Maleficent (2014) User Reviews

An interesting retelling of a classic fairy tale

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 4 April 2019]

This live action Disney film shows the story of Sleeping Beauty from the other side; focusing on Maleficent, the 'evil' fairy who cursed her. As the story opens we are told how there are two neighbouring kingdoms; one of greedy humans and another of friendly magical folk. Maleficent is a young fairy who lives in the latter. One day she meets a human boy named Stefan. They become friends but ultimately he comes to see her less and less. The years pass and Maleficent grows up. Then the human king attacks the fairy realm but it thwarted by Maleficent. He promises his kingdom to the man who rids him of Maleficent; Stefan uses her trust to get close to her and then betrays her. He becomes king and has a daughter, named Aurora. On the day of her christening Maleficent places a curse on her... a curse that will take effect on her sixteenth birthday. She grows up in the care of three fairies and with Maleficent keeping a watchful eye to ensure nothing happens to her before the curse is due to take effect. Inevitably the day of her sixteenth birthday approaches and Maleficent starts to regret cursing Aurora; will anybody be able to prevent it happening or end it if it does occur?

The way the focus of the story is moved to Maleficent is rather fun; she starts off as one of the good people before the act of betrayal leads to bitterness and a desire for revenge. This doesn't mean she comes across as evil or as a real villain. She is shown as a caring character who comes to regret actions made in anger. If there is a real villain of the film it is Stefan; the betrayer who's actions started the curse. There are plenty of exciting moments throughout the film leading up to a finale that should be exciting for children and adults alike... and perhaps a little too scary for some younger viewers. The story ends in a way that should be pleasing for most viewers. The cast is solid with Angelina Jolie standing out as Maleficent; just menacing enough to be seen as dangerous without being evil. The special effects are really impressive; especially the various magical creatures. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to those who like new takes on old stories.

Surprisingly Enjoyable! 7/10

[leonblackwood · 7/10 · 27 October 2014]

Review: I really thought that this was going to be a typical Disney movie about fairies and magic dust, but I really enjoyed it. Although the storyline is based around Sleeping Beauty, I found it quite dark with some adult content. The CGI throughout the movie looked impressive and Angelina Jolie played her part extremely well. After being betrayed by her loved one, she turns quite evil and full of hate, but once Aurora comes into the picture, you get to see an inner sweetness which made her character entertaining and a joy to watch. Pieced together with Sharlto Copley playing the villain, this movie really did have every aspect covered and I'm not surprised that it made so much money at the box office. A Great Watch!

Round-Up: Angelina Jolie really doesn't make that many movies anymore, but when she comes out of the woodwork, she really does come out with some good movies. From Changeling to the action packed Wanted, she really does have a versatile acting ethic and with all of her charitable work and her hectic family life, I'm not surprised that making movies is low down on her priority list. I liked the chemistry between her character and Sam Riley, who played the crow, and the action scenes were very well thought out by the director. Personally, I don't think that it's a movie for the young ones because there are some scenes that will give them nightmares, but there are some scenes they will enjoy, like her magical land and the amazing creatures. In all, I'm surprised that I enjoyed the movie because I really wasn't expecting something so dark.

Budget: $180million Worldwide Gross: $757million (WOW!)

I recommend this movie to people who are into there Disney movies which are based on the concept of Cinderella. 7/10

Pure Magic

[marydanza · 8/10 · 27 July 2020]

Angelina Jolie is the only one who could play Maleficent. No one has her presence and her charisma, and this movie is worthy in particularly for her great performance.

Maleficent

[0U · 29 February 2020]

This movie is brilliant ans deserves a way higher rating than it has. The whole character of Maleficent is so intresting and the twist of the original story is really good.

You Would Do Bad Things Too If...

[BabelAlexandria · 7/10 · 2 May 2020]

An interesting take on the classic fairy tale (and Disney movie/theme park sensation), this deliberate rewriting felt bold for Disney. The cinematography was also high quality.

Sienna's Rating: 7 stars Sebs Rating: 10 stars Paul's Rating: 7 stars.

