Sleeping Beauty

I've recently watched this live action version of Sleeping Beauty (on DVD) and enjoyed it from the outset. The film's telling of the fairy tale is, I think, quite a distinct and imaginative variation on the way Sleeping Beauty is traditionally depicted. I quickly became interested in the journey of William (the commander of the king's army and played by Robert Amstler), the pretty elf Alondra (Gemma Donato) and the wizard Samrin (John J. Welsh) to rescue Aurora. I also enjoyed the choices of outdoor landscapes (e.g. snowy forests, mountain views, lake side action) and thought the fights were well choreographed. The actors and actresses are all attractive (even the villains) and they all put in acceptable performances. For me the film has what I enjoy in a movie (i.e. a terrific story and fascinating characters whose fate I care deeply about) so I'm giving it a personal rating of 10/10.

Everything about this is amateur, but it's played sincerely, and the storytelling is good, with original elements and a twist at the end. It's not the traditional 'Sleeping Beauty' story - the idea of a sleeping beauty is more of a trope than a narrative in many other films as well. This film is unironic: the good guys have a simple decency about them, and nobody makes excuses for the bad guys, so it's a refreshing change from Hollywood offerings referencing the same traditional fairy tale. The central romance, featuring the elf character, is poignant. I found it rewatchable.

Weird, funny but enjoyable. These are natural of B movies. So DO NOT expect too much for anything. It's worth to watch for killing time, but buying may not be necessarily.