People who know me, know I"m a Disney fan. Some might say a fanatic. Others might say "tasteless and beyond all hope of redemption." I still love Disney and probably won't ever stop.
Keeping that in mind: here is my review of the movie Maleficent.
From the opening sequence to the final shot, this is obviously a fairy tale. It's set in a sparkling land of ancient gnarled trees and colorful lights, soft-focused sunlight, and a variety of inhuman creatures. Maleficent is literally and figuratively a fairy tale. Keep that in mind, it's important. If you were hoping for unapologetic evil, you won't get it, but I doubt you'll even miss it. I sure didn't and Maleficent is my favorite villain, hands down.
| There's a reason she's the finale to Fantasmic! |
The movie is framed as a a retelling of a tale you already know, so pretty much like every other story ever told. Maleficent is a powerful spirit (fairy) who lives in the kingdom adjacent to the human kingdom, and the movie is the story of why Maleficent is Maleficent.
This is an important story to tell, with an important lesson: people (including fairies) are complicated. A completely good or completely good person doesn't really exist, as much as we would all like to believe that the people we disagree with or dislike are all bad, it just isn't true. Full Stop. This film celebrates that idea, and does it with sweeping beautiful scenery, larger than life characters (mostly Mal herself), and delivers a story that can stand alone, without being propped up by Disney history. It's called Maleficent, and the character is just as incredible in live action as she was in animation, but she's not a bastion of unadulterated evil. I know that bothers some people, who think it detracts from her mythos. I understand the criticism, and I didn't need a shiny new take on Maleficent to make her better in my mind.
That does't take away from how impressive this movie is all on its own. Of course there are one-dimensional characters. Of course there are some cliches. Or course it has a happy ending. That's what fairy tales are made of.
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| More recipes inside! |
If you like fairy tales, you'll like Maleficent.
Don't go in with a bucketful of expectations to go with your bucketful of popcorn.
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| OK...but do you have anything bigger? |
Also: probably just skip the popcorn. It's really really bad for you.
Do I have some criticisms of the movie? Sure. But they are all about how the film deviates from the source material, and how it will fit into the Disney canon. Not of the actual film itself. They are nerdy and pedantic criticisms, about the music and the unnecessary changing of the "good" fairies' names. They don't really apply to the film as a independent entity at all.
Sabrina's Summary: If you like fantasy, see it. Even if you don't like fantasy and you're only tagging along because your pals are going, you won't be bored. It's not a must-see for everyone.