This was better then I was expecting but did take something away from the history of her. After watching this she isn't as scary

[cosmo_tiger · 7/10 · 22 June 2014]

"The story is not quite as you were told and I should know. For I was the one they called Sleeping Beauty." Maleficent (Jolie) is a fairy that is loved be everyone in the Moor. When she stops a human from stealing from her land she thinks she has found a friend and her true-love. Little by little he begins to show up less and less. After an unsuccessful attack by the king on Maleficent's forest the King offers to name whoever can take her down as his successor. When he tricks her in order to take the throne Maleficent is bent on revenge, she aims her hatred at the one thing the new King cherishes most, his new daughter, Aurora (Fanning). I'll start with the one question everyone will have, this is not a straight kids movie like Sleeping Beauty was but it is also not as dark and adult as Snow White and the Huntsman. That said I thought it was better then I was expecting but my 11 year old daughter loved it. The only real problem with this movie is the same problem that caused the Star Wars movies to lose some of the magic. Maleficent is arguably the Darth Vader of the Disney Villains, I think of her as the darkest and most powerful of all of them. When the prequels came out and you saw his origin it took some of the mystique away and he no longer had the aura he had before. This one had the same effect, I don't want to give anything away but you will see what I mean when you watch it. Overall, a movie that is geared toward young teens but isn't terrible for adults. I give this a B.

A few flaws but overall it was good

[anime_queeny · 7/10 · 28 May 2014]

So, I had the pleasure of attending the advanced screening of Maleficent and I must say that this movie wasn't too bad.

Basic run down of the movie...a young fairy girl with beautiful wings, meets a young thief boy and together they form a loving bond with Maleficent experiencing her first kiss of true love. As Maleficent grows into a beautiful adult fairy, she awaits the return of her love. When they finally reunite it does not end well and thus the story of Maleficents rage and her reason for becoming the villain of this story, PLUS the story of the Sleeping Beauty story begins.

Angelina Jolie did an amazing and stunning job of Maleficent...When she's on screen she is a joy to watch! But, for me that's all there was to the movie...Angelina made this movie...that and visually the film was stunning but there were a couple of holes in the story and some changes to a traditional story that I'm not so fond of.

Unfortunately, I'm a bit of traditionalist...My all time favourite animated Disney film is: Sleeping Beauty. If you're a gigantic fan of the animated film and expect the live action rendition to be similar (like they've portrayed it through trailers) you might be a little bit disappointed.

Firstly, I don't really get why the King has such a vengeful hate against Maleficent...if you watch the story at the start there was no reason for him to hate her and he basically caused and created what Maleficent shouldn't have been. In the end, there was so much violence and hate towards Maleficent I couldn't bear to watch it was really sad.

Secondly, I'm not a huge fan of the actress that plays Aurora. She's a pretty girl but she just didn't bring anything special to the screen.

Thirdly, there was no "love story" between Aurora and Prince Phillip...In fact, it felt like Prince Phillip was just in the story for the sake of being there because everyone knows there is a Prince Phillip that saves Aurora from her sleeping slumber...or does he?

Finally, many people will disagree with this but I thought Maleficents powers could have been stronger. She does possess great power and uses it well but it's kind of flat. This is just me comparing the animated Maleficent to the live action one. I'm just being picky...

It was a good attempt to modernise and recreate and invent a new way of telling a story about Sleeping Beauty and I absolutely loved Angelina Jolie as Maleficent...But, there are flaws and it's hard to ignore them.

Don't bother watching this film in 3D either because there isn't much excitement or enough things in the film to make it pop out. Enjoy the visuals and story of the film without the need of the silly 3D glasses.

7/10

Maleficent? More like Magnificent!

[Movie_Fanatic_Down_Under · 9/10 · 28 May 2014]

IGNORE THE TRAILER: GO SEE IT!

I saw this movie tonight with a friend and it was spectacular. Going in, I was excited as a life-long Disney fan but also expecting a somewhat cheesy good-vs-evil type of movie based on what I had seen in the trailer. I couldn't have been more wrong! Angelina Jolie delivers an amazing performance and makes a well-known, previously rather one- dimensional Disney villain relate-able and more sympathetic, while also managing to look like a convincing, gorgeous, magical creature.

The CGI is a tad heavy and a little freaky at times (such as the three coloured pixies/Aunts) but was used, in combination with some amazing sets, to create a fantastic world and creatures which were reminiscent of the beautiful and imaginative work in movies such as "Hellboy 2" and "Pan's Labyrinth". The effort by the art team here really helps to draw you into Maleficent's world at the beginning of the movie and makes you wish you were a kid growing up with this movie as fodder for your imagination.

Although Maleficent's character has been humanised in this re-telling, the story really emphasises that she isn't human at all, and explores the ins and outs of her life and how she relates to the humans she encounters.

The plot for this movie really fits into the current trend of exploring the anti-hero (Breaking Bad, Hannibal...) and shows that Disney is trying to break with its past depiction of characters being black and white, good or evil, etc.

I feel like I am gushing over this film, but as a Disney classic lover I have been truly impressed by what is sure to be a new favourite with kids and adults equally. I do expect some controversy over parts of the film but I won't discuss those here.

