film review essay maleficent

Home — Essay Samples — Entertainment — Maleficent — The story of Maleficent

Maleficent Movie Review: a Fresh Take on The Sleeping Beauty

Categories: Maleficent Movie Review

About this sample

Words: 781 |

Published: Dec 12, 2018

Words: 781 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Moors,Curse,The Spell,KILL

Works Cited

Green, R. (2014). Maleficent (Movie Review). Empire Magazine, (300), 114-115.
Travers, P. (2014). Maleficent: Film Review. Rolling Stone, (1216), 54.
Dargis, M. (2014). Angelina Jolie as Maleficent in the Disney Film. The New York Times.
Kermode, M. (2014). Maleficent Review – ‘Magical, Exciting and Full of Surprises’. The Guardian.
Chang, J. (2014). Maleficent Movie Review & Film Summary (2014). RogerEbert.com.
Collin, R. (2014). Maleficent, review: ‘Jolie is magnetic’. The Telegraph.
Gleiberman, O. (2014). Film Review: ‘Maleficent’. Variety.
Stasio, M. (2014). TV Review: ‘Maleficent’. Variety.
Scherstuhl, A. (2014). How Maleficent Turned the Fairy Tale Around. The Village Voice.
Puig, C. (2014). Review: ‘Maleficent’ Is Enchanting. USA Today.

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Verified writer

Expert in: Entertainment

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

3 pages / 1291 words

2 pages / 921 words

4 pages / 1738 words

2 pages / 913 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Maleficent Movie Review: a Fresh Take on The Sleeping Beauty Essay

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Anthony Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange is a novel pervaded by a multifaceted and intrinsic musical presence. Protagonist Alex’s fondness for classical music imbues his character with interesting dimensions, and resonates well [...]

Stanley Kubrick wrote the screenplay for and directed the film A Clockwork Orange based on the book by Anthony Burgess with the same title. The distinguishing feature of the book is the language the narrator, Alexander DeLarge, [...]

Following the publication of his most notable work, A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess commented on the function of literature in a mutable society. There is not much point in writing a novel unless you can show the possibility [...]

Black and white, morning and night: the world fills itself with conflicting forces that must coexist in order for it to run smoothly. Forces like diversity and the fear of terrorism or competition and the desire to peacefully [...]

The literary canon is comprised of texts said to be of considerable value, texts regarded as experimentally profound and which may even be said to change the way the reader perceives the world. A Clockwork Orange can be [...]

"The woman looked at the tree: the fruit would be good to eat; it was pleasing to the eye and desirable for the knowledge it could give. So she took some and ate it; she also gave some to her husband and he ate it. Then they [...]

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

Instructions Followed To The Letter
Deadlines Met At Every Stage
Unique And Plagiarism Free

an image, when javascript is unavailable

The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News

Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter

site categories

‘maleficent’: film review.

Angelina Jolie and Elle Fanning topline Disney's reimagining of "Sleeping Beauty."

By Sheri Linden

Sheri Linden

Senior Copy Editor/Film Critic

Share this article on Facebook
Share this article on Twitter
Share this article on Flipboard
Share this article on Email
Show additional share options
Share this article on Linkedin
Share this article on Pinit
Share this article on Reddit
Share this article on Tumblr
Share this article on Whatsapp
Share this article on Print
Share this article on Comment

No stranger to larger-than-life characters, Angelina Jolie doesn’t chew the estimable scenery in Maleficent — she infuses it, wielding a magnetic and effortless power as the magnificently malevolent fairy who places a curse on a newborn princess. Her iconic face subtly altered with prosthetics, she’s the heart and soul (Maleficent has both, it turns out) of Disney’s revisionist, live-action look at its most popular cartoon villain, the self-described Mistress of All Evil from 1959’s Sleeping Beauty . A few bumpy patches notwithstanding, the new feature is an exquisitely designed, emotionally absorbing work of dark enchantment. With the production’s star wattage, well-known source material and multipronged branding push, the studio should see its $175 million gamble on a first-time director stir up box-office magic both domestically and in international markets.

THR Newsletters

More from The Hollywood Reporter

Woody allen on why he feels the “romance of filmmaking is gone”, bradley cooper almost quit ‘the place beyond the pines’ after script rewrite, director says, lewis hamilton says he regrets turning down role in ‘top gun: maverick’, david barrington holt, former head of jim henson’s creature shop in l.a., dies at 78, box office: ‘monkey man,’ ‘first omen’ coming in lower than expected as ‘godzilla x kong’ stays no. 1, carla gugino says she has “ptsd” from working with sexist directors.

Become a Critical Movie Critic
Movie Review Archives

Movie Review: Maleficent (2014)

Mariusz Zubrowski
Movie Reviews
5 responses
--> May 31, 2014

Maleficent (2014) by The Critical Movie Critics

Vengeful Maleficent.

Everyone’s invited to Disney’s PG pity-party Maleficent . Directed in the cadence of a Lana Del Rey song (who, coincidentally, shows up during the credits with a closing track), this live-action re-imagining of the 1959 animated classic “Sleeping Beauty” has enough gothic romance, leather gowns, and teen gloominess to attract a substantial summer audience. Surprisingly, however, Robert Stromberg makes good of his first time at helm (having previously worked on the art direction in both “ Alice in Wonderland ” and “ Oz: The Great and Powerful “) and fashions a blockbuster that’s enchanting enough to recommend despite its faults.

Once the young and innocent protector of the Moors, a magical realm at the edge of a human kingdom, Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) has since been burdened by a broken heart. Betrayed by her ambitious boy-toy Stefan (Sharlto Copley), who clipped her wings in order to become king, Maleficant now sulks in the shadows. She finds companionship in a shape-shifting crow, Diaval (Sam Riley), who lets her in on a secret: Stefan has a newborn daughter, Aurora. As revenge, she storms the christening, cursing the baby to an eternal slumber that’ll befall her on her 16th birthday; however, Maleficent mercifully allows the spell to be broken by true love’s kiss.

Rather than finding her a bachelor, Stefan banishes his daughter to a cottage in the woods to be raised by three pixies (played by Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, and Lesley Manville). The crux of Maleficent unveils as the fallen fairy, who never loses sight of the child, starts regretting her curse. Minutes translate into years (literally, thanks to the film’s shoddy pacing) and Aurora (acted finally by Elle Fanning) draws closer-and-closer to her everlasting sleep, while simultaneously becoming enamored by the person who doomed her to it. While the from-good-to-bad-to-good plot device isn’t anything groundbreaking, the chemistry between these two foils is enough to keep the story interesting.

Maleficent isn’t the first fairy-tale that’s been retold through a darker perspective (though, beneath the commercial streamlining, nothing’s as morose as the original fables), but it’s definitely the most character-driven. Unlike “ Snow White and the Huntsman ,” which conjured the visual magic but suffered a storytelling dry-spell, a good chunk of Linda Woolverton’s script is devoted to making its focal character a bewitching lead. The writing makes Maleficant embarrassingly easy to empathize with for anyone who’s ever been betrayed — especially in the game of love. And, despite her four-year hiatus from live-action films (her last performance being in 2010’s “ The Tourist “), Jolie’s as brooding, malicious, and — at times — sensual as her role demands.

Hidden in the shadows.

Trouble brews in the film’s final act, which is rushed and unconvincing. The final showdown between Maleficant and King Stefan, who’s become progressively more insane, is predictable and boring; the only sense in it is watching Diaval morph from bird-to-dragon. Furthermore, the true love’s kiss portion of the plot is hardly fleshed out, with Prince Phillip’s character (a wooden Brenton Thwaites) being rushed along just to move the story into an inevitable CGI conquest. While this is obviously the villain’s film — not Sleeping Beauty’s — it would’ve been nice to see Aurora’s fate explored a little more closely.

Ultimately though, Maleficent won’t ever knock you into a deep sleep. Running at just 97 minutes, it’s not hard to break the curse of derivate, probably studio-inspired, storytelling. For all the grievances in its cauldron of tricks, there’s enough of Jolie’s spellbinding performance to still make the film wickedly entertaining.

Tagged: curse , fairy tale , princess , queen

Eventually I'll put something nifty here. Until then, know that I'm watching you. Closely.

Movie Review: Justice League (2017) Movie Review: My Scientology Movie (2015) Movie Review: The Magnificent Seven (2016) Movie Review: Creed (2015) Movie Review: The Green Inferno (2013) Movie Review: Sicario (2015) Movie Review: Terminator Genisys (2015)

'Movie Review: Maleficent (2014)' have 5 comments

May 31, 2014 @ 7:53 pm Fierce FX

“Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.”

May 31, 2014 @ 8:16 pm Quore

i have no intent to see this but jolie does look excellent in the part

May 31, 2014 @ 9:48 pm SR-71

Just another fairy take rewrite that ruins a beloved fairy tale.

June 1, 2014 @ 11:26 am Coby Brent

The movie also suffered from a lack of explanation of why the kingdom wanted to kill all the fairies in the Moor. Was is simple misplaced xenophobia? Were there previous hostilities between them?

And knowing how powerful Maleficent was it made even less sense that a power hungry Stefan would do what does to her.

June 12, 2014 @ 8:22 am zansi

nicey revew

| Log in

Review by Brian Eggert May 30, 2014

A revisionist take on Disney’s animated classic Sleeping Beauty (1959) by way of the Broadway hit Wicked , the live-action feature Maleficent rewrites the fable from the villain’s perspective to make her a sympathetic figure. The animated Maleficent was pure evil in the most enticing storybook ways and originally looked like a thin Bette Davis voiced by Eleanor Audley. Here, the titular sorceress was actually a young and innocent woman wronged by an ignoble king and driven to wickedness by a broken heart. Angelina Jolie brings the character to flesh, but not to life; Jolie looks the part and plays her humanized character with pointed regality, though the forced doses of sentimentality in the film are overly schmaltzy, even for Disney. For all its potential, the exploration of Maleficent’s emotional underpinnings and dimensionality are contained within a film beset by Linda Woolverton’s clumsy screenwriting and a glaringly uneven tone.

