"Maleficent" Review

Title: Maleficent

Directed by: Robert Stromberg

Screenplay by: Linda Woolverton

Year: 2014


Maleficent is a movie that tries to do something different from most if not all of Disney's previous motion pictures. It attempts to tell the story from the perspective of the villain. The chosen villain is the titular Maleficent from the 1959 animated film Sleeping Beauty. Maleficent is one of Disney's greatest villains if not the best. So naturally this film garnered quite an amount of intrigue upon its announcement. Is Maleficent a fitting origin story for one of Disney's most memorable characters, or is its title suggestive of its quality?

Maleficent is introduced as a fairy with large, strong wings as well as a young child. She meets a young boy named Stefan and the two become friends. As the years go by, they see less and less of each other. Stefan wants to take the dying king's place on the throne but in order to do so, he must kill Maleficent. He cuts off her wings and presents them to the king, gaining the crown. Maleficent, angered by this betrayal, curses King Stefan's child, Aurora.

I am going to begin by saying that despite its PG rating, I would not recommend Maleficent for children. It's not particularly violent per say, but rather it doesn't have anything good to offer to younger minds. This is certainly not a film I would suggest for children.

The story tries to do something admirable in two ways; it attempts to give a classic and one note villain an effective backstory while also trying to redeem this villain from her crimes. But it utterly fails in both respects. But there are a few things to like in this film. Angelina Jolie is great as Maleficent, or more precisely, when Maleficent is allowed to be evil. The best example is easily the best scene in the film; when Maleficent crashes the party. I could't think of a more fitting actress for this role, and Jolie really sells the evil personality of Maleficent. Elle Fanning is spectacular as the young Aurora. Fanning fantastically makes the character of Aurora a lively and spirited young woman, and admittedly, more of an actual character than the Aurora in the 1959 film. And Sharlto Copely gives a good performance as King Stefan, but there is no doubt that he has been miscast in this role. He tries his best and he gives a good performance, but it should have been another actor.

Something else that I actually really enjoyed in Maleficent was the music. It was bombastic at times but it did fit the film well. The art direction, makeup, and costuming were also good. Maleficent looks great and some of the sets are well realized. Sadly however, this is where the compliments end.

The visual effects for Maleficent are all over the place in terms of quality. Some things look great, others alright, others mediocre, and sometimes just plain poor. The living tree creatures and the dragon look really good. The flying scenes are okay when zoomed out but as soon as the camera gets closer to Maleficent's face, they just look awful. The green screen used for the settings however is just atrocious, as are certain creatures prominent in the magical realm.

The editing is a mixed bag to say the least. At times, it's actually pretty good, showing the passing of time in an effective if not too creative manner. However, for the majority of the movie, it's sloppy. Scenes are cut short, scenes are followed by unrelated scenes without any form of transition. At times, it appears as if we are viewing a scene through Maleficent's first person perspective but then Maleficent enters the frame and breaks this. It's a combination of bad directing and poor editing that make this movie feel disjointed and jarring at points.

The story has some blatant sexual undertones, rape in particular. The stealing of Maleficent's wings and everything surrounding that situation is just so obviously a metaphor for a woman losing her virginity to a man who takes advantage of her. This is an unnecessary message for this story. In fact, it undermines Maleficent's character as a whole. And this is supposed to be a film for children? The story takes some very predictable turns as well. Many of the changes they made to the original story can be anticipated before they even manifest themselves. And there are plot holes a plenty. My god! Nearly everything that happens in this film generates plot holes that are of course never resolved.

*SPOILERS AHEAD* Allow me to share just some of the questions that sprung to mind when watching Maleficent. Why did Maleficent start seeing Aurora and spending time with her? And where were the pixies during these meetings, the ones who are supposed to be watching her? How did Aurora get past the thorns to reach the castle? How did the guard know that Maleficent was in the castle if no one saw her? Why did Stefan turn evil and greedy so suddenly? How the hell did Maleficent's wings return to her? If they were still alive, why didn't they immediately return to Maleficent when Stefan first cut them off? We see that Maleficent is able to fix a broken branch at the beginning of the film and return it to its former self. Why couldn't she do that with her wings? We see that Maleficent can levitate people, so if she really wants to fly, why not levitate herself? The guards are able to hold down a dragon but when Maleficent gets her wings back, she becomes too much for them? It is emphasized that the moors don't need a ruler, yet Aurora becomes said ruler at the end of the movie. The spinning wheels were all burned but never thrown away? Why does King Stefan remove his helmet when confronting Maleficent? Aside from plot convenience, why did Stefan throw the ring away instead of simply putting it away? Why did the first king declare war on the moors? The list goes on and on, it's endless. And none of these questions are ever answered.

*SPOILER FREE* Maleficent is a truly terrible film. Aside from two good casting choices, some good music, and a few other technical features, Maleficent is a sloppy, horrible mess. Plot holes at every turn and conveniences as a way to escape creative writing. The worst part about it though is its confidence. The three pixies were introduced in the 1959 film, not in the original fairy tale, and yet they return here. Also, the end credits song is "Once Upon a Dream", also introduced in the original film. Maleficent wants to be compared to Sleeping Beauty (1959). It is confident that it will hold up against it. But it doesn't. I cannot recommend this film. I'd say stick to the original and avoid Maleficent.

Grade: D+