A split decision

[MJB784 · 6/10 · 21 May 2018]

I found it very frustratingly uneven. Visually the location and production design was fascinating, but the special effects were mostly fake and didn't blend to the performances which were mostly just standing by with nothing the do and the flying scenes with the fairies looked too fake like an old video game sequence. Angelina wasn't that menacing in Maleficent. She played it very hammy where she was over emphasizing the lines and didn't seem that mean. The story is just as uneven since it wants to be both a retelling of Sleeping Beauty and a brand new story about Maleficent so the main character is both Maleficent and Princess Aurora. They also changed some of the story and it made me not sure if certain parts were supposed to be funny or serious and Maleficent as a character was just as unfocused emotionally. Why couldn't they just retell Sleeping Beauty or tell a prequel of Maleficent instead of combining the two? My mind was feeling like I was watching two movies fused together!

Stunning Revolutionary Game Changer in the Fairy Tale Genre

[AmorLucis · 10/10 · 31 May 2014]

This film is a TRUE fairy tale. It's dark. It's raw. And it's written from the dark, raw experience of women.

Maleficent is about what happens when your Prince turns into a Frog. It's the personal, inner journey to recover from a physical trauma and emotional betrayal by those who are closest to us and who we trust the most. It's about how to survive that type of horrific evil without becoming evil yourself. It's message is that profound.

The critics complaining about this film want "fairy tales" to stay in the same "one-love-fits-all" mode where people are either good or evil and that all one needs is to find "romantic" love and marry a "good" Prince or Princess, and you will live "happily ever after," safe from any pain or sorrow. But real life is a lot messier than that.

It's actually evidence of how rare it is to see women's unfiltered subjective emotional landscape portrayed on film that it seems many of the critics cannot even wrap their brains around it!

No matter. This film is so sensually visually stunning and viscerally emotionally cathartic that sheer word of mouth enthusiasm is going to make this a blockbuster, no matter what the critics say.

And it's equally rare to see a protagonist whose inner landscape is more complex than simply extracting revenge, destroying their enemies and...roll credits. People are more complicated than THAT fairy tale we are sold in every other "action" and "adventure" film that only serves to reinforce the psychopathic values of revenge and bravado.

Sometimes a film is so ahead of its time that the critics are behind and so philosophically deep that it's message is incomprehensible to the more superficial among us. This is one such film.

Woolverton and Jolie have crafted a masterpiece.

Don't miss it.

Stunning to watch, but misses the mark

[RTTerry · 6/10 · 10 June 2014]

Briefly – this is one of the more visually stunning movies to watch. The graphics and CGI scenes are remarkable, but the storyline falls short and tends to stumble over itself too many times throughout the plot.

I don't understand why it is that Hollywood, or perhaps it's Disney, that seems so intent on retelling stories and twisting the plot around. Villains in movies are meant to be villains – leave them as such and please stop trying to re-cast them as somewhat good or simply shaded characters to feel better about yourself, and them. If you want to put the evil-doers in a 'good' light – then come up with a whole new original tale! In the case of re-telling Sleeping Beauty, Maleficent starts out as such a promising film, and then decides to make sudden changes, for no apparent reason. The plot ends up becoming too confusing, frustrating and much to 'wait a second...!!!!'

Had Disneystuck to the original storyline – which we were all waiting to see – oh how wonderful this film could've been! What's next … suddenly Disney is going to make the wicked stepmother in Cinderella the true 'good-fairy', and Cinderella is now the spoiled brat? Keep the original story – just give it to us in an updated and fresh live-action tale that we've never seen.

An excellent adaptation

[pradeep_christo · 10/10 · 28 May 2014]

Every true fan of the original Sleeping Beauty (1959) was skeptical about this and how much it had to deviate from the actual movie, and as more of the movie was revealed, it was only proving to be another female empowerment, victimized villain kind of a movie. But I'm glad I was wrong, for I'm sure only by watching the whole movie can we truly appreciate and understand the very convincing back story and development the character was subject to. Of course with very liberal changes to the original plot, the key elements that you'd look for are intact. Need I mention the perfect casting of Angelina Jolie, Maleficent truly comes to life in full form by Angelina's stunning skills and presence. A twist that's not cliché, sentiments that are deep, humor that's ever so natural and action that always keeps you at the edge of your seat! Maleficent in this movie is not exactly as we know of her from the few minutes we got to see her in the original movie, but let me tell you she's every bit deliciously evil. It was amusing to see Angelina play a role that requires a lot of nuances to pull of this character with a lot of depth as opposed to the one-dimensional character from the movie. Never letting off the grip, she carried the movie on her shoulders. Nothing to take away from the beauty of the rest of the movie which takes breath with excellent direction and visual effects that will truly transport you to another world, and the amazing work by all the 'supporting' actors. Yes, the other characters weren't as fleshed out as Maleficent, but I see that as good thing, given the title and theme. A spectacular balance. I'd also like to bring light on the enchanting score, thanks to James Newton Howard, this maestro is underrated.

