The minute she materialised in the middle of the royal christening in 1959's Sleeping Beauty, Maleficent became the most iconic Disney v...
The minute she materialised in the middle of the royal christening in 1959's Sleeping Beauty, Maleficent became the most iconic Disney villain of all time, a title she enjoys to this day. Legions of youngsters and adults alike know who she is, and the fact she has endured to this day is down to how memorable a character she is. Now, she is the subject of her own movie, with Angelina Jolie in the title role, which acts as both an origin tale to expand upon her evil motivations beyond not been invited to a party, and a revisionist take on Sleeping Beauty from her perspective, all the while painting the Mistress of All Evil in a better light. Now, some of the liberties taken with the character and story may not sit well with some long time Maleficent, or even old school Disney, fans, but over all, Maleficent is an enchanting spin on a well known tale.
Taking his cue from recent fairy tale movies, like Snow White and the Huntsman, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, and Jack the Giant Slayer, Robert Stromberg, a special effects artist making his directorial debut here, injects proceedings with a healthy dose of gothic fantasy, from terrifying, demon faced wood creatures to foreboding, perpetually dark castles. This is also quite a bit darker in terms of story than the original cartoon, with events and motivations not being as clear cut and sugar coated as they once where. The smallies might need someone to cling onto in the darker moments, while the older kids, and some adults, in the audience will appreciate not being talked down to. It's an ambitious choice, Disney seeing passed their original work and reaching into the darker fairy tales that inspired it, and one that works more often than not.
The world Stromberg has envisioned is visually breathtaking (he was visual designer on Oz The Great and Powerful, which this movies style echoes a number of times), a land where the corrupted human realm uneasily shares borders with the much more peaceful land of trolls, fairies, and other magical creatures. Into this, Maleficent, a lot more innocent than we know her, begins a romance with the ambitious Stefan (Sharlto Copely), whose desire to be king far outweighs his desire for the young fairy. Thus begins Maleficent's turn to the dark side, and admittedly, the set up is rushed, with one or two details being just dropped in without any real fanfare, while others are glossed over altogether. It's when the story catches up with the Sleeping Beauty timeline, that the movie kicks into high gear. The plot is totally engaging, and moves at a great pace, though some of the twists can be quite predictable. One of the movies strong points is the visuals, employed to great effect in some fantastic set pieces. Sometimes you do feel bombarded by CGI creatures (with some dodgy effects sneaking their way in), but it's only a passing complaint when you are presented with truly breathtaking scenes, especially in the finale, where the movie fully morphs into a fantasy adventure.
The ace up Maleficent's sleeve though is Angelina Jolie. She IS Maleficent, not just in look (those cheekbones, man. Those cheekbones), but her entire demeanour, even her voice, completely captures the character. She is having an absolute blast being deliciously evil, but she also imbues her with a degree of humanity, so, that when the time comes, empathising with her is that much easier. She is also surrounded by a fine cast of supporting players, who don't quite touch Jolie's performance, but do put in fine work as well. Copely, managing to keep his inexplicable Scottish intact for the whole movie does a fine job as the increasingly mad king, a paranoid wreck who only breaks down further as the movie goes on, stopping short of becoming a caricature. Elle Fanning as Aurora manages to be a much more well rounded than her animated counter part, and adds a lot of sweetness to the movie. Sam Riley, as Maleficent's shape shifting side kick Diaval, does well with a role which is basically just comic relief, while Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, and Lesley Manville, spending most of their screen time as three bad CGI fairies, are given the same role, but immediately head into the realm of the annoying.
No one else could Jolie could have played Maleficent, and the movie is so much better for it. Beyond her fantastic performance, this is a visually impressive and fantastical tale, with a welcome dark spin on well known material.
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Taking his cue from recent fairy tale movies, like Snow White and the Huntsman, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, and Jack the Giant Slayer, Robert Stromberg, a special effects artist making his directorial debut here, injects proceedings with a healthy dose of gothic fantasy, from terrifying, demon faced wood creatures to foreboding, perpetually dark castles. This is also quite a bit darker in terms of story than the original cartoon, with events and motivations not being as clear cut and sugar coated as they once where. The smallies might need someone to cling onto in the darker moments, while the older kids, and some adults, in the audience will appreciate not being talked down to. It's an ambitious choice, Disney seeing passed their original work and reaching into the darker fairy tales that inspired it, and one that works more often than not.
The world Stromberg has envisioned is visually breathtaking (he was visual designer on Oz The Great and Powerful, which this movies style echoes a number of times), a land where the corrupted human realm uneasily shares borders with the much more peaceful land of trolls, fairies, and other magical creatures. Into this, Maleficent, a lot more innocent than we know her, begins a romance with the ambitious Stefan (Sharlto Copely), whose desire to be king far outweighs his desire for the young fairy. Thus begins Maleficent's turn to the dark side, and admittedly, the set up is rushed, with one or two details being just dropped in without any real fanfare, while others are glossed over altogether. It's when the story catches up with the Sleeping Beauty timeline, that the movie kicks into high gear. The plot is totally engaging, and moves at a great pace, though some of the twists can be quite predictable. One of the movies strong points is the visuals, employed to great effect in some fantastic set pieces. Sometimes you do feel bombarded by CGI creatures (with some dodgy effects sneaking their way in), but it's only a passing complaint when you are presented with truly breathtaking scenes, especially in the finale, where the movie fully morphs into a fantasy adventure.
The ace up Maleficent's sleeve though is Angelina Jolie. She IS Maleficent, not just in look (those cheekbones, man. Those cheekbones), but her entire demeanour, even her voice, completely captures the character. She is having an absolute blast being deliciously evil, but she also imbues her with a degree of humanity, so, that when the time comes, empathising with her is that much easier. She is also surrounded by a fine cast of supporting players, who don't quite touch Jolie's performance, but do put in fine work as well. Copely, managing to keep his inexplicable Scottish intact for the whole movie does a fine job as the increasingly mad king, a paranoid wreck who only breaks down further as the movie goes on, stopping short of becoming a caricature. Elle Fanning as Aurora manages to be a much more well rounded than her animated counter part, and adds a lot of sweetness to the movie. Sam Riley, as Maleficent's shape shifting side kick Diaval, does well with a role which is basically just comic relief, while Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, and Lesley Manville, spending most of their screen time as three bad CGI fairies, are given the same role, but immediately head into the realm of the annoying.
No one else could Jolie could have played Maleficent, and the movie is so much better for it. Beyond her fantastic performance, this is a visually impressive and fantastical tale, with a welcome dark spin on well known material.
Follow @themoviebit
