subtle, almost underwhelming.
• I kept waiting for a big musical number that never happened.
• The lighting in the throne room is distractingly green.

I found myself comparing the sluggish pacing to The Mystery Train in terms of how it forces you to sit in a moment, though they are very different animals. There is a strange lack of urgency here. Nobody seems to be in a rush to break the curse, which makes the whole 'hero's journey' feel like a casual afternoon stroll.

Maybe it’s the lack of dialogue. It’s heavy on the visuals and light on the script. 💤

There was this one moment where a knight trips over his own cape. It wasn't intentional, I’m pretty sure, but they kept it in. It made the whole 'epic fantasy' thing feel like a school play that went a little off the rails. I kind of liked that bit.

If you’re looking for high-octane excitement, go watch High Speed instead. This one is for when you’re tired of the noise of the world and just want to watch a castle collect dust for an hour.

I didn't hate it. I just don't know if I'd ever need to see it again.