A comprehensive movie, there's a little something for audiences of all ages, truly a masterpiece.

Too little girl focused

[adamscastlevania2 · 6/10 · 28 August 2014]

(55%) Without doubt a mixed bag. The opening 10 or so minutes are far too sweet and kid friendly for my taste, but the real fly in the soup is the fact that Maleficent herself is at no point actually evil in the slightest. She is for the most part slightly bitter, much more so than out-and-out evil, or even bad, and as there's no real arc to her character the movie feels a little hollow and somewhat lacking. Jolie though is pretty fantastic and the movie splutters whenever she's off screen, but the 3 annoying fairy characters are given far too much attention that they really don't warrant in the slightest deducting from some good, exciting scenes. Overall If it had more bite, and the script was polished to a higher degree then this could have been a classic in waiting, but sadly not.

Sadly Disappointed

[mmogame316 · 4/10 · 1 June 2014]

With the release of movie adaptations of classics like Snow White and Jack and the beanstalk, both of which I was highly entertained and thought it was simply amazing this movie was a sad let down.

Pros: Visually stunning. Angelina Jolie's performance was spot on with the most evil of classical villains we always knew.

Cons: The most beautiful princess Aurora looks like the girl next door. Why does Hollywood try to do that is beyond me. Mary Jane Watson (Spidermans love interest) is supposed to be a beautiful actress and a model. But again the movie portrays a girl next door look in ultimate Spiderman. Elle Fannig's acting was not strong and in the end not memorable in the least. It felt like she was there for the sake of being there.

Sharlto Copley acting left a lot to be desired. Was he supposed to portray a loving farther and husband driven mad or a power hungry king driven insane by his overwhelming need to destroy the one creature that he could not bring himself to kill when he had the chance? If he was supposed to potray caring scenes it never really showed. ______________ ______________

The King is portrayed as an evil man who begged for his daughters life and could have easily returned maleficent's wings but instead chose not to for reasons which are beyond anyones understanding. This is the start of where the movie just becomes a drag.

Maleficent curses the child to die in the original storyline and this is the most important part in the story because of which the 3rd fairy who did not bestow a gift alters the curse by making them sleep instead of death. This part is totally lost in the movie.

Watching a bunch of incompetent fairies nearly almost kill a child before the curse can take effect is as much a mystery as why maleficent would watch over the child and save it. Why the king would entrust his child to faeries whom he dislikes is also as much a mystery as why he would not send a nurse maid to care for his only child.

The worst part of the movie is being subjected to watch the Princess grow to 16 years old and marvel at the beautiful fairies (it feels like pointless fillers). Also when the princess realizes whats going on one day before her birthday, the 3 incompetent fairies again forget to mention about what happened to Maleficents wings. The good fairies were not incompetent, just funny in the original story and smart enough to hide away the princess for 16 years. Why they made them look so incompetent and negligent is beyond me.

Once you get over the visuals you will realize its nothing more than a chick flick geared at young children (visuals) and adults who are romantically inclined.

The most evil Disney villain for over 50 years reduced to nothing more than a scorned women out to seek revenge for the betrayal. A loving father reduced to nothing more than a mad evil greed driven man who plunges himself into insanity with a overwhelming urge to kill maleficent despite his daughter being returned safe and well.

Many times during the movie I found myself thinking about what work I have the next day or what needs to be done. This is something I have never experienced when sitting and watching a movie on big screen completely immersed in the plot.

This is a far cry from Snow White and the Huntsman which was really good barring Kristen Stewart's emo acting (emotionless) drawn from twilight.

A very pleasant surprise...a twist better than the original fairy tale

[Mikel3 · 18 February 2016]

We finally saw 'Maleficent' the other day. I absolutely loved it ! It's the best twist on a favorite fairy tail I've ever seen. Angelina was perfect in the title role, she made the same character sympathetic, scary and later heartwarming at different times in the story. The actress could express a wide range of emotions with just her eyes and expressions. I anticipated what would awaken Aurora and I was not disappointed. The final resolution to the story was very satisfying too. It's rare lately that a movie leaves me with a big grin at the end as the credits start. I haven't enjoyed a fantasy film this much in a long time, with the exception of 'Oz the Great and Powerful' which I also enjoyed to a slightly lesser degree. I want the 'Maleficent' blue-ray now for my collection. Plus I just read that there are rumors of a sequel ! I'm hoping that's true. I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

