Visually very pretty, but the story bored me very early. It all just seemed fake to me. I felt as if none of the actors were taking the movie seriously. I had a lot of trouble keeping my focus. But I think this would be a good movie for kids around 10-11.
The trend of retelling old stories to make well-known villainous characters into more sympathetic antagonists is not really new (see John Milton's take on Lucifer in "Paradise Lost"), but it seems that ever since Gregory Maguire's "Wicked" novel, we've been seeing a lot of movies that turn classic villains into misunderstood protagonists, or even transforming them into dark heroes.
Like "Wicked", "Maleficent" does a fairly good job of creating a more sympathetic character out of the villain: in particular, her motives for placing a curse on an infant are no-longer quite as trivial as a forgotten party invitation. While I loved first half of the film, which focused on the back-story of Maleficent and created a much larger world from the old Sleeping Beauty story, much of the ending kept me in constant eye-roll mode.
After creating a more complex, morally ambivalent, and interesting Maleficent, it felt like the writers just traded one villain for another by putting the black villain hat on a different characer
(in this case, the head of Aurora's father, the king)
, which felt a bit lazy to me. Much like Disney's earlier film "Oz, the Great and Powerful", their reliance on pat resolutions creates a weak ending, resulting in something that feels like a bad fanfic.
Visually stunning, charming, exciting and a real Disney fairy tale. I enjoyed it very much. Angelina Jolie was a bit inconsistent for my taste. She blows my mind in some scenes and then doesn't come across believable in other scenes, mostly scenes that really ask for emotional depth. But then again, I've never been a big Angelina Jolie fan, so I might just be really hard on her. Elle Fanning was cute as a button and absolutely endearing as Aurora. Enjoyable film and for once, I didn't mind a follow up movie on a Disney classic. There's something for everyone there.
Stunningly average, perhaps entertaining enough to keep kids attentions but it struggled to be anywhere close to Disney-level storytelling. Maleficent is very much the star of the show here (with Angelina in the role and up against the rest of the cast it would have been impossible to attempt otherwise.) Copley is rather wasted in the role as King since he has the acting chops for much more depth. Overall it's simply a live-action kids movie, not too much here for adults or even true Disney cinema fans either.
Overall quite good even though I expected Angelina Jolie's character to be more magnificent. There were a couple of things that bugged me about the film (like the really annoying godmothers, and a couple other things), but it was pretty solid and visually very beautiful.
Certainly watchable, with fantastic visuals, and Angelina Jolie carrying the movie like few actresses could. But the script is uneven from the problems in humanizing a villain to point she's eventually the heroine - and of course, the inevitable comparisons to Sleeping Beauty.
For the exception of the freaking annoying fairy godmothers , the rest of the movie it isn't that bad.
Angelina Jolie was solid and adorable as a villain and as a heroin.
3.25/5
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Comments 1 - 15 of 28
Maraku11
Not the best but certainly not the worst. If you're interested I'd say it's worth a watch.mariannepaqn
Visually very pretty, but the story bored me very early. It all just seemed fake to me. I felt as if none of the actors were taking the movie seriously. I had a lot of trouble keeping my focus. But I think this would be a good movie for kids around 10-11.DJPowWow
The trend of retelling old stories to make well-known villainous characters into more sympathetic antagonists is not really new (see John Milton's take on Lucifer in "Paradise Lost"), but it seems that ever since Gregory Maguire's "Wicked" novel, we've been seeing a lot of movies that turn classic villains into misunderstood protagonists, or even transforming them into dark heroes.Like "Wicked", "Maleficent" does a fairly good job of creating a more sympathetic character out of the villain: in particular, her motives for placing a curse on an infant are no-longer quite as trivial as a forgotten party invitation. While I loved first half of the film, which focused on the back-story of Maleficent and created a much larger world from the old Sleeping Beauty story, much of the ending kept me in constant eye-roll mode.
After creating a more complex, morally ambivalent, and interesting Maleficent, it felt like the writers just traded one villain for another by putting the black villain hat on a different characer
danisanna
Visually stunning, charming, exciting and a real Disney fairy tale. I enjoyed it very much. Angelina Jolie was a bit inconsistent for my taste. She blows my mind in some scenes and then doesn't come across believable in other scenes, mostly scenes that really ask for emotional depth. But then again, I've never been a big Angelina Jolie fan, so I might just be really hard on her. Elle Fanning was cute as a button and absolutely endearing as Aurora. Enjoyable film and for once, I didn't mind a follow up movie on a Disney classic. There's something for everyone there.Aissi
Visually, stunning. The set design and costumes are really gorgeous, as are the graphics.But kind of boring.
Beatrizfern
As a Disney fan: Really bad movie.DisneyStitch
Stunningly average, perhaps entertaining enough to keep kids attentions but it struggled to be anywhere close to Disney-level storytelling. Maleficent is very much the star of the show here (with Angelina in the role and up against the rest of the cast it would have been impossible to attempt otherwise.) Copley is rather wasted in the role as King since he has the acting chops for much more depth. Overall it's simply a live-action kids movie, not too much here for adults or even true Disney cinema fans either.kellyoung
Good enough.nyrd
Overall quite good even though I expected Angelina Jolie's character to be more magnificent. There were a couple of things that bugged me about the film (like the really annoying godmothers, and a couple other things), but it was pretty solid and visually very beautiful.chunkylefunga
Pretty averageigordebraga
Certainly watchable, with fantastic visuals, and Angelina Jolie carrying the movie like few actresses could. But the script is uneven from the problems in humanizing a villain to point she's eventually the heroine - and of course, the inevitable comparisons to Sleeping Beauty.skinny_much
little cousins like it, so nice to watch with them. But not a good film.rlschles
Pretty horrendous - nobody could keep their accent straight from one scene to the next.Joker of Gotham
For the exception of the freaking annoying fairy godmothers , the rest of the movie it isn't that bad.Angelina Jolie was solid and adorable as a villain and as a heroin.
3.25/5
Warrison
Expected to loathe this movie, but came away enjoying it thoroughly.Showing items 1 – 15 of 28