The film opens with storybook-styled narration by none other than (cue a dramatic swell in James Newton Howard’s score, hold, and wait for it…) Sleeping Beauty, introducing us to a land where the human world lies next to The Moors, a world of fairies and fantastical creatures. A young faerie princess named Maleficent (Isobelle Molloy as a child, Jolie later), complete with horns and feathered wings, meets human boy Stefan (Michael Higgins as a child, Sharlto Copley later), and they fall for one another. As an adult, Stefan’s ambitions for the throne drive him to seduce Maleficent and cut off her wings to become king. Maleficent soon garbs herself in all black, finds herself shape-shifting crow man-servant Diaval (Sam Riley), and crashes the christening of King Stefan’s first child Aurora. She proclaims Aurora will be stricken with a curse on her sixteenth birthday; the girl will prick her finger on a spinning wheel needle and fall into a death-like sleep that can only be broken by “true love’s kiss”. And since Stefan soured Maleficent’s belief in true love, Aurora would be doomed to sleep forever.

In the brief sequence where the spell is cast, which is almost line-for-line taken from Sleeping Beauty , the film is an impressive live-action rendering of a cartoon classic. But it’s followed by a long stretch of lighthearted screentime devoted to Aurora’s upbringing in a woodland cottage, where King Stefan has sent her to grow up seemingly out of Maleficent’s reach. She’s raised by three blundering fairies (Isabelle Staunton, Lesley Manville, and Juno Temple), largely CGI-based characters designed for comic relief but frustratingly unfunny. Maleficent watches from a distance as the baby grows into a blindly optimistic teen, now played by Elle Fanning, who looks to Maleficent as a “fairy godmother”. The two become close and eventually, Maleficent begins to regret her behavior, but any chance at reconciliation with the paranoid King is hopeless, and a final showdown seems inevitable. The script altogether forgets about the Queen (Hannah New) and instead finds reasons to incorporate underwhelming battle sequences. Meanwhile, Aurora remains a one-note character rooted in innocence; her late-appearing love interest, Prince Phillip (Brenton Thwaites), is even less interesting.

From beginning to end, the film suffers from a tonal undecidedness, hinting at the troubled behind-the-scenes production. Fantasy-obsessed producer Joe Roth ( Alice in Wonderland , Snow White and the Huntsman , and Oz: the Great and Powerful ) convinced Disney to shell out an estimated budget of $200 million for the long-gestating project—which was designed for Jolie as a concept; the script came later. Once Jolie signed, Woolverton cranked out the story. Avatar production designer and first-time director Robert Stromberg was hired by Disney to helm after Tim Burton turned down the job, but Stromberg’s inexperience led to feel-good director John Lee Hancock ( The Blind Side and Saving Mr. Banks ) being hired to assist and re-shoot additional scenes. As a result, lighthearted fairy tale scenes with starry-eyed fantasy creatures are intercut with darker sequences that feel ripped from the moodier sections of The Lord of the Rings . At one moment, Maleficent may be cracking jokes with Diaval; the very next, she’s drenched in tears or maniacally laughing as evil witches often do. The opposing tones never quite reconcile.

To be sure, nothing much about Maleficent works. Stromberg’s fantasy world design is uninspired and unmemorable; the story doesn’t engage emotionally; the storybook narration throughout is overly explanatory; the special effects look like shoddy green screen work, with actors clearly standing on a different plane than the background setting. All the while, Jolie looks the part (although Rick Baker’s makeup gratuitously exaggerates her already pronounced cheekbones), but her delivery, particularly in emotional outbursts, is overblown to unintentionally funny extremes. Still, the muddled scripting is the worst offender. Not enough time was spent developing the romance between Maleficent and Stefan, which becomes so crucial when detailing the gravity of his betrayal. None of the characters feel emotionally real, and therefore their dramatic grandiosity is unaffecting. Roth’s other fantasy pictures are usually accompanied by an ample length that allows the story to deepen familiar characters, except everything in Maleficent ‘s 97-minute runtime feels not only rushed but inconsequential. By the end, one cannot help but wish that Disney had left Maleficent a fascinating villain instead of a dull protagonist.

Related Titles

In Theaters

Recent Reviews

Monkey Man 3 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆
Short Take: Baghead 2 Stars ☆ ☆
Patreon Exclusive: The Public Eye 2.5 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆
Wicked Little Letters 3.5 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
The Animal Kingdom 4 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Patreon Exclusive: Immaculate 1.5 Stars ☆ ☆
Late Night with the Devil 2.5 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire 2 Stars ☆ ☆
Road House 3 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆
You'll Never Find Me 3 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆
Patreon Exclusive: True Lies 3 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆
Love Lies Bleeding 4 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Frida 3.5 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
One Life 3 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆
Club Zero 3 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆

A Return to Faerie: A Positive Review of “Maleficent”

In the 1960s, Disney produced what has become the typical version of the Sleeping Beauty narrative filled with songs, bright colors, and cuddly fairies. Like many of the now classic Disney movies, this tale was a child- friendly rendition of a horrifying story recorded by the Grimm brothers. Before the brothers Grimm wrote down their Germanic version, Giambettista Basil recorded the earliest known edition of the Sleeping Beauty myth (entitled Talia, Sun, and Moon ). Mr. Basil’s version follows what we now consider traditional parts of the story—fairy gifts, a curse, and potentially eternal sleep. He then takes the tale in dark direction: After a hundred years of slumber, the drowsing maiden is raped by a king. She conceives and births twins while still enchanted. When the king returns (presumably to repeat his rape), he is astounded to find the woman awake and the children tended by fairies. He then explains what he did, and Talia is happy to become his mistress. The story concludes with the queen’s discovery of the other woman, the attempted killing of the children, and the king kicking his queen into the fire pit where she burns alive, allowing him to marry his true love and legitimize the product of his lust. The original Sleeping Beauty is no mere morality tale, but a story of magic, lust, power, and human relationships worked out in a horrifying manner.

With these two different versions of the story in mind, I want to walk through the major plot movements of Maleficent . The film begins with an unnamed narrator who introduces her tale with the idea that the story is not always the way it seems. We first meet a horned, winged fairy-child named Maleficent. This fairy is powerful, beautiful, and takes enormous joy in flight. She lives in a moor, a part of the land inhabited only by fairies. Her world is in an uneasy truce with the human world, and she meets Stephan as a potential invader. Rather than killing Stephan, she befriends him. Stephan, however, is marked from the beginning by a sense of greed and ambition. Their friendship grows into romance, ultimately leading to “true love’s kiss” at age sixteen. Stephan grows closer to the human world and increases in power, eventually leaving Maleficent and his childish infatuation. He reunites with his old flame, however, when the king promises the crown to whoever defeated the winged defender of Fairy. Stephan uses his friendship with Maleficent to lure her into sleep, during which he contemplates murdering her. Unable to cut her throat, he takes her wings instead. The most poignant part of the film comes when Maleficent awakes and expresses her sorrow. Her wordless cry and the music underlying her anguish express the loss of something personal and irreplaceable.

article-2546565-1AFEC18400000578-366_634x469

The climax of the story is a moment in which Maleficent rises above the sappiness of romantic love. Before her sleep, Aurora sees a young man and they instantly fall into infatuation. This teenage romance, however, does not suffice as “true love.” The prince is unable to awaken her, not because the film is proclaiming some lesbian message, but because true love is this: “Greater love hath no man than this: that he lay down his life for his friends.” Maleficent, unable to reverse her curse, vows to protect Aurora and spend her remaining days at her side. She seals this vow with a kiss on the forehead. This moment of sacrificial love shatters the curse. Aurora is crowned queen, uniting both fairy and human lands, and the film ends with a promise that perhaps when she and Prince Phillip mature and grow in their friendship they might find a joyous marital love.

Rather than a celebration of feminism and lesbianism, Maleficent tells a tale of betrayal, revenge, and redemption. Maleficent receives back her wings and has the opportunity to kill King Stephan in battle. She relents, saying “enough.” In one last gasp of greed and ambition, Stephan tries to kill Maleficent with an iron sword and leaps to his death. Instead of a stranger’s kiss somehow being “true love,” love is shown to be sacrificial. And rather than Mr. Frohnen’s “fractured fairy tale,” Maleficent harkens back to a darker, adult, and more human version of Sleeping Beauty .

Books on the topic of this essay may be found in The Imaginative Conservative Bookstore .

All comments are moderated and must be civil, concise, and constructive to the conversation. Comments that are critical of an essay may be approved, but comments containing ad hominem criticism of the author will not be published. Also, comments containing web links or block quotations are unlikely to be approved. Keep in mind that essays represent the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Imaginative Conservative or its editor or publisher.

Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!

About the author: josh herring.

“Resurrection”

“The Little Ones”

“Caritas”

Resurrection in Narnia

Easter Movies: “Hail Caesar!” and “Risen”

Thank you so much for this positive review, my wife and I are not secular liberal feminist ideologues. I teach the Catholic faith faithfully, as a wanna-be orthodox Catholic. We took away exactly what is presented here. We took our daughters and we were able to explain how true love is not always or even primarily found in romantic love circles. I’m in love with my children in a way that is fatherly and as true as any experience of human love I’ve ever had. And this tale exposed the fact that romantic love relations require prudence, as well the depiction of infatuation or love at first sight, may indeed lead on to true love, but time and testing reveal true character. In short, I went into viewing this movie with a lot of negative expectations from reading my usual religious movie reviewer sources, but I was won over. I want my wife and daughters to be strong in mind, and morally speaking, this is not feminist ideology and not every modern depiction of strong females who offer complexity must be placed in such a negative box. Thanks again for publishing this contrarian review.

How I wish this site would keep away from “pop culture” as far and fast as possible. Whether dumb movies or “Pharell Williams” , I cannot stand it when high-brow publications try to “intellectualize” the low end. It bores. Stick to Belloc and Eliot please

Pulled between two vastly different reviews, I’ll give the film a miss. There is also a case to be made for boycotting Disney since they abandoned Narnia after their second film, in 2008 (the three grossed $1.5 billion). Secondly, Mr Herring, ‘birth’ is not a verb. However, thank you for the post.

Bravo, Mr. Herring. I agree–“Maleficent” is magnificent. Thank you.

Well, that’s a spirited defense of the movie. Being the author of the not-quite-so-positive review, perhaps I should clarify: I am aware of the deeper, darker fairy tale and have no problem whatsoever with the idea of bringing it to the screen. I’ve actually never been a big fan of Disney’s earlier, saccharin, versions of fairy tales, either. The question concerns how well done the Jolie movie is, or is not. It is not.

