#Maleficent isn't anything super awesome, