“Sleeping Beauty, this isn’t.
Disney’s “Maleficent” was released in theaters on Friday, May 31, 2014, and many were expecting a prequel or a sequel or a different point of view telling of Disney’s masterpiece animated film, “Sleeping Beauty.” Well, none of that was really what they ended up getting, but they did get Angelina Jolie in one of the performances of her career.
The beginning of this review of “Maleficent” will not have spoilers. When some are coming your way, there will be warnings later on in the article. Don’t worry, there aren’t really that many.
The film starts out with a young Maleficent as the story is told of how she was a curious and inquisitive child that was good and kind and pure of heart. She actually could even be considered cute at times, and that was a rather difficult distinguishing fact to take in.
After humans vow to take over her home in the moors, a violent war breaks out between the mystical creatures of the forest – including Maleficent – and the humans. It is then that she realizes there is no such thing in the world as true love and that evil must live in her heart.
From here, movie-goers are brought upon a journey in which the story of “Sleeping Beauty” is told from the point of view of Maleficent.
But then again…not exactly the story we have all come to know in life.
Perhaps the biggest issue at hand is that Maleficent has always been looked at as a true villain that has no heart, no soul, and would do whatever it takes to leave the world in her green-flame flowing wake. Now, she is emotional and full of feelings and the audience is going to often times end up feeling sorry for her.
Yes, you’re going to have sympathy for Maleficent.
Semi-Spoilers ahead
“Maleficent” is meant to be a film of its own. You will realize that from the outset and know it as the full 97-minute runtime goes on. So many things change from the story that you will often find you’re scratching your head and wondering if you truly just saw what you think you saw.
The film doesn’t really have a hero or a villain because you see both sides of things and realize that while Maleficent is supposed to represent all that is evil, you learn just why she is so angry at life and find it justified. That then brings the point of King Stefan who ends up seeming like an incredible bad guy, but then your sympathy arrives for him because of the issues that he has to deal with.
What makes matters so confusing is that it is perfectly understandable if “Maleficent” is not meant to be a prequel or different view of “Sleeping Beauty,” but then…what is the real story?
Yes, there is a dragon and a devilish bird and three fairies (you think you know) and Aurora’s parents and her time (a lot of it) in the forest cottage and a curse and a spindle…but they are like nothing you can remember or would imagine.
“Maleficent” has a number of plot holes that leave things even more confusing, and it really wouldn’t have hurt for an extra 30 minutes to be tacked onto the film.
If only the coronation had continued on longer. That scene, about 20 minutes into the film, is purely brilliant and showcases who Maleficent always has been and the villain that many would come to expect from her. Call me a Disney purist, but I loved this scene as it made me really love what Maleficent is all about.
From a performance perspective, Angelina Jolie simply kills the role and nails it without question. Her evil tendencies, her sinister laugh, her creepy voice, and the way she delivers each line is simply incredible. Personally, the way her character was taken from a devilishly evil witch and turned into a resentment-filled woman with love in her heart…well, it doesn’t sit right with me.
“Maleficent” is good for what it is, and that is a different telling of the story, but not a different view of the story. It is its own film and different from “Sleeping Beauty” on multiple levels. Jolie saves the film on a number of occasions and she has made the character her own.
Yes, this isn’t a movie that I’m sitting here and saying had to be exactly the same as “Sleeping Beauty.” Please know that I’ve said it in this review time and time again that “Maleficent” is its own entity and told a tale that is familiar, but different.
It is one worth seeing, and one that was an enjoyable time…but “Maleficent” takes the villainy out of the villain.
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