More important, to my mind, is our second reviewer’s failure to get any of my jokes. I take this quite personally and am rather hurt by the whole thing. My central point was that the movie’s makers were not up to the task of doing a decent job of it, instead substituting some superficial and ham-fisted political correctness for a thoughtful, developed story line. In making that point I used some hyperbole, including a throw away line about “the gals” getting married. I wasn’t trying to be subtle. That this joke (along with others) was missed hurts my self-esteem. However, in the spirit of our Strong Female Lead, I forgive those who have wronged me.

Good to see you on TIC, Josh.

One more takeaway for me was in how Maleficient and her wanna-be King betrayer displayed a Peter v. Judas response to their own wicked actions. Both had the opportunity to repent and attempt to make right their terrible sins, and Maleficient chose well and was empowered to experience and convey true love again, while the King was supposedly continuing his viciousness out of his love and desire to protect his daughter. But sin makes you stupid and even when it became obvious that maleficient was able to save the daughter, the King was locked into his sinful path to his violent end..I saw similarities to the way Peter repented through his bitter tears, while Juda clung to his despair. The pattern of life exhibited by Maleficient was one very common to many of us..the innocence of youth, the detachment of young adulthood, the desire to for true romantic love and the sometimes lack of solid discernment in that pursuit, the resultant experience of betrayal and hardening of heart sometimes to the extremes, and the later recognition of the waste that bitterness, hatred, and revenge seeking brings, with the rounding out experiences of turning back to a love for innocence with a desire to protect the innocent, particularly the young. The only remaining motive in one’s life then becomes to do right, make right what you have made wrong, to seek the good no matter what may. I saw this pattern behind the character Maleficient, and I saw the hope for a cleaner path for the girl and the young male prince at the end with no hint that the darkness of the previous generation was necessarily to be followed as if all men were bent and untrustworthy. Fact is that in certain times and places good men are hard to find, and women too, this is why cultural influence is of vital importance. To live in times of a culture of death we should appreciate how difficult it is to raise our young in the ways of virtue when all around them is confusion and weak adult role models and teachers.

I saw the film, and I do not think Tolkien would have approved. I had two sizable problems with it. First, artistically I found it to be rather a mess. Some beautiful sets, and a fine performance by Angelina Jolie, but otherwise a mess. There’s no character development at all of anyone but Maleficent. The king and his motivations are a caricature (with clumsy political overtones); the fairies are unpleasantly ridiculous. The story lurches rather than flows. Aurora’s falling asleep and waking almost instantly to true love’s kiss is not lesbian; it’s wildly anticlimactic. The only thing I found compelling about the movie was Jolie’s performance. She manages to rise above the film’s flaws to a certain extent and she can be moving, but her performance is undermined by the film’s clumsy story and execution.

Second, and more seriously, I would never show this film to a child, because the film seriously confuses good and evil. Now, I love a complex story and a complex character. But this is a fairy story for children, and this film doesn’t present complexity to a child in an understandable way. Instead, it presents a muddy mix. The imagery surrounding Maleficent is very dark and at times disturbing. And there is no clear delineation imagery-wise between the “good” Maleficent and the “evil” Maleficent. Take her horns, a classical image of evil, present both when she’s good and when she’s evil. Now, someone might turn around and object – aren’t fairy stories about not being deceived by appearances, etc., etc., etc. Yes, but this is no story of someone who is visibly deformed or ugly or the like hiding a heart of gold. This isn’t a story about being deceived by appearances. For this story to work for a child, the repentance and transformation need to be much more complete. Yes, Maleficent is won over by her love for Aurora, but it’s unclear how much she repents of besides her curse. Evil Maleficent in this film is a powerful, disturbing, and dominating force. Good Maleficent pales in comparison, and the delineation between good Maleficent and evil Maleficent is far too cloudy.

Finally, as to Tolkien’s points: First, I suppose you could say that this fairy tale takes place in a genuinely secondary world, in that exists apart from the real one, but it is an imperfectly realized secondary world at best. The presence of some clumsy political overtones make it all too reminiscent of this world. It’s also a somewhat incoherent world, hardly to be compared with Tolkien’s completely realized reality with its fully developed structure. It also can’t be compared to Rowling, who, while not Tolkien, presents a fully realized and fully coherent world. As far as inspiring belief in the watcher, well, that’s a matter of how you take it, but aside from a few moving moments with Jolie, I found it improbable and clumsy, and really occasionally ludicrous.

When I first read Rowling, I was interested in seeing if the magic was as dangerous as some said. I found it wasn’t dangerous at all, precisely because, as an excellent First Things piece and as this writer state, magic is not occult in Harry Potter; it is scientific. It’s a neutral thing, much as science is, that can be used for good or ill. Magic in Tolkien has some scientific aspects, like Harry Potter – a ring can be created for good; a ring can be created for evil. It also has a certain association with divine and demonic supernatural power, with the ultimate edge clearly given to the divine. The power of the elves in Tolkien is implicitly Christian. It’s a kind of inherent grace. I would not call Maleficent’s magic occult – it is, as the writer states, inherent – but it is used for both good and evil, at times quite disturbingly so, and with an insufficiently clear delineation between the two.

Long story short, I think the movie is artistically weak if not a failure, and more importantly, if we’re considering films to form the moral imagination of children, this one should not be on the list.

It’s not a direct reply to this or the original post concerning this movie, but a “goes with” comment concerning the point said of recent movies harkening back to better character development and strong fairy story hero building and virtue-based story: On the Edge of Tomorrow. You have Tom Cruise, who is usually a hero from beginning to end, start the movie as a weak, quick talking coward. But by the end his quality is tested and improved, so much so that he is willing to engage in the ultimate action of love: sacrifice.

The “romance” is not a mushy additive, but a developed appreciation of the virtue, tenderness, quality, and character of the other person. There is little to no obscenities, and NO sexual scenes. One innuendo is referenced and there is a shot of Emily Blunt exercising that makes the viewer look at her because of her beauty. Everything about this movie is great: good vs. bad, deciding to make decision to save others, deciding not to give up, deciding to protect, to serve, to learn, to grow, to save the day. it is a movie that does not disappoint.

I was utterly disgusted that the cynical, teen-angst drama, Fault in our Stars outshone this truly dazzlingly movie.

I would love to read an article that goes into the depths of incorrect reasoning and logic titled The Fault in John Green, or The Fault with our Teens. The books was terrible in its points, but well-written, which is more than can be said of Divergent – but, I digress.

Thanks for sharing a different perspective on Maleficent. Our family doesn’t support Disney as best we can, but it’s nice to know there may be a shift in Hollywood.

Thanks very much, Josh. I’m glad to see your voice added to the TIC conversation.

Maleficent Review

Hell hath no fairy..

The best thing about Maleficent is the actress playing the titular character. Angelina Jolie is captivating, funny, grounded yet appropriately theatrical, and entirely appealing as the dark and misunderstood fairy. Unfortunately, the world she inhabits in this film is inconsistent at best and frustratingly silly and manufactured at its worst. The final lesson's not a bad one. In fact, the film finds a way to give a modern spin to the moral of the story. It's a solid and valuable takeaway. A bit predictable perhaps, but nice, and certainly meatier than it could be. The road to get there is just far too bumpy. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Roth Cornet is an Entertainment Editor for IGN. You can chat with her on Twitter: @RothCornet , or follow Roth-IGN on IGN.

More Reviews by Roth Cornet

Ign recommends.

Film Review: ‘Maleficent’

This visually arresting fairy tale fails to offer a satisfying alternate history on 'Sleeping Beauty.'

By Andrew Barker

Andrew Barker

Senior Features Writer

Shane MacGowan, the Pogues Frontman and ‘Fairytale of New York’ Singer, Dies at 65 4 months ago
‘Yellowstone,’ ‘Love and Death’ Spark ‘Game-Changing’ Film Production Spike in Texas 10 months ago
‘Welcome to Wrexham’: Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney on Getting Vulnerable, Rejuvenating a City and Gearing Up for Dramatic Season 2 10 months ago

Now almost midway through the year, 2014 seems unlikely to produce many more visually arresting, brilliantly designed, stoned-college-kid-friendly pieces of eye candy than Disney ’s “ Maleficent .” As for its revisionist take on the travails of the iconic “Sleeping Beauty” villainess, however, it falls far short of something an imaginative fan-fiction scribe, let alone obvious role models John Gardner or Gregory Maguire, might have crafted from the material. Uncertain of tone, and bearing visible scarring from what one imagines were multiple rewrites, the film fails to probe the psychology of its subject or set up a satisfying alternate history, but it sure is nice to look at for 97 minutes. Boasting an impressive and impeccably costumed Angelina Jolie in the title role, it ought to prove a solid global moneymaker and merchandise-minter for the Mouse House.

Of the four fractured fairy tales produced by Joe Roth (“Oz the Great and Powerful,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “Snow White and the Huntsman”), “Maleficent” is the one that hews closest to its source material, and it’s not always clear whether this helps or hinders. Directed by first-time helmer Robert Stromberg from a script credited to “Beauty and the Beast” scribe Linda Woolverton, the film has a clever enough big-picture take on the “Sleeping Beauty” tale, yet it sputters and snags as it tries construct a coherent emotional arc, and its reference points from the 1959 animated original feel more dutiful than inspired.

Opening with storybook-themed voiceover narration, “Maleficent” sketches a realm of two rival kingdoms – not Stefan’s and Hubert’s, but rather the world of humans and the outlying moors, which are home to fairies, trolls and imposing wickermen. Darting around the moors like a sort of saucer-eyed Tinkerbell is the winged young fairy Maleficent (Isobelle Molloy), who strikes up an unlikely friendship, and later romance, with a trespassing human farmhand named Stefan (Michael Higgins).

Alas, their love is not to be, as a poorly explained war breaks out between the two kingdoms years later, and the adult Stefan (Sharlto Copley) betrays Maleficent (Jolie) by drugging her and cutting off her wings, all in the name of a job promotion. (To be fair, going from farmboy to king is one hell of a jump up the employment ladder.) Now a woman scorned and shorn, Maleficent fashions a magical staff from a twig, dons a black helmet, and takes memorable revenge on Stefan’s infant daughter, Aurora.