A delightful re/de-construction of "Sleeping Beauty" and the values it championed

[orzguang · 7/10 · 17 June 2014]

The directorial debut of Robert Stromberg is not only a visually delightful reconstruction of the 1959 Disney fairy tale "Sleeping Beauty", but also a deconstruction of its simplistic black-and-white universe, its feel-good storyline and the values it championed. I particularly enjoyed the presence of powerful female characters: the eponymous fairy queen, antagonist in the Disney version, is here the protagonist around whom the whole plot evolves; the story is narrated by the Sleeping Beauty herself, which gives the auctorial authority to a woman.

Stromberg was the production designer of "Avatar", "Alice in Wonderland", which won him two Oscars, and "Oz the Great and Powerful" (James Franco!), a wonderful retelling of the cult classic "The Wizard of Oz". He also worked with the special effect team of the "Game of Thrones". Maleficent's loss of wings could well echo with Angelina Jolie's painful double mastectomy in real life and thus create some interesting paratexts for the film. Sam Riley has a few major roles under his name including a rather convincing portrayal of Kerouac's protagonist in "On the Road" (2012). And of course the prince charming has to be an Australian! The sexy and delicious Brenton Thwaites plays a prince who won't be killing any dragon nor is he able to perform the magic of liberating his sleeping girl, a supporting role in its absolute sense, but nicely done. You can see why Jolie, a fervent feminist, was interested by the script and eventually accepted the role.

Some parts of the story might seem underdeveloped, but it's essentially an anti-myth, anti-fairy tale and a postmodern re-creation requires our knowledge of its intertextual conversations. Luckily, nothing is better known than cheap Disney fairy tales.

Wasted Potential

[jul-kinnear · 6/10 · 16 June 2014]

Long ago, in the final year of the 1950s, there was Sleeping Beauty, the sixteenth of Walt Disney's animated children's tales. The film told the story of the princess Aurora, cursed into unnatural slumber by the vindictive fairy Maleficent– considered by many to be one of Disney's greatest villains.

Fifty-five years later, under the first-time direction of Robert Stromberg , the self-titled "mistress of all evil" gets her own movie – complete with some good ideas, a nice plot twist, lots of unanswered questions, and a heap of wasted potential.

Show, don't tell, is one of the basic commandments of storytelling, whether on paper or on screen, and it's broken into tiny shards like the frailest of magic mirrors by Stromberg and his scriptwriter Linda Woolverton. By using a completely unnecessary narration throughout the movie, Stromberg repeatedly refuses to let his characters speak - or even emote - for themselves. Worse yet, he barely lets them speak to each other. The title character (Angelina Jolie) is driven to revenge by her lover's betrayal, yet there's no time given to showing their relationship. We're permitted a chirrupy scene when they first meet, and a brief -- nearly dialogue-free -- view of a really bad breakup, but that's it. Sharlto Copley's King Stefan - the cause of our poor dark fairy's grief - gets three scenes with her, and a couple more briefly terrorizing his subjects, and nothing else. He's absolutely essential to the plot, and his psychological turmoil is an obvious counterpoint to Maleficent's own, but no one could be bothered to give him any time to do it in. He barely has any dialogue.

Dialogue in general is in maddeningly short supply in this fantasy world, as are characters to speak it. Much of the the film's hour and a half run-time is spent with Ms. Jolie and her prosthetically enhanced cheekbones, but we never learn all that much about her character, because personality is largely displayed through interaction and conversation, and over the course of the entire movie, Maleficent actually talks with only four different characters. The same is true of Princess Aurora (Elle Fanning), and the raven-man Diaval (Sam Riley). These three are our protagonists, yet they barely really speak to each other. When they do, it's often not that all that meaningful or all that much. It's as if Woolverton was paying for dialogue by the word.

The lack of verbiage brings with it some significant story gaps. With the exception of her avian sidekick, we never find out what the other inhabitants of her magical realm think of Maleficent's actions, or of the Humans who periodically attack their borders. We are never shown (or even told) why three bumbling fairies break ranks to protect the child of their queen's worst enemy, or why said enemy even let them into his castle in the first place. Maleficent's magical abilities are left frustratingly undefined: She can telekinetically toss people around like leaves, and make them fall asleep at will, yet falls back on physical combat on at least two occasions. She can levitate objects and people, and change one creature into another, yet never uses these ability on herself - even when it would be incredibly useful.

And why, oh why, is the forest she lives in called "The Moors"?

