Movie Review: 'Maleficent'

THE WOODLANDS, Texas - A tale as old as time, Disney has once again taken a classic fairytale, that was animated in their own studios, and turned it into a live action film. Maleficent, the story of the evil fairy that places a curse on the child Aurora to get revenge on her parent’s kingdom, is adapted from the less Disney-like Grimm tale known as Little Briar Rose, which was also adapted from the even less Disney-like version known as The Beauty Sleeping In The Woods by Charles Perrault.

Released by Disney studios in 1959 as an animated film, the reason behind Maleficent’s rage isn’t revealed, and is played off as the usual villain stereotype of wanting to make others miserable. This new released version takes us to Maleficent’s beginning and helps the audience in theaters everywhere to see another, gentler side of the vindictive fairy.

Creating the fairy and human world that Maleficent and Aurora call home; Disney used green screens, live action shots, and CG to create beautifully visual scenes of both worlds. The creatures that inhabited the fairy world were well done, but seemed to slightly resemble the creatures from The Spiderwick Chronicles. Still they seemed to fit well with the style of the film and with Maleficent herself who truly looked like she belonged thanks to her costume design and the animation of her wings.

In the story you come to realize, without giving too much away, that Maleficent has known heartbreak and betrayal, which is what turns her into a dark fairy seeking revenge. How exactly that was acted out, was intriguing and made the story more whole. She bestows the curse on baby Aurora and three good fairies become Aurora’s guardians and take the child away to protect her till her sixteenth birthday, when the curse is to take hold of her fate.

What was amusing were the scenes between Maleficent and Aurora from the princess as a baby to a teenager stating that the fairy that cursed her is actually her fairy godmother. Jolie and Elle Fanning, who plays Aurora, had a wonderful chemistry and keep up wonderful comedic timing where it counts. You also feel their chemistry through the rest of the film even stronger than the relationship Aurora is supposed to have with her New Directions looking prince, played by Brenton Thwaites.

The stars of the film were Angelina Jolie, who is definitely the perfect Maleficent with her ability to show how magnificently evil she can be, but also gives us small glimpses to a vulnerable side the audience can connect to. When an actress can make the viewers sympathize with the antagonist, you have done well in your performance. Elle Fanning, though still growing as an actress, showed promise and worked well with Jolie. A pretty thing that is lucky to have one of the three fairies gift her character with everlasting happiness, because if not, she would come off as a stereotypical Disney princess that can’t stop smiling and could only annoy. Still, she controlled the power Disney bestowed on her well, not pushing too hard, but just enough to be pleasant to watch. A third star in the film was Sam Riley who played Maleficent’s crow servant Diaval. Riley adds comic relief to Jolie’s deadpan face of death, which suits her character; making us crave more instances when various emotions shine in her golden eyes. The two become a dynamic duo as they journey through the story together. Also be prepared for a twist in the story not far off from Disney’s last hit Frozen. The studio seems to be enjoying breaking from the norm of their old film endings and it makes the tired classic new again.

All in all, this film deserves 4 out of 5 stars for it’s incredible design and CG work and effects, costume design, a soundtrack that flows effortlessly through the scenes, a new storyline to be proud of, and a dynamic performance from Angelina Jolie who did not disappoint as the titled role. It is a must see and well worth a ticket at your local theater.