Granted the proper grace notes and breathing room, this sequence of events could have provided more than enough material for a dark stand-alone prequel – indeed, it took George Lucas three full features to complete a very similar character arc for Anakin Skywalker. However, “Maleficent” is only just now getting started, and the next two-thirds of the film see our erstwhile antihero hiding in the bushes outside Aurora’s cabin in the woods, serving as an unlikely “fairy godmother” and rethinking her curse, while Aurora’s bumbling guardians (Lesley Manville, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple) prove entirely incompetent babysitters.

Already a double Oscar winner for his work as an art director, Stromberg knows how to visualize a scene and exactly where to place the camera, but storytelling requires different muscles, and the film often lurches where it ought to flow, rarely latching onto the proper rhythm. It isn’t until roughly halfway through the film, for example, that Maleficent cracks her first joke, which is so out of character that it initially sounds like a blooper.

While the film avoids the two-hour-plus bloat of “Oz” and “The Huntsman,” this is a story that would actually benefit from some slow-paced indulgence. Or at least, better instincts for where to make cuts. For example, an expensive-looking yet utterly inconsequential battle sequence plopped into the middle of the pic sees Maleficent neutralize a squadron of nameless soldiers with neither motivation nor consequences, but the scenes in which she bonds with the 16-year-old Aurora (Elle Fanning) – ostensibly the most important, emotionally weighty relationship in the film – feel rough and rushed.

While Fanning’s Aurora is relegated to a supporting role (and Brenton Thwaites’ Prince Phillip a glorified cameo) Jolie is perfectly cast in the lead, and does excellent work despite substantial physical constraints. She spends the entire film wearing a prosthetic nose, cheeks, teeth and ears, with moon-sized contact lenses and a bulky set of horns atop her head. (Master makeup magician Rick Baker is in stellar form here.) Her movements are often strictly dictated by how best to frame her silhouette. She has few lines that aren’t delivered as monologue, and her most frequent co-stars are digitally rendered creatures. That she manages to command the screen as well as she does in spite of all this is rather remarkable.

It’s also a performance that begs for flourishes of high camp that the film rarely allows. When Jolie is let loose to really bare her fangs, such as her nearly word-for-word re-creation of Maleficent’s first scene from the Disney original, she strips the paint from the walls. (Her primary deviation from the script here offers a peek at the kind of unhinged delight this story could have been in braver hands, as she forces Stefan to his knees and hisses, “I like you begging; do it again!” like a proper Reeperbahn dominatrix.) Yet one is much more likely to see her wordlessly glowering from behind trees and palace walls, as though just another finely crafted visual effect.

As for the actual effects themselves, the level of craft on display here is exquisite. From the swooping shots around Stefan’s castle to the lava-lamp-like floral arrangements that dot Maleficent’s lair, the film’s armies of art directors, costumers and effects technicians aim for the spectacular with every shot, and nail it with impressive consistency. Musically, James Newton Howard’s sweeping score locates a nice sweet spot somewhere between Erich Korngold and Danny Elfman, and Lana Del Rey’s gothy take on the “Sleeping Beauty” showstopper “Once Upon a Dream” makes for a fitting closer.

Reviewed at Arclight Cinemas, Sherman Oaks, May 22, 2014. MPAA rating: PG. Running time: 97 MIN.

Production: A Walt Disney Motion Pictures release and presentation of a Roth Films production. Produced by Joe Roth. Executive producers, Angelina Jolie, Michael Vieira, Don Hahn, Palak Patel, Matt Smith, Sarah Bradshaw.
Crew: Directed by Robert Stromberg. Screenplay, Linda Woolverton, based on Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty” and “La Belle au bois dormant” by Charles Perrault. Camera (color, 3D), Dean Semler; editors, Chris Lebenzon, Richard Pearson; music, James Newton Howard; production designers, Gary Freeman, Dylan Cole; costume designer, Anna B. Sheppard; supervising art director, Frank Walsh; sound, Chris Munro; supervising sound editors, Frank Eulner, Tim Nielsen; re-recording mixers, Gary A. Rizzo, David Parker; stereographer, Layne Friedman; senior visual effects supervisor, Carey Villegas; visual effects producer, Barrie Hemsley; assistant director, Richard Whelan; second unit camera, Fraser Taggart; casting, Lucy Bevan.
With: Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, Lesley Manville, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, Sam Riley, Brenton Thwaites, Isobelle Molloy, Michael Higgins, Vivienne Jolie-Pitt, Eleanor Worthington-Cox. Narrated by Janet McTeer

More From Our Brands

Taylor swift starts countdown to ‘the tortured poets department’ with her favorite number, putter’s paradise: the $39 million pebble beach estate wants to help you sharpen your short game, irs letter an ‘indictment’ of nil collectives’ exempt status, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, march madness 2024: how to watch the men’s final four games online, verify it's you, please log in.

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

For Parents
For Educators
Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

Get the app
Movie Reviews
Best Movie Lists
Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

Best TV Lists
Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
Common Sense Selections for TV
Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

Book Reviews
Best Book Lists
Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

Game Reviews
Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

Podcast Reviews
Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

App Reviews
Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

YouTube Channel Reviews
YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

Explaining the News to Our Kids

Family Tech Planners
Digital Skills
All Articles
Latino Culture
Black Voices
Asian Stories
Native Narratives
LGBTQ+ Pride
Best of Diverse Representation List

Celebrating Black History Month

Movies and TV Shows with Arab Leads

Celebrate Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary

Common sense media reviewers.

Visually beautiful but dark retelling of classic fairytale.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Kids will learn the value of looking at a situatio

The movie's over-arching message is to not allow g

Aurora is a sweet, kind girl who's curious and lov

The movie's tone becomes quite dark, and there are

A couple of kisses, including a romantic kiss betw

Rare uses of insult language like "imbecile" and "

While there are no product placements in the movie

Educational Value

Kids will learn the value of looking at a situation from more than one perspective, as well as the important lesson that people are often more than what they seem.

Positive Messages

The movie's over-arching message is to not allow greed and hatred to blind you from love and generosity. If Maleficent had let go of her anger at being jilted, she wouldn't have cursed Aurora, and if Stefan hadn't been so greedy and hurtful, the kingdom and the moors could have lived in peace. Aurora's journey is about staying in the light, even when surrounded by darkness.

Positive Role Models

Aurora is a sweet, kind girl who's curious and loves the creatures of the moors, just like young Maleficent, who was brave and protective of her fellow fairies and creatures. Maleficent is both a villain and a hero, because she had reasons to be bitter and unkind and is eventually remorseful for the hateful way she cursed baby Aurora. Against all odds, Maleficent is able to love again when she sees what a smart and generous young woman Aurora has become. Diaval is a loyal and truth-telling servant/helper to Maleficent.

Violence & Scariness

The movie's tone becomes quite dark, and there are some genuinely jump-worthy/scary scenes -- like when Maleficent realizes that her wings have been cut off (a brutal scene that's reminiscent of sexual assault in some ways), as well as the various battles between the kingdom and the creatures of the moors, including the climactic fight between Maleficent, the king's guards, and the king himself. The three fairies can be physical with each other -- pulling one another's hair, hitting, and slapping -- but it's usually portrayed in a humorous manner. People die on and off camera, including one key character who plunges to his death.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

A couple of kisses, including a romantic kiss between Aurora and a prince.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Rare uses of insult language like "imbecile" and "idiot."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

While there are no product placements in the movie, there are promotional tie-ins to merchandise including apparel, toys, accessories, and games.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Maleficent is Disney's retelling of its iconic animated princess movie Sleeping Beauty from the villain's point of view. Audiences will learn the reasons why the "evil fairy" (played by Angelina Jolie ) is so bitter and resentful at not being invited to baby Aurora's welcoming party that she curses the infant princess. Far more so than the animated original (which itself is often too scary for younger kids in the preschool age bracket), this live-action version can get quite dark and may frighten younger kids, particularly during violent action sequences between the kingdom and the magical creatures of the moors. Characters die (or look dead) or are injured, and Maleficient is an intimidating figure. It's also very upsetting when her wings are cut off. But the movie's overall message -- about redemption and love -- is positive, and giving Maleficient more depth and context will help kids sympathize with her. As long as your kids can handle the battles, they'll probably enjoy this new take on a classic Disney villain. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

Parents say (68)
Kids say (124)

Based on 68 parent reviews

Normalizes criminal behavior

Magnificent fairytale with timeless messages, what's the story.

MALEFICENT is a retelling of Disney's classic take on Sleeping Beauty from the perspective of the villain, the supposedly evil fairy who eventually curses baby Princess Aurora with eternal sleep. But Maleficent, like all villains, is a complicated character: She grew up a powerful, winged fairy who lived peacefully in the magical moors adjacent to the human kingdom. When, as a child, a young peasant boy Stefan wondered into the moors, young Maleficent grew attached to him, despite her distrust of humans. Their friendship leads to romance over the years, but after Stefan ( Sharlto Copley ) does something unthinkable to Maleficent (now Angelina Jolie ) to gain the king's favor, she grows bitter and dark from his betrayal. Once Stefan is crowned king and his queen has a baby girl, Maleficent decides to get her revenge by cursing little Aurora. Little does Maleficent know that the girl will grow up into a sweet and curious girl ( Elle Fanning ) whom even a dark and angry fairy could appreciate.

Is It Any Good?

Plenty of this retelling is visually spectacular, with amazing special effects and lush scenery: The moors at their brightest are sweet and enchanting, while the kingdom is a drab and imposing place. Between the art design, the costumes, and the immaculate CGI-aided make-up (has an actress ever had such razor-sharp cheekbones as Jolie in this film?), Maleficent is a true feast for the eyes, which is no surprise, given director Robert Stromberg's history as a visual effects specialist.

Plot wise, however, the movie is a bit of a letdown. Jolie is wonderful at being (justifiably) mean -- with her sharp face, scary green eyes, and clipped speaking tones -- and she's good at delivering the dry one liners. But to reduce her story to the cliche of a jilted and jealous ex-girlfriend is slightly disappointing and undercuts the movie's other message: that you should strive to stay in the light, even when surrounded by darkness. While younger kids might be alternately scared or bored, older kids and adults might wish for a little more enchantment to go along with the effects. Still, Fanning, so lovely and bright-eyed, is well cast as teen Aurora, and worth seeing opposite Jolie.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about why villains/antiheroes are often just as compelling as heroes. Were you surprised at Maleficent's back story? Did it make her more sympathetic?