The pity is, there's actually a lot of good stuff buried in this movie. There are some interesting revisions of the old story, nothing is dull, the main character is - despite everything - engaging and visually striking, (actually, visuals in general are another area where the movie does pretty well) and there's a wonderfully refreshing twist on one of the best-known fairytale scenes in history. There's nothing too violent or frightening for a young audience, yet little that feels overtly 'kiddie'. It's precisely because the movie has so much going for it that its shortcomings are so frustrating. It's not terrible, but it could have been really good.

Provided you can completely forget the story you already know, it offers some interesting of interest.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 6 August 2014]

If you are looking for a live-action version of the old Disney film "Sleeping Beauty", then you will be in for a BIG disappointment. Instead, "Maleficent" is a lot like a re-inventing of the old story. While some might say this is horrible, it must be remembered that there is no ONE definitive tale of "Sleeping Beauty". Perrault wrote down this and other French fairy tales (such as Cinderella) but they, like the Brothers Grimm stories in Germany, were folk tales--ones with many, many variations. So, if you look at the film as just a variation of the old story, it's much easier to enjoy.

In this version, you get back story as to who Maleficent was--both when she was nice and when she turned mean, much because of a jerk-faced King who was nasty to her (Sleeping Beauty's jerk of a father). While I thought all this had way too much CGI and was at times very distracting, I did love the 'love's first kiss' angle--one that flies in the face of the ludicrous love at first sight crap!

My verdict is that this certainly is no classic but the story is worth seeing. Neither brilliant nor an abomination--it reminds me of some of the newer children's story books such as "The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig" or "The True Story of the Big Bad Wolf"--stories that stand the older versions on their heads!

True Love Comes In Many and Different Ways

[LeonLouisRicci · 9/10 · 14 July 2015]

A bit Dark for a PG Rating so Parental Guidance is Advised. But the more Mature and Well Grounded Children are sure to Get a Thrill from this CGI Ride that is Full of Fantastic Images and Stirring Action.

It is Pathos that the Movie Embraces and the Good and Evil are Reversed somewhat but there are still Characters Worth Rooting for and others to Hiss and Boo.

Haters of this Backstory seem to be Under the Delusion that the Original Fairy Tale and the Original Disney Animated Movie have been Purged from Existence with some Sort of Orwellian Eraser and Cease Existing to Enjoy.

Both are still there to be Perused and Appreciated, this is just something a bit Different, Not a Replacement. Angelina Jolie makes a Great Maleficent and is backed by an Array of Colorful and Interesting Fairies and other assorted Moor Magnificence.

Thankfully there are No Outburst of Sappy, Old-Fashioned, Done-to Death Songs Interrupting the Story and it Plays out like a Truly Grim Fairy Tale. True Love comes in Many Forms and is not always found in a Traditional way, there could be others, and this is Not a Replacement, it's just Manifested in Another Form.

The Film certainly Looks Seamless incorporating Live Action and Animation. The Three Fairies are Amazing, and the Whole Movie is Spellbinding in a somewhat "New" Kind of Look from Modern Artistry.

Definitely Recommended for Those that Don't always Take the Path Well Traveled and are Willing to Accept and Embrace New Directions as New Entertainment and this Does Not Eliminate the Old, but Enhances with Enchantment.

Another Feminist Movie

[hanpuder · 6/10 · 1 June 2014]

Let me start by saying that I am a female, 22 years old, and probably one of the biggest Disney fans out there. Second, I found "Maleficent" to be an amazing movie as far as the effects, costumes, and make up go. But that is about it. From the opening lines of the movie, man is portrayed as greedy and wicked. Emotions of sympathy and compassion are stirred for the character that is traditionally thought of as evil. Parents are not to be trusted. They are really the "evil in the world." And the one force that is "true love," lied to the princess and killed others. Why did Disney allow the traditional values of Sleeping Beauty to be twisted? Good is evil and evil is good. Why? Unfortunately, the movie has a feminist agenda ( what can be expected when Angelina Jolie is the star and executive producer ). Ironically, traditional values are now attacked and considered the "wrong" view. Liberal views are the only "right" perspective.

Interesting

[akshatmahajan · 8/10 · 25 March 2022]

This movie was in my watchlist from long time and I finally watched it today. Movie was interesting and entertaining to watch. We all know the story of Sleeping Beauty, this movie was a nice twist to it. The acting, story, visuals all were good and movie did a good work on grasping the audience till the end. Overall, a good watch and would recommend others to watch it, if you haven't yet.

Magnificent!

[ahmedm0ustafa · 7/10 · 27 November 2021]

It's amazing how hate can turn into love by time.

Although it's not my first time seeing this movie, I enjoyed it pretty much as the first time.

