DISCLAIMER: This blog is not for profit. All images and footage used are property of their respective companies unless stated otherwise. I do not claim ownership of this material.
From it's announcement in May 2011, this film had the potential to be absolutely astounding. The premise of telling a classic story from the perspective of it's iconic villain, in this case Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty, seemed to be full-proof, having been done so fantastically well with long running Broadway show Wicked, as well as the fact that it had some truly great actors gracing the screen and a basic plot all of it's own which had the potential for some fantastic and complex Drama, if it was developed properly. However, when it was finally released, it was generally met with mixed reviews, even being ranked 'rotten' on review website Rotten Tomatoes. But was this really fair?
Generally, it is hard to decide whether this is a bad movie with some good elements, or a good movie that simply has several negative aspects dragging it down. Many elements of the story are done very well, including the heart-warming relationship between the titular character and Princess Aurora. This is also supported by incredible performances from both Angelina Jolie and Elle Fanning and on the whole the movie benefits from epic scenes such as Maleficent flying which are filmed spectacularly and with many well chosen shots, making the movie as a whole very enjoyable to watch. The computer animated backgrounds of the Moors where Maleficent dwells are also stunning- to be honest, the film is worth watching just for these elements alone.
Another part of the film that may cause controversy amongst audience members is the presentation of the three fairies, who have been transformed, from strong independent women who, along with some incredible artwork, essentially made the original film the masterpiece that it was, to pathetic and ditzy morons who cannot even look after a baby for themselves. Whilst this may anger some viewers, it actually makes sense within the context of this story, as it is being told from Maleficent's point of view and this is the way in which she would have seen them.
However, the movie does have some glaring flaws. Whilst the story had the potential to be a fascinating character study of arguably Disney's greatest villain, it is instead frustratingly simplistic, with only one real motivation for Maleficent, which is not helped by the fact that her transition into a villain is so instantaneous that it has very little motivation and as a result little to no impact- she is just suddenly evil, after one event, which means that it is not as emotionally effective as the similar storyline of, for example, Wicked. There are also certain plot elements that come in towards the end of the film that seem to have been brought in without any prior thought and as a result, they seem completely ridiculous. A great example of this is the resolution to the film's climax, which seems to come out of nowhere just to get the protagonist out of a situation which would otherwise have been impossible to escape.
In conclusion, although Maleficent has it's problems, overall the more positive elements allow it to be at the very least entertaining, although not a masterpiece and with an almost ludicrous conclusion.