How does the movie make you rethink the story of Sleeping Beauty ? What is the film trying to say about villains? Are people all good or all evil?

How is the idea of love explored in the movie? Is love only the romantic kind, or are there are other kinds of "true love"?

Movie Details

In theaters : May 30, 2014
On DVD or streaming : November 4, 2014
Cast : Angelina Jolie , Elle Fanning , Sharlto Copley
Director : Robert Stromberg
Inclusion Information : Female actors
Studio : Walt Disney Pictures
Genre : Family and Kids
Topics : Magic and Fantasy , Princesses, Fairies, Mermaids, and More
Run time : 97 minutes
MPAA rating : PG
MPAA explanation : sequences of fantasy action and violence, including frightening images
Last updated : November 4, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

Our editors recommend.

Sleeping Beauty

Want personalized picks for your kids' age and interests?

Ella Enchanted

Best fairy tale movies, best fantasy movies, related topics.

Magic and Fantasy
Princesses, Fairies, Mermaids, and More

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Maleficent Review

28 May 2014

There are many sides to any story, we are told. Maleficent suggests that the version of events in Disney’s 1959 Sleeping Beauty was a load of slanderous cobblers, besmirching a fairy just for having the temerity to possess a strong will, goat-like horns and a wish to put an infant in a coma. Maleficent was not, this story claims, an evil witch but a misunderstood woman, heartbroken, lonely and mostly very boring. Here, then, is the truth that gets in the way of a good story.

The opening pages take us to a land separated into two parts: one half housing humans, the other home to magical folk, among them four fairies. Three of these are your typical dainty wand-wavers, while one, Maleficent, has eagle wings and devil spikes but a good heart. She gives that heart to the wrong man and blah de blah winds up swearing vengeance on his first born, Aurora, in a repeat of the most famous scene from the cartoon.

At Aurora’s christening, two of the good fairies give her the gifts of beauty and unshakeable cheerfulness, before Maleficent huffs in and delivers her oddly specific present of a “sleep like death” when Aurora pricks her finger on a spinning wheel on her 16th birthday. We never learn what the third good fairy bestowed but we might deduce from the teenage princess’s credulous dimness that her final prize was never to be troubled by complex thought. The girl is a moron, repeatedly giggling into the path of probable death. It’s miraculous she survives to see sixteen.

There is unassailable confusion at the centre of this film. This is not a story of a woman’s fall to villainy, because it is constantly repeated that Maleficent is essentially good and won’t harm the child – minutes after giving the baby a death sentence, she’s feeding it when Aurora’s fairy godmothers don’t bother. So it’s not another side of the Sleeping Beauty tale; it’s a completely different story with the same cast and a couple of familiar moments. If the pleasure of these things is in seeing warped parallels with the original story then what’s the point if there are none and it arrives at a completely contradictory ending? It just doesn’t cohere to its simple conceit.

Robert Stromberg, graduating from visual effects supervisor to director, directs like a visual effects supervisor. Enormous care is taken on the magical environments, which have the same shiny box-fresh lifelessness of Oz: The Great and Powerful and Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, and very little expended on the real people. His mood is murky and his characters equally so. You might imagine that a character like Maleficent, whose animated persona was equal parts Norma Desmond and goth drag queen, would be fizzing with acid bon mots. Not a bit of it. She gets not one funny line. She gets three funny looks, which Angelina Jolie squeezes for all they are worth, perhaps just to have something to do other than sulk in trees. Jolie is perfect casting for a flesh-and-blood Maleficent, but she’s given a costume, not a role.

Robbed of her villainy, Maleficent has become – honestly no pun intended – a Magwitch figure, lurking nearby throughout Aurora’s life and trying to keep her from harm, despite being the one who set that harm in motion. She is baffling and boring. In the move to three-dimensions, Disney has flattened the poor woman out.

Movies | 03 11 2019

Movies | 20 10 2019

Movies | 14 05 2019

Movies | 27 03 2019

Movies | 06 03 2019

Movies | 30 05 2018

Movies | 29 05 2018

Movies | 17 05 2018

Subscribe Now

‘Maleficent’ Review: Taming the witch, Disney-style

Already have Rappler+? Sign in to listen to groundbreaking journalism.

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

‘Maleficent’ Review: Taming the witch, Disney-style

Walt Disney, the spectacle-maker who made an entertainment empire out of cartoons based on fables and fairy tales in the public domain, needed a name for the woman that would terrorize Sleeping Beauty and her family.

Hence, “maleficent,” an adjective that literally means “doing evil or harm” was chosen to become the name of the villain. The character, donning a black slithery gown, a headpiece formed to look like devil horns, and the most disarmingly mischievous smile, has then represented unadulterated wickedness to kids who grew up watching Disney’s cartoons.

Disney died, to be replaced by his corporate heirs who inherited his shrewd business acumen. The commercial value of nostalgia was discovered. Hollywood was quick to grab the opportunity to earn a few more bucks off it. Now, we live in an age where myths and fairy tales enjoyed and re-enjoyed are now being retold and refashioned to suit contemporary ideologies and avaricious pockets.

Robert Stromberg’s Maleficent , which reimagines Disney’s Sleeping Beauty from the perspective of the evil witch, is thus hardly unique. It simply follows the commercialist and creative intent of Christopher Nolan’s Batman movies, Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man movies, and Zack Snyder’s Superman movies in attempting to redo familiar stories, by way of Wicked , which told L. Frank Baum’s Oz stories from the perspective of the fictional universe’s misunderstood antagonist.

Modern perspectives are predictably introduced. Instead of concentrating on the prince-saves-the-princess angle that dominates the fairy tale, the film diverts into more feminist territory, where heterosexual romances are sidestepped for female solidarity. It is admittedly a fresh approach, one that produces for the film a lot of its more poignant moments where the clichéd phrase “true love” was removed from its more traditional connotation to mean something more worthwhile.

SLEEPING BEAUTY. This time around, the focus is on Maleficent – but does the movie keep away from the usual happy ending? Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

However, despite its progressive politics, Maleficent could still not escape the clutches of Disney’s happily-ever-after philosophy. The film was written to faithfully follow the story of Sleeping Beauty at least until it is still happy and harmless. It deviates only when Maleficent, played with admirable integrity by Angelina Jolie, withdrawing from her temporary corruption and becomes the fairy tale’s protagonist. (READ: Maleficent : The characters of the modern Sleeping Beauty )

Do not get me wrong. This is all good. It would have been better if Maleficent’s sudden change of heart, amidst the crime of cursing an innocent baby with eternal slumber, had more weight and had repercussions. Instead, the film simply tied things together neatly, with everybody happy in their CGI-rendered paradise. Had it not been for Jolie’s affecting performance, the witch’s deus ex machina metanoia would be utterly unbelievable and unconvincing.

It simply stinks of fakery, which sadly seems to be Disney’s current raison d’etre with all the movies it has recently produced that promote questionable optimism cloaked in token expressions of modern advocacy. Maleficent ’s effect is at most, skin-deep. It does not, and could not penetrate the soul because it conveniently avoids engaging its characters with real morality and redemption.

Maleficent alludes to the concept that it is human frailty that creates villains. The film’s narrative points out that the witch’s transformation from glorious forest fairy to vengeful hag is the result of treachery that is fed by greed and ambition. Again, this is nothing novel. Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke , which has a human settlement disrupt nature spirits with its quest for resources, tackles the theme with more maturity. Stromberg is content with surface-level rhetoric.

Maleficent imagines itself to be hip and modern. It is not. It still subscribes to Walt Disney’s archaic formula of the supremacy of happy endings, above everything else. Even a witch precisely named because she personifies all things vile and malicious deserves her happy ending. Ho hum. Wake me up when things get a little bit dirtier. – Rappler.com

Francis Joseph Cruz litigates for a living and writes about cinema for fun. The first Filipino movie he saw in the theaters was Carlo J. Caparas’ ‘Tirad Pass.’ Since then, he’s been on a mission to find better memories with Philippine cinema.

Add a comment

Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines .

There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.

How does this make you feel?

Maleficent Movie Review — Visually Stunning, but the Usual Disney Fare

Maleficent-Movie-Trailer-With-Angelina-Jolie-and-Lana-Del-Rey

It’s hard to review Disney’s Maleficent without mentioning that the screening I went to ended with a hearty applause. The reason I feel it’s necessary to point this out is because despite its clear flaws, this film is an absolute crowd pleaser. The audience bought into the world that the film was selling.

The first half of the film was essentially a visual treat. Everything from the effects to the costumes to the makeup was done with such a vivid vision that the film’s world could be inhabited by any story. However, the problems quickly began. The first half of the film played out as a prologue, detailing the story preceding Sleeping Beauty and humanizing the fairy known as Maleficent. Quick fire scenes underscored with soaring and menacing music and connected by a seemingly omniscient narration allowed the film to move at a break neck pace, however the actual dialogue suffered because of it. While we were spared the cringeworthy expositional dialogue, we were instead tortured with cliched forced and insincere conversation.

However, it is always made up for in visuals. A battle scene played out between humans and beings of another world offered such gorgeous cinematography and effects, but so much of the mood is in thanks to Angelina Jolie’s performance. The film was dark by Disney standards, but there was still a lot of predictability and inevitable lessons that destroyed the true darkness that could have encapsulated the movie. What Jolie was able to do was utilize the Maleficent character as the foundation for the brutal honesty that a usual PG-13 film lacks. The character of Maleficent is a complicated one. Throughout the entire movie she never identified as a hero or villain, she was a true character that changed and was as selfish as she was selfless. Jolie was able to portray the change with an elegance that could have been lost on a lesser actress. Further than that, she was able to emote with such veracity that the pain transcended the screen, but also rule the kingdom with an icy stare that struck fear into our hearts like in the animated version.

Despite her magnificent performance that will surely rank among her best, the second half of the film, which acted as a retelling of the classic Sleeping Beauty tale was clunky at best. The characters surrounding Maleficent became caricatures as if they were pulled directly from a cartoon. It caused the darkness that was built up in the first half to come crumbling down and what we were left with was just another heartwarming Disney movie.