Seeing Angelina Jolie doing the evil part was nice. She is absolutely suitable for it.

Magnificent

[phd_travel · 10/10 · 29 May 2014]

Maleficent is magnificent. The story is sophisticated enough to delight adult audiences with a brilliant take on the beloved tale with a delightful twist including the meaning of true love. The characters are sympathetic and there is enough excitement.

The art direction and cinematography are beautiful. The fairy land scenes resemble a pre Raphaelite painting. The castle was a bit generic CGI. The right blend of human faces with CGI so it didn't look too animated. The director Stromberg who did Oz the Great and Powerful did an even better job here.

Angelina Jolie's expressive face is the perfect showcase for the character - it is the role of her lifetime. Like the way they did her cheekbones to make it like the Disney cartoon. Sam Riley as her sidekick morphs into many fairy tale creatures crow, dragon horse. The creatures are well done not awkward in movement and not overwhelming. Elle Fanning is sweet and picture perfect for the role of Aurora and Brenton Thwaites plays her prince. The fairies including Juno Temple and Imelda Staunton are cute too.

Liked this more than the Snow White movies 'Mirror Mirror' and 'Snow White and the Hunstman'. The first was fun but a bit silly and the second was too grim. Maleficent is the perfect blend of excitement and fairy tale. Most enjoyable film of the year.

An effective children's film that could instill movie wonder in younger audiences

[bob-the-movie-man · 7/10 · 9 June 2014]

I'm always a sucker for a good story, and you have to admit that – at their hearts – some of the fairy tales are corkers. Sleeping Beauty is a case in point. Tension, narrative drive, good vs evil and – thanks to writers Jack Lawrence and Sammy Fain – a gloriously memorable Disney song in "Once upon a dream".

The new Disney reimagining of the fable – Maleficent – takes some liberties with the story in serving up a star vehicle for Angelina Jolie, who was also an executive producer on the picture. In the story, we see the young and carefree Maleficent, strongest of the fairies in the magical land of "The Moors", corrupted by the greed and avarice of man who inhabit the neighbouring kingdom. Betrayed and mutilated by Stefan – the man who would be king – a vengeful Maleficent places the famous curse upon Stefan's daughter who is grows up in the care of the bickering red, blue and green fairies as featured in the animated version, here played by Imelda Staunton, Leslie Manville and Juno Temple.

Maleficent is aided and abetted in her evil plans by henchman come crow come wolf Diaval, played by Sam Riley (so good in "Brighton Rock", but here looking all the world like UK jazz star Jamie Cullum).

Angelina Jolie's beauty is evident, but it is a strange and angular beauty and just perfect for this role. In fact it is difficult to imagine any other actress that could play this. You might imagine the role to be fairly two-dimensional, but the twist given to the story allows some significant range for Jolie to explore, and she does it very well.

The evil and deranged Stefan is played by Sharlto Copley – continuing his bad-guy roles following "District 9″ and "Elysium".

Elle Fanning, younger sister of Dakota and so effective in Super 8, plays the teenage Aurora, in a suitably smiley, sweet and totally asexual Disney manner. Perhaps its just me, but at times I think she has a striking resemblance to a young Drew Barrymore. A particular star of the show is the baby that plays the young Aurora: if this kid grows up to be a film star this footage will feature strongly in "Before they were famous". Also worthy of note is the five year old Aurora played by Jolie's real life daughter Vivienne. The scenes are quite special, in the manner of a "what the hell are you doing wearing those big horns on your head Mummy?".

I was first attracted to this film in part due to the gorgeously spooky rendition of "One upon a Dream" played over the trailer. And we hear it in full over the end titles. I'm embarrassed that it took me until the titles to realise it was Lana Del Rey – of course it is!! The rest of the score, by James Newton Howard, is suitably orchestral and supports the drama well.

The special effects are excellent, from the imagining of the mystical land of the Moors to the effective fire-breathing dragon in chains, so feared by generations of kids under the Disneyland Paris castle.

This is fundamentally a kids film. But it is a good kids film, and if you took a sensitive five or six year old to see this they might be infected with the wonder and love of cinema that followed my inoculation by Mary Poppins at a similar age. And whilst there is mild peril to alarm kids, there are none of the emotional plot jolts that infect some similar films like Bridge to Terabithia (which this has some similarities with): it certainly has a much lower traumatisation quotient compared to that shocker! Where the film lacks something is in the crossover to a potential adult audience. Cute baby aside, there are not a lot of laughs in this which is an opportunity missed. There is a lot of very plodding dialogue all on a very one-dimensional plane and I feel that having a sparky writer of the likes of a Jane Goldman, to add a layer of adult humour 'above the heads' of the junior audience, would have spiced the recipe up significantly.

