70
Metascore
18 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 91The A.V. ClubTasha RobinsonThe A.V. ClubTasha RobinsonA surprisingly intimate behind-the-scenes documentary.
- 88Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertThe 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."
- 83Entertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanEntertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanThe joy of cartoons meets the agony of office politics in this fascinating, inside- Hollywood-baseball documentary.
- 75San Francisco ChroniclePeter HartlaubSan Francisco ChroniclePeter HartlaubThe 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.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood ReporterSurprisingly 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.
- 70Village VoiceVillage VoiceTying 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.
- 60Time OutDavid FearTime OutDavid FearThe 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.
- 60The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenA sly retrospective exercise in corporate self-congratulation masquerading as an insider’s tell-all.
- Don Hahn’s documentary is an animator’s attempt to invigorate what is otherwise a dry story.
- 50VarietyVarietyThe 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.