All flaws aside, Maleficent was a step in the right direction for Disney. The studio has been looking to step out of their usual mold of fanciful films that taught you a lighthearted lesson about life that you already knew. Saving Mr. Banks was their first attempt to break that mold and although it failed, it signaled a change. Maleficent was not a great movie by any means, but the pure craft involved was enough to keep you entertained for 90 or so minutes. I think that the film is an early contender for Oscars for Visual Effects and maybe Production Design and Costume Design. What kept you thinking was that Disney was able to put out a character with such complexity as Maleficent. While the movie surrounding may have been the usual fare, I am excited to see them adding, however small, a little darkness in their movies.

Karl Delossantos

Hey, I'm Karl, founder and film critic at Smash Cut. I started Smash Cut in 2014 to share my love of movies and give a perspective I haven't yet seen represented. I'm also an editor at The New York Times, a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, and a member of the Online Film Critics Society.

Karl Delossantos https://smashcutreviews.com/author/karldelogmail-com/ 12 Years A Slave Movie Review — A Beautiful, Unflinching Film
Karl Delossantos https://smashcutreviews.com/author/karldelogmail-com/ 2014 Oscar Nominations: Snubs and Surprises
Karl Delossantos https://smashcutreviews.com/author/karldelogmail-com/ 2014 Oscar Predictions: Best Picture (Updated 2/16)
Karl Delossantos https://smashcutreviews.com/author/karldelogmail-com/ 2014 Oscar Predictions: Best Director (Is Alfonso Cuarón a Lock to Win?)

by Robert Stromberg

Maleficent Summary

The 2014 film Maleficent re-imagines the classic fairytale "Sleeping Beauty" by telling the narrative from the perspective of Maleficent, the antagonist of the 1959 version of the Disney film. Maleficent is a young, orphaned fairy living in a peaceful, natural realm called the Moors. She meets a young human boy named Stefan, and the two form a friendship that eventually blossoms into romance.

However, Stefan's ambition and desire for power cause him to grow apart from Maleficent and, one day, betray her. The king of the human realm declares that whoever can vanquish Maleficent, the Protector of the Moors, will be named successor to the throne. Taking advantage of her trust, Stefan drugs Maleficent and cuts off her wings. He presents the wings to the king and, soon after, ascends to the throne. Enraged that Stefan mutilated her for personal gain, Maleficent places a curse on the king's newborn daughter, Aurora , declaring that she will prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and fall into a permanent sleep, which can only be broken by true love's kiss. Since Stefan's betrayal led both him and Maleficent to the conclusion that true love doesn't exist, both believe the curse is permanent.

As Aurora grows up under the care of three negligent fairies, Maleficent watches over her from afar, gradually developing a maternal bond with the young princess. Meanwhile, Stefan's hatred for Maleficent drives him mad; he destroys all the spinning wheels in his kingdom and orders his soldiers to enter the Moors and kill Maleficent. However, Maleficent conjures a wall of thorns to prevent any human from entering her domain.

On her sixteenth birthday, Aurora discovers the truth about her identity and Maleficent's curse. She flees to the castle, where she accidentally encounters a spindle that pricks her finger, fulfilling the curse. Motivated by her love for Aurora, Maleficent kidnaps Prince Phillip, Aurora's romantic interest, and sets out to break the curse, even if it means risking her own life in the process.

When Prince Phillip fails to break the curse, Maleficent awakens Aurora with a true love's kiss, unaware she has the power to do so. Aurora forgives Maleficent and asks to live in the Moors with her. However, though the curse is broken, King Stefan attempts to kill Maleficent, trapping her in a net made of iron. Amid the battle, Aurora frees Maleficent's wings from the glass case where Stefan kept them, and the wings reattach to Maleficent's body. Empowered by her ability to fly, Maleficent escapes Stefan and declares that their feud is over. Still, Stefan is unwilling to accept defeat and tackles Maleficent over the side of a tower, where he plummets to his death.

Maleficent lifts the curse on the kingdom and removes the wall of thorns, uniting the two realms under Aurora's leadership. Maleficent, Prince Phillip, and the citizens of the Moors gather for Aurora's coronation. Healed from the emotional and physical wounds of Stefan's betrayal, Maleficent flies off into the sunset.

GradeSaver will pay $15 for your literature essays

Maleficent Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Maleficent is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Study Guide for Maleficent

Maleficent study guide contains a biography of director Robert Stromberg, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

About Maleficent
Character List
Director's Influence

Essays for Maleficent

Maleficent essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Maleficent, directed by Robert Stromberg.

The Birth of Evil: Nature vs. Nurture in 'Maleficent'

Wikipedia Entries for Maleficent

Introduction

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

Upcoming Movies and TV shows
Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

What's the Tomatometer®?
Login/signup

Movies in theaters

Opening this week
Top box office
Coming soon to theaters
Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

Netflix streaming
Prime Video
Most popular streaming movies
What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

Monkey Man Link to Monkey Man
The First Omen Link to The First Omen
The Beast Link to The Beast

New TV Tonight

Mary & George: Season 1
Ripley: Season 1
Star Trek: Discovery: Season 5
Sugar: Season 1
American Horror Story: Season 12
Loot: Season 2
Parish: Season 1
Lopez vs Lopez: Season 2
The Magic Prank Show With Justin Willman: Season 1

Maleficent Reviews

Even if Maleficent has its faults, you can experience this one and get some separation from the film from which it takes its inspiration.

Full Review | May 27, 2023

It is a righteous revenge film, but with a feminist twist and a redemptive journey.

Full Review | Oct 9, 2022

By the end, one cannot help but wish that Disney had left Maleficent a fascinating villain instead of a dull protagonist.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/4 | Aug 15, 2022

This isn't Sleeping Beauty as seen through the eyes of the wickedest of Disney villains. Instead, it's a Mouse House live-action revisionist fairy tale that inexplicably transforms the malevolent Maleficent into a misunderstood anti-hero.

Full Review | Jan 22, 2022

Angelina Jolie brings humanity to the character... Our villain is brilliantly supported throughout the film by the likes of Elle Fanning, Imelda Staunton and Juno Temple.

Full Review | Oct 29, 2021

Despite the romantic short comings, Jolie is perfect as this Maleficent. But did this blow me out of the water? No, sadly it didn't.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Oct 9, 2021

Takes some liberties with a time-honored story, but doesn't stray too far from the necessary fairy tale elements.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Feb 1, 2021

As the sum of all its parts, Maleficent is a downright fun film.

Full Review | Jan 21, 2021

Though the changes to the plot become more drastic as the film progresses, the tone remains serious, hinting at how superior a straightforward retelling might have been.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/10 | Dec 4, 2020

Even as all sharp angles and dark clothing, Angelina Jolie embodies grace and dangerous beauty, while still possessing a vulnerable side brought on by years of betrayal and mistrust.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 16, 2020

Jolie is mesmerizing whether she's being strong and vengeful or vulnerable and deeply feeling.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.0/4.0 | Sep 15, 2020

Nearly every character is either dim-witted or just plain nasty.

Full Review | Original Score: C- | Jul 21, 2020

No doubt the concept is fascinating, but too bad the movie itself fails to capitalise the potential.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Apr 14, 2020

[T]his extension of the Sleeping Beauty story was breathtaking.

Full Review | Feb 5, 2020

Magical. Mesmerizing. Masterful.

Full Review | Dec 14, 2019

Its glaring fault is its indecisiveness toward its eponymous malefactor, whose very name means to do evil or harm. The attempt to have it both ways simply does not work.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Aug 30, 2019

The characters surrounding Maleficent became caricatures as if they were pulled directly from a cartoon.

Full Review | Original Score: C+ | Aug 8, 2019

It's a beautifully designed film, and James Newton Howard's fantastical score is one of his best in years. But what Maleficent most lacks isn't something you can see or hear, it's something you can feel.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Jul 5, 2019

A fundamentally misguided interpretation of the title character, one that seems to misunderstand what drew people to her in the first place.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/10 | Mar 14, 2019

While it may in moments be a bit dark for very young ones, it is a great family film, worthy of the Disney canon.

Full Review | Mar 6, 2019

Maleficent (2014)

User Reviews

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews

User Ratings
External Reviews
Metacritic Reviews
Full Cast and Crew
Release Dates
Official Sites
Company Credits
Filming & Production
Technical Specs
Plot Summary
Plot Keywords
Parents Guide

Did You Know?

Crazy Credits
Alternate Versions
Connections
Soundtracks

Photo & Video

Photo Gallery
Trailers and Videos

REVIEW: Maleficent : Sympathy for the Rebel

T his one had all the makings: a famed Disney villainess played by Hollywood’s’ most infernally glamorous star; a script by the screenwriter of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast , The Lion King and the Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland ; direction by the Oscar-winning production designer of Avatar — all in the service of reimagining a beloved fairy tale with a true-love twist. What could possibly go wrong?

Nearly everything, in Maleficent , a revisionist “origins story” of the sorceress in Disney’s 1959 animated feature Sleeping Beauty . Except for Angelina Jolie, exemplary as the fairy badmother who laid a narcotic curse on an infant princess, this pricey live-action drama is a dismaying botch. Robert Stromberg, the expert draftsman in his debut as director, has no mastery of casting and guiding actors, little sense of narrative pace or build and — the big, sad surprise — a leaden sense of visualizing Maleficent’s fairyland. Full of spells and transformations, the movie couldn’t be less magical.

Borrowing from the novel and Broadway musical Wicked , which gave a redemptive backstory to The Wizard of Oz’ s Witch of the West, scriptwriter Linda Woolverton argues that the young Maleficent (Isobelle Molloy as a child, Ella Purnell as a teen) was a sweet, grave girl — an elfin aristocrat who, in other circumstances, might have grown up to be a wise queen like Galadriel in The Lord of the Rings . But instead of Aragorn she met the human Stefan (Michael Higgins as a boy, Jackson Bews as a teen and Sharlto Copley as an adult). This dashing lad won Maleficent’s love and, ambition overwhelming ardor, clipped and stole her wings to become the king of a neighboring realm. Bastard!

To revenge herself on the man who unleashed her Wicked side, Maleficent barges into the christening of King Stefan’s daughter Aurora and proclaims her famous curse: that on the girl’s 16th birthday she will prick her finger on a sewing-wheel needle and fall into a coma, breakable only by “true love’s kiss.” The King sends the infant into the Witness Protection program of three nattering fairies (Isabelle Staunton, Lesley Manville and Juno Temple) whose cottage is monitored by Maleficent’s shape-shifting servant Diaval (Sam Riley).