(If you enjoyed this review, please see my other reviews at bobmann447.wordpress.com, and sign up to "Follow the Fad"! Thanks.)

This is NOT Maleficent

[StrongRex · 1/10 · 1 June 2014]

I was genuinely excited to hear that Disney was going to make a film about Maleficent, my favorite Disney villain of all time. I was interested in knowing the 'why' behind her actions in Sleeping Beauty, since we never really got to see that. I will say that the cinematography is amazing. I will also say that while Angelina Jolie was not my first choice, she had the look, her costume was spot-on, and there are moments where you can see where she is at least trying to play this role correctly (and really, who could replace Eleanor Audley?). But one thing I've noticed over the past 10-15 years is that animation and design seem to be their main focus, rather than story or character development. In the movie, Maleficent's back story was incredibly rushed. So much for going into depth on why Maleficent is the way she is.

This movie does not explain why Maleficent is the way she is. Disney is showing us a completely different character while giving her the same name as Disney's most iconic villain. Now they're trying to say that Maleficent is a misunderstood character who becomes evil. But that never happens. She becomes angry and bitter, but not evil. Maleficent in this movie is not even a misunderstood, sympathetic character. She is a total victim who never becomes evil at all.

Oh, she does do one evil thing; she does still curse King Stefan's baby out of revenge. And she has second thoughts about it two seconds afterward. See? Not evil at all. And while I'm at it, I should mention my distaste for the way she cursed Aurora: Disney completely lowered the stakes by having Maleficent utter the words "sleep-like death" and be the one to offer the cure of True Love's kiss. No! It's MERRYWEATHER that counters the DEATH curse in order to save Aurora's life! Oh, Maleficent may say later that she doesn't believe True Love exists, but that's a matter of opinion isn't it? Again, LOWERS THE STAKES.

And what was Linda Woolverton thinking when she took King Stefan and the three fairies completely out of character and gives them a complete 180 in order to make Maleficent look good? If you're going to show us the point of view of a famous villain, it's okay to give them layers and gray areas in order to make them more interesting and multi- dimensional, even to show they weren't always evil. But NOT to say they were never evil at all; that just completely defeats the point of the character! Same with the good guys; they may have their own flaws, show that they have their own prejudices, or that everything they did wasn't perfect. But NOT to say "the good guys were really EVIL OR STUPID!"

The fairies, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather (I refuse to call them by their new names) are NOTHING like they were in Sleeping Beauty, and this is a big deal. In Sleeping Beauty, say what you will about their flaws but their ultimate motivation was keeping Aurora SAFE. At least they tried, even if they failed! Maleficent (2014) portrays them as nothing more than stupid buffoons who only care about saving their own skins. Aurora was just a means to an end for them; they have no relationship with her like they do in the original. The movie also took away their own personalities, so they are no different from each other. I can't even keep track of which fairy has which name! Watching them on screen with everything they say or do was as cringe worthy as I expected it to be.

King Stefan has to be one of worst written villains I have seen in a while. He has no real motivation for what he does; we see him as having nothing in the beginning, and then the movie glosses over his relationship with Maleficent in order to "get to the good part" where he steals her wings in order to be king. After that, he wages war on Maleficent for cursing his daughter, and yet he only looks at Aurora as afterthought property. Why is he even after Maleficent then? What else has she done to him other than cursing his daughter?

Elle Fanning as Aurora was very impressive. I do think she gave the character more of a personality that was lacking in the original, and she stole the film in every scene she was in. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough to save the movie, nor were Maleficent's interactions with Diaval, as enjoyable as they were.

And of course, Maleficent does not turn into a dragon in this movie. I have to ask; why, Disney? You knew how loved of a villain Maleficent is, and her being a dragon is one of the many reasons why. Also, we live in an age where technology and special effects are abundant; you didn't use the opportunity to see how your most iconic villain looks as a dragon when done with live-action CGI? Why would you waste a perfectly good opportunity like that? Besides the fact that Maleficent is not evil in this film, she also is very wimpy and pathetic. She can't do ANYTHING. When we see her fight an army at the beginning, all she does is fly around and slap a few soldiers with her wings. The tree monsters did most of her fighting for her. In Sleeping Beauty, she could transport herself to another place in a matter of seconds, she could shoot lightning from her staff, and she could transform into another form other than her own. She didn't do any of that in this movie.

Just like with Alice in Wonderland, Disney wasted a perfectly good opportunity to effectively adapt their animated work to the live-action screen. Maleficent may not be the absolute worst movie I've seen, but it's definitely in my bottom list now.