Maleficent (B or 3/4 stars)
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. The woman in question? Only the most terrifying villainess in all of Disney's canon ... 'Maleficent' (directed by Richard Stromberg), the titular character in this, an alternate universe/re-imagining/re-interpretation of the source material, Sleeping Beauty. 'Maleficent' reveals how certain traumatizing events transformed the titular character from a young, happy, optimistic winged faerie into the villain we know her to be. As a girl, Maleficent (Isobelle Molloy) befriends a young human boy named Stefan. They share an unlikely (humans & whimsical creatures from the forest "Moor" realm never interact), but close relationship for many years and, as time passes, and despite her mistrust in humans, it blossoms into a youthful romance.
Stefan, however, seduced by ambition, returns yrs. later (now played by Sharlto Copley), seeming to want to reconnect with her. In reality, his goal is to drug her, kill her (he chickens out, but a horrifying scene for small kids), cuts off her magnificent, all-powerful wings, & uses them to prove his mettle to be the next king. Devastated, heartbroken, & bitter, Maleficent (now Angelina Jolie) plots her damning revenge. King Stefan marries, has a daughter Aurora and, the now-wicked sorceress descends upon the baby's christening to pronounces the curse heard around the kingdom: on Aurora's 16th birthday, she will fall into a sleep as deep as death. The only thing that could awaken her is "true love's kiss" (something Maleficient believes is bogus, since Stefan once gave her a empty "true love's kiss").
This film offers 3 significant twists to the Sleeping Beauty story. The 1st is to make Maleficent's actions understandable (this is Disney's latest trend, give villains psychological reasons for WHY they're wicked). In this re-imagining, her deeds aren't the product of inherent evil, but of a woman who was violated and took knee-jerk, thoughtless action against the man who violated her (by cursing his baby princess). Secondly, the movie also postulates a 'fairy godmother' relationship btwn. Maleficent & Aurora. Keeping an eye on Aurora (lovely Elle Fanning), with the help of her raven/human (likeable Sam Riley), Maleficent saves her life from neglect at the hands of the 3 bumbling faeries Knotgrass, Flittle, & Thistlewit (Imelda Staunton, Lesley Manville, Juno Temple). The sorceress visits Aurora regularly & the two forge an absentee mother/daughter relationship. But even when Maleficent regrets the curse & attempts to revoke it, it's all to no avail. Mayhem ensues.
But the 3rd twist (really, one of my only complaints ... but it's large) is that the last 20 minutes negates a lot of what occurred in the source material. The 2 other twists I mentioned could have fit right into the story/1959 Animated classic ... but not what occurs in the final 20 minutes. It's as if the director/scripter decided to just change the entire ending to justify their own vision of the story. In any case, screenwriter Linda Woolverton, best-known for writing Disney's Beauty and the Beast & The Lion King, does well to make this dark tale suitable for family viewing. Sure, Maleficent looks scary as hell (black leather cloak, ominous horns, the sharp cheekbones, her green-gleaming eyes, loud prophecizing), and yes, there are deadly battles & fire-breathing dragons ... but most of the proceedings are light, cute (magic in the Moor realm), and the revisionist/feminist/mother/daughter heroism on display is a welcomed change from most carbon copy Disney fare.
The best aspect of the film is, indeed, Angelina Jolie. Most of the other characters are disappointingly one-note (including Elle Fanning's Aurora; she's got an incandescent smile, but given little else to do in the script). But Jolie's interpretation of the title character, which transforms the animated icon into a tragic, conflicted female, provides a wellspring of subtle emotional depth, as well as some fun, purse-lipped, high-browed, scene-chewing wit. Without her, the whole production would have probably caved under mounds of CGI. Speaking of the visuals, 'Maleficent' is a gothic feast for the eyes, which is no surprise, given director Robert Stromberg's history as a visual design specialist. So yeah, I liked a lot in 'Maleficent'. As a standalone family motion picture, it's successful. But while I really enjoyed some of the revisionist takes on this 'story', I have a hard time coming to terms with the manner in which the movie ended.
Stefan, however, seduced by ambition, returns yrs. later (now played by Sharlto Copley), seeming to want to reconnect with her. In reality, his goal is to drug her, kill her (he chickens out, but a horrifying scene for small kids), cuts off her magnificent, all-powerful wings, & uses them to prove his mettle to be the next king. Devastated, heartbroken, & bitter, Maleficent (now Angelina Jolie) plots her damning revenge. King Stefan marries, has a daughter Aurora and, the now-wicked sorceress descends upon the baby's christening to pronounces the curse heard around the kingdom: on Aurora's 16th birthday, she will fall into a sleep as deep as death. The only thing that could awaken her is "true love's kiss" (something Maleficient believes is bogus, since Stefan once gave her a empty "true love's kiss").
This film offers 3 significant twists to the Sleeping Beauty story. The 1st is to make Maleficent's actions understandable (this is Disney's latest trend, give villains psychological reasons for WHY they're wicked). In this re-imagining, her deeds aren't the product of inherent evil, but of a woman who was violated and took knee-jerk, thoughtless action against the man who violated her (by cursing his baby princess). Secondly, the movie also postulates a 'fairy godmother' relationship btwn. Maleficent & Aurora. Keeping an eye on Aurora (lovely Elle Fanning), with the help of her raven/human (likeable Sam Riley), Maleficent saves her life from neglect at the hands of the 3 bumbling faeries Knotgrass, Flittle, & Thistlewit (Imelda Staunton, Lesley Manville, Juno Temple). The sorceress visits Aurora regularly & the two forge an absentee mother/daughter relationship. But even when Maleficent regrets the curse & attempts to revoke it, it's all to no avail. Mayhem ensues.
But the 3rd twist (really, one of my only complaints ... but it's large) is that the last 20 minutes negates a lot of what occurred in the source material. The 2 other twists I mentioned could have fit right into the story/1959 Animated classic ... but not what occurs in the final 20 minutes. It's as if the director/scripter decided to just change the entire ending to justify their own vision of the story. In any case, screenwriter Linda Woolverton, best-known for writing Disney's Beauty and the Beast & The Lion King, does well to make this dark tale suitable for family viewing. Sure, Maleficent looks scary as hell (black leather cloak, ominous horns, the sharp cheekbones, her green-gleaming eyes, loud prophecizing), and yes, there are deadly battles & fire-breathing dragons ... but most of the proceedings are light, cute (magic in the Moor realm), and the revisionist/feminist/mother/daughter heroism on display is a welcomed change from most carbon copy Disney fare.
The best aspect of the film is, indeed, Angelina Jolie. Most of the other characters are disappointingly one-note (including Elle Fanning's Aurora; she's got an incandescent smile, but given little else to do in the script). But Jolie's interpretation of the title character, which transforms the animated icon into a tragic, conflicted female, provides a wellspring of subtle emotional depth, as well as some fun, purse-lipped, high-browed, scene-chewing wit. Without her, the whole production would have probably caved under mounds of CGI. Speaking of the visuals, 'Maleficent' is a gothic feast for the eyes, which is no surprise, given director Robert Stromberg's history as a visual design specialist. So yeah, I liked a lot in 'Maleficent'. As a standalone family motion picture, it's successful. But while I really enjoyed some of the revisionist takes on this 'story', I have a hard time coming to terms with the manner in which the movie ended.