(SEE: 13 Disney Princesses and the Actresses Who Voiced Them )

At first Maleficent thinks the baby is “so ugly you could almost feel sorry for it.” But over the years in the forest, Aurora grows into a lovely teen (Elle Fanning) who calls Maleficent her fairy godmother. She just might steal — as the woman who cursed her says — “what was left of my heart.” Cared for by three fairies who are, at best, dotty aunts, a girl alone needs a mother figure, and finds it in Maleficent. (Aurora at five is played by the star’s daughter Vivienne Jolie-Pitt.) The warmth she can provide is chilled by the knowledge that she is the one who, long ago, doomed her one loving alliance.

Producer Joe Roth — who also shepherded the live-action versions of Alice in Wonderland and Oz the Great and Powerful through Disney, and Snow White and the Huntsman at Universal — rightly recognized Jolie’s kinship to Maleficent, declaring that “There was no point in making the movie if it wasn’t her.” He was alluding to the star’s dominant, regal otherness.

(READ: Corliss on Angelina Jolie in Wanted )

She almost might have been designed in some special-effects shop to play Maleficent. And Rick Baker’s makeup artistry does her and the character proud, with curling, leathery horns and dark diagonal slashes on her cheekbones that sculpt her face into diamond-shaped severity. To the wolf eyes and Morticia Addams pallor, Jolie brings an imperious vocal styling with echoes of Bette Davis. (Eleanor Audley voiced Maleficent in the animated feature.) She is the visual, aural and behavioral embodiment of an otherworldly goddess capable of anything, from poisonous curses to surrogate-mother love.

(READ: The sorry state of mothers in Disney animated features )

Other than Jolie’s grandeur, and a bit of Fanning’s freshness, the movie’s got nothing. It takes its design cue from sword-and-sorcery films in their sepulchral early-’80s phase ( The Dark Crystal , Legend ) but fails at its evocation of enveloping murk. When it tries for lightness of image, with the appearances of fairyland sprites, the creatures are wan, unbeguiling and poorly integrated into the surrounding flora. Lightness of touch is also missing; Maleficent didn’t have to go the parody route of The Princess Bride (which also had a full measure of enchantment), but a little knowing levity would have given the characters life outside of their stereotypes.

Roth and Disney knew their project had problems; they enlisted John Lee Hancock, director of The Blind Side and Saving Mr. Banks , to rework the early scenes and add a ton of narration (voiced by Janet McTeer). Apparently no one could fix the clumsy comedy of the fairy trio, or the minimal impact on Aurora of two royal deaths, and least of all the unfortunate casting of Copley. The South African actor, so comically poignant as the lead in Neil Blomkamp’s District 9 (his first feature role), lacks the traditional skills needed for a fairy-tale hero turned villain. Nor did anyone attend to anomalies in Maleficent’s powers. She can change Diaval into any creature, from crow to dragon, except when, toward the end, she can’t. Her imposing wings get sawed off, until they get magically and capriciously reattached.

(READ: Corliss’s review of Neil Blomkamp’s District 9 )

The Disney people ought to know how to tell this story — of a female with frightening powers, finally battling to save the princess who suffers from her curse — because they just did it. Anyone remember Frozen ? That animated wonder had the forces of good and evil at war in the same character, plus a love story, smart laughs and a hit song that ran through everyone’s internal iPod for months.

(READ: Why Frozen Was Totally Thaw-some )

Maleficent ends with Lana Del Ray singing the original film’s “Once Upon a Dream” (based on Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty waltz) in a droning tone that suits this production. It’s a requiem, a dirge, for a lifeless movie.

More Must-Reads From TIME

Jane Fonda Champions Climate Action for Every Generation
Passengers Are Flying up to 30 Hours to See Four Minutes of the Eclipse
Biden’s Campaign Is In Trouble. Will the Turnaround Plan Work?
Essay: The Complicated Dread of Early Spring
Why Walking Isn’t Enough When It Comes to Exercise
The Financial Influencers Women Actually Want to Listen To
The Best TV Shows to Watch on Peacock
Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time

Good Movie Review About Movie: Maleficent

Type of paper: Movie Review

Topic: Literature , Betrayal , Human , Emotions , Movies , Love , Cinema , Wings

Words: 1250

Published: 03/15/2020

ORDER PAPER LIKE THIS

The new live action movie of Maleficent is reworking of the classic tale of Sleeping Beauty with the villain taking the main role and the ever happy Princess Aurora taking a backseat. It slowly delves into the background story of why Maleficent came about to be the way she is-an evil witch who cast a spell on baby Aurora. Without getting into the details of every dialogue here we are going to look into some elements, character relations and compare the review of two critics.

The elements/relationships that are going to be written about here are

- Setting of the movie The movies boundaries are between two worlds, the Kingdom and the Moors. Where the moors are shown as the enchanted land of fairies, goblins and other heavenly creatures the Kingdom is shown to be populated by humans who are filled with greed and hatred; castles and farmers. The difference being that the land of Maleficent is the one with colorful blooms, evergreen forests where after her betrayal it turns dark and thorny outlined by a boundary of unbreakable thorns. The CGI effects to show the beauty of the moors as Maleficent flies through the caves, cliffs and soars in the clouds is exemplary. So are the monsters of the land that she controls that rise from the ground to protect their home from an invasion on the orders of Maleficent. The scenes of battle in the first half where the army of the king is vanquished by the green mossy monsters can also been seen as a metaphor for nature rebelling against you for its excessive usage and final human loss. Even the final fight where Maleficent gets her wings back with the dragon spewing fire is taken from the classic tale and reworked. In the original maleficent she becomes the dragon whereas here it is her faithful servant diaviel. The iron being the antithesis to a fairies’ strength can be taken as en element that rusts on spillage of water, whereas the fairies and mystical creatures regard water as the final frontier to return to on demise. As in reality iron and water are not friends and neither are iron and fairies. - The costume design The costumes and makeup add on beautifully to the characters. When Maleficent is a fairy she is shown soaring in soft flowy fabrics through the clouds filled with bright sunshine, where her dark and brooding version has black clothes, even the horns go darker reminiscent of the hurt and anger in her at being betrayed. On the other side Aurora is dressed in pastel shades of blues, creams and whites depicting her innocence of life and laughter. The King and his love of power are shown through his heavy fur lined coats, the crown resting uneasy on the head of the traitor. - Capacity of Human Emotions The portrayal of hunger for power-Stephan, revenge-cursing of Aurora, Sadness-The Moors turning black and thorny, Aurora’s love-her innocence at everything is all shown in the movie at separate events. The brutal action that Stephan takes to become the King’s successor demonstrates a human’s greed for power of the highest level. The colors that portray various emotions are seen through the movie with blooming flower, greenery, and black thorned boundary between the moors and the Kingdom. Various interrelations are also woven throughout the story Maleficent-Aurora-A beautiful Godmother child bond is formed where Maleficent guides her through it all and even gives advice on the evil of the world. She also lovingly calls her Beastie a nickname that she wanted to use for her hatred instead it becomes a loved name by the end. Maleficent-Stephan-An innocent love gone horribly wrong leading to revenge as a result of the greed of Stephan. She despises him for humiliating and taking advantage of her. The clipping of wings can also be taken as a metaphor for physical abuse of the women at the hands of a man through the use of intoxicants. Maleficent-Diaviel- Her faithful man-crow servant who tries to as his mistress abides in every way and becomes her wings into the castle and eyes and ears of Aurora’s life. - Strength of Maleficent the protagonist-Love As a fairy she is shown to have immense believe in love till she is betrayed by her love, Stephan who clips out her wings, literally and in the pain and anguish of her betrayal decides to avenge herself by casting a spell on aurora which can be broken only by the kiss of true love. Overtime what she doesn’t realize is that somewhere her love for all things of nature is still intact wherein she becomes the Fairy God mother to the growing Aurora. It is the same love that makes her become the maternal figure to the princess, wanting to make her smile, enjoy the moors and lastly apologize to the sleeping aurora that she would make sure no harm comes to her in any way ever. Through her journey as a fairy it is shown that she always yearned to give and receive the basic human emotion of love, making her vulnerable to the deceit of King Stephan and to charm of baby Aurora. Another feature of Maleficent that occupies a part of the central story is her wings. She seems to have that deep bond with her wings which when cut off breaks her heart and belies her significant strength, takes away her passion for flying and soaring. The first thing she attempts after taking a darker turn is to get her set of artificial wings in the form a crow-human Diaviel. In the end when her final confrontation comes her wings seem to be beckoning their owner and finally are united leading her to win over King Stephan. The wings can also be taken for a metaphor for artistic freedom that every individual needs for basic survival. If we go on to compare the reviews of the movie by the Newyork times and Entertainment Weekly these would be the similarities and differences

Comparison of both the reviews

NY Times Review (By MANOHLA DARGIS) The reviewer here feels the tale is a reworking of the old classic. The narrative is weak and plot loopholes are covered by the imagery and Angelina’s formidable screen presence. The digital imagery coveys the relationship between Aurora and Maleficent beautifully with her floating beside Maleficent, the long shots though deviate the audience from the story. Angelina Jolie is a visual marvel whether spouting curses or word of wisdom, care was taken to make the central Disney character a lot more human. Emotions of patriarchy and matriarchy between characters of Aurora, Maleficent and Diaviel are discussed. Many metaphors for emotions, women, imagery and love and hatred are portrayed silently through the visual medium

EW Review (by Keith Staskiewicz)

Even this review felt that the story was a rethinking of old classic. The story is muddled according to this reviewer and doesn’t vary too far from just the two worlds of Moors and Castle. Digital design worked for a classic look with analog colors, mesmerizing cliffs and odd flora and mossy monsters add to the defect. The reviewer here is in awe of the deviled horns that mark a captivating presence and add to the fabled Disney look. The matriarchal factor was not discussed. Reviews

Cite this page

Share with friends using:

Removal Request

Finished papers: 2849

This paper is created by writer with

ID 285010874

If you want your paper to be:

Well-researched, fact-checked, and accurate

Original, fresh, based on current data

Eloquently written and immaculately formatted

275 words = 1 page double-spaced

Get your papers done by pros!

