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I was disappointed in Waking Sleeping Beauty. Maybe it's just because I was familiar with the behind-the-scenes events of the animation renaissance, but - other than bringing in Howard Ashman and Alan Menkin, they never really delved (imo) into HOW or WHY the films suddenly got tremendously better than what came before. There was a lot of emphasis on new executives, especially Katzenberg. But I never got any impression of how his contributions led to the amazing difference in quality. On the talent side, the only difference the film seemed to suggest was bringing in the songwriters. There was a brief mention of the fluke of the animators who became the film directors for Little Mermaid and, later, Beauty and the Beast. But other than the fact that it happened, there was no insight presented as to why their oversight produced starkly better results.
Rather the documentary just seemed a dry litany of events, and I didn't gain a hint why a string like Robin Hood, The Rescuers, The Fox and the Hound, and The Black Cauldron became the rather different string of The Little Mermaid, The Rescuers Down Under, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King.
Meh.
Anyway, I'm really looking forward to seeing The Black Swan. Maybe today.
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