Wait for this to come out on Redbox, this isn’t one you need to see in theaters. Sorry kids, but this movie disappointed me and I carry a Maleficent backpack! If you read other reviews for this movie, you’ll see contradictions. In other words, you either like it or don’t. I’m in the meh category… Overall, it didn’t deliver.
What I Liked
The imagery comes alive with sweeping camera movements and flying point of view of the lands. The colors are rich and vibrant as well as dark and foreboding. Good and evil color schemes, check. Angelina Jolie does her best in the title role but you can see in her face the lack of challenge this story brought her. The costumes are so detailed in some instances, I wanted to pause the frame to get a better look. Michelle Pfeiffer‘s Queen Ingrith costumes completely out do Maleficent in every scene which makes one think it’s more of Queen Ingrith’s movie with Maleficent plays a supporting role. I mean, even the story sort of goes there, too, until it remembers who the title character is and brings it back around. The addition of the new moors characters–the assorted fairies, frogs ( or toads), and others were cool to watch. Maleficent’s fae people were magnificent to watch with all the different color feathers and types and age ranges really added to the story line but raised more questions…
What I Didn’t Like
The fae people. I know I said I liked them and I do but how does Maleficent not know they exist until she is shot and thought to be killed and then saved by one of them? AND, the scene where Maleficent does get shot is soooo aggravating and done with such “see how easy it is to bring her down?” it takes the awesome evilness right out of Maleficent. If that red-headed chick can do it, in the dark, with one tiny lead bullet, while Maleficent is literally flying miles away…then Maleficent isn’t as great as I thought. Queen Ingrith is more evil than Maleficent could ever be and the wedding chapel scene proves it beyond a shadow of a doubt. I was shocked by the wedding chapel scene and its hint of holocaust which was more of a glorified slap and I’m not Jewish. I’m surprised the scene was written and filmed with this underlying theme. I might be reaching but it was the first thing I thought of as it unfolded. The disclaimer at the beginning. It’s a narrator basically telling you to forget what happened in the first movie and how people came to accept Maleficent because “no one knows why but Maleficent isn’t liked anymore” or something to that effect. Lame. Then don’t make a movie called Maleficent. Make one called Queen Ingrith’s revenge/rise to power or something. Bah humbug. Boo hiss.
Did you see Maleficient Mistress of Evil? What did you think? Leave me a comment!
If you want to watch the version that matters, watch the first one:
Arnold is the best actor ever seen ! ! https://japook.com
Not sure if he’s the best 🙂 but I do love his movies! Thanks for commenting!