Other Pages

Example of research paper on brothels and prostitution in new orleans, latin literary evidence for roman religious change in the early roman empire research paper, example of article review on treating apraxia of speech, pointing out visual effects tron legacy creative writing, international relations critical thinking examples, the negative effects of smoking in women essay, essay on earth quakes, example of essay on circulation, free essay on religious violence, free case study on sanlus melamine tainted milk crisis in china, good factors that would affect demand for washburn guitars lines essay example, the link between ethics and professional behavior and the administration of criminal justice essays examples, the comparison of two characters in house of stones and the film namesake essays example, free essay about the short happy life of francis macomber by ernest hemingway, good servant leadership has an edge over transformational leadership essay example, good example of essay on transforming nursing, good the outline research proposal example, free mexican americans essay example, nehemiah free sample essay to follow, expected value essays, peak season essays, sadism essays, tchaikovsky essays, anti virus program essays, westernport essays, life assurance essays, juarez essays, falciparum essays, parasite essays, erythrocytes essays, erythrocytic essays, malariae essays, transmitting essays, latency period essays, reds essays, new species essays, machine learning essays, neutrons essays, physicist essays, multipurpose essays, improvement book reviews, quest book reviews.

Password recovery email has been sent to [email protected]

Use your new password to log in

You are not register!

By clicking Register, you agree to our Terms of Service and that you have read our Privacy Policy .

Now you can download documents directly to your device!

Check your email! An email with your password has already been sent to you! Now you can download documents directly to your device.

or Use the QR code to Save this Paper to Your Phone

The sample is NOT original!

Short on a deadline?

Don't waste time. Get help with 11% off using code - GETWOWED

No, thanks! I'm fine with missing my deadline

IMAGES

"Maleficent" Review: A Movie Everyone Should See
The Story of Maleficent Free Essay Example
Maleficent (2014) 5 minutes Review & Summary. Buy the movie
Maleficent movie review & film summary (2014)
Maleficent Movie Synopsis & Review
Film Review: Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

VIDEO

Maleficent(2019) : Mistress of Evil Movie
maleficent 2014

COMMENTS

Maleficent movie review & film summary (2014)
As teenagers, the fairy and the human share a silhouetted lip-lock on a hilltop—"true love's first kiss," in the Disney parlance. He stops coming around, breaking the girl's heart. Years later, the now adult Stefan ( Sharlto Copley) overhears the now-dying king promising his realm to anyone who can kill Maleficent.
Maleficent Movie Review: a Fresh Take on The Sleeping Beauty
This Maleficent movie review essay will explore the character development and plot twists of this unique take on the classic tale of Sleeping Beauty. The film presents a fresh perspective on the fairy tale, showing Maleficent's tragic past and how it led her to become the "mistress of all evil." As the story unfolds, Maleficent's ...
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil movie review (2019)
The sequel "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil" would seem like a perfect complement to the first film, because it's built around a clash between Jolie and another great '80s and '90s star, Michelle Pfeiffer. But having set up this potentially juicy conflict, and having detailed a scenario that would put it front-and-center while deepening Maleficent ...
Maleficent by Robert Stromberg: Movie Review
Maleficent, a 2014 American fantasy movie directed by Robert Stromberg, is about the untold story of Disney's most notorious villain from the classic Sleeping Beauty. Starring Angelina Jolie as the protagonist, the movie explores the elements that turn Maleficent from a kind-hearted fairy to a horrendous antagonist. Summary of Maleficent, the Movie
'Maleficent': Film Review
The 3D, though unnecessary, lends a subtle depth to the visuals. The most extraordinary visual effect, though, is Jolie's transformation into the title character. With the help of prosthetic ...
Movie Review: Maleficent (2014)
Everyone's invited to Disney's PG pity-party Maleficent.Directed in the cadence of a Lana Del Rey song (who, coincidentally, shows up during the credits with a closing track), this live-action re-imagining of the 1959 animated classic "Sleeping Beauty" has enough gothic romance, leather gowns, and teen gloominess to attract a substantial summer audience.
Maleficent (2014)
A revisionist take on Disney's animated classic Sleeping Beauty (1959) by way of the Broadway hit Wicked, the live-action feature Maleficent rewrites the fable from the villain's perspective to make her a sympathetic figure.The animated Maleficent was pure evil in the most enticing storybook ways and originally looked like a thin Bette Davis voiced by Eleanor Audley.
A Return to Faerie: A Positive Review of "Maleficent"
We first meet a horned, winged fairy-child named Maleficent. This fairy is powerful, beautiful, and takes enormous joy in flight. She lives in a moor, a part of the land inhabited only by fairies. Her world is in an uneasy truce with the human world, and she meets Stephan as a potential invader.
Maleficent Review
Maleficent is a well-intentioned, but unevenly executed endeavor. It feels as though Disney built a film around the tantalizing notion of Angelina Jolie playing this at once beloved and reviled ...
Film Review: 'Maleficent'
Film Review: 'Maleficent'. Reviewed at Arclight Cinemas, Sherman Oaks, May 22, 2014. MPAA rating: PG. Running time: 97 MIN. Production: A Walt Disney Motion Pictures release and presentation ...
Maleficent Movie Review
Positive Role Models. Aurora is a sweet, kind girl who's curious and lov. Violence & Scariness. The movie's tone becomes quite dark, and there are. Sex, Romance & Nudity. A couple of kisses, including a romantic kiss betw. Language. Rare uses of insult language like "imbecile" and ". Products & Purchases.
Maleficent Review
Maleficent Review. Maleficent is a fairy protecting the magic half of a kingdom from invasion by its human neighbours. One day she falls for a human boy, who grows up with ambitions to be king and ...
'Maleficent' Review: Taming the witch, Disney-style
Walt Disney, the spectacle-maker who made an entertainment empire out of cartoons based on fables and fairy tales in the public domain, needed a name for the woman that would terrorize Sleeping ...
Visually Stunning, but the Usual Disney Fare
Maleficent Movie Review — Visually Stunning, but the Usual Disney Fare. Dir. by Robert Stromberg. It's hard to review Disney's Maleficent without mentioning that the screening I went to ended with a hearty applause. The reason I feel it's necessary to point this out is because despite its clear flaws, this film is an absolute crowd pleaser.
Maleficent Summary
The 2014 film Maleficent re-imagines the classic fairytale "Sleeping Beauty" by telling the narrative from the perspective of Maleficent, the antagonist of the 1959 version of the Disney film.Maleficent is a young, orphaned fairy living in a peaceful, natural realm called the Moors.She meets a young human boy named Stefan, and the two form a friendship that eventually blossoms into romance.
Maleficent
Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Oct 9, 2021. Takes some liberties with a time-honored story, but doesn't stray too far from the necessary fairy tale elements. Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 ...
Maleficent
Driven by revenge and a fierce desire to protect the moors over which she presides, Maleficent cruelly places an irrevocable curse upon the human king's newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Aurora is caught in the middle of the seething conflict between the forest kingdom she has grown to love and the human kingdom that holds her legacy. Maleficent realizes that Aurora may hold the key ...
Maleficent (2014)
Permalink. This live action Disney film shows the story of Sleeping Beauty from the other side; focusing on Maleficent, the 'evil' fairy who cursed her. As the story opens we are told how there are two neighbouring kingdoms; one of greedy humans and another of friendly magical folk. Maleficent is a young fairy who lives in the latter.
Maleficent Movie Review: Angelina Jolie in Disney Muddle
Angelina Jolie brings her otherworldly majesty to the villainess from Disney's <i>Sleeping Beauty,</i> but this live-action revisionist update is a dismaying botch
Sample Movie Reviews On Movie: Maleficent
Good Movie Review About Movie: Maleficent. The new live action movie of Maleficent is reworking of the classic tale of Sleeping Beauty with the villain taking the main role and the ever happy Princess Aurora taking a backseat. It slowly delves into the background story of why Maleficent came about to be the way she is-an evil witch who cast a ...
PDF Film Review : Maleficent
Film Review : Maleficent What is the best Walt Disney movie of all time? It is difficult to choose, but Disney's fairy tales would be in the top ten. And if you want to choose one, it would be Maleficent, released on May 30, 2014, which was in the limelight.
Maleficent Movie Review
Maleficent Movie Review - Free download as Word Doc (.doc), PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free. Maleficent movie review
Film Review Of The Movie Maleficent By Linda Woolverton
The reality of moral consequences throughout this story causes the audience to see it as a real, secondary world, worthy of belief. It was a touching and beautiful movie. It may have parts too scary for aged 5 and under, but no worse than other kid movies out there. No bad language or obscenities of any kind.

Maleficent Movie Review: a Fresh Take on The Sleeping Beauty

Works Cited

Cite this Essay

Related Essays

Still can’t find what you need?

Related Topics

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News

site categories

Sheri Linden

Related Stories

THR Newsletters

More from The Hollywood Reporter

Movie Review: Maleficent (2014)

'Movie Review: Maleficent (2014)' have 5 comments

Review by Brian Eggert May 30, 2014

Related Titles

Recent Reviews

Recent Articles

A Return to Faerie: A Positive Review of “Maleficent”

Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!

Related Posts

“Resurrection”

“The Little Ones”

“Caritas”

Resurrection in Narnia

Easter Movies: “Hail Caesar!” and “Risen”

Leave A Comment Cancel reply

Maleficent Review

In This Article

More Reviews by Roth Cornet

Film Review: ‘Maleficent’

Andrew Barker

Reviewed at Arclight Cinemas, Sherman Oaks, May 22, 2014. MPAA rating: PG. Running time: 97 MIN.

More From Our Brands

Or browse by category:

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

Common Sense Selections for Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

Explaining the News to Our Kids

Celebrating Black History Month

Movies and TV Shows with Arab Leads

Celebrate Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary

A Lot or a Little?

Educational Value

Positive Messages

Positive Role Models

Violence & Scariness

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Products & Purchases

Parents Need to Know

Where to Watch

Community Reviews

Normalizes criminal behavior

Is It Any Good?

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Suggest an Update

Sleeping Beauty

Ella Enchanted

Maleficent Review

Related Articles

‘Maleficent’ Review: Taming the witch, Disney-style

Add a comment

Related Topics

Maleficent Movie Review — Visually Stunning, but the Usual Disney Fare

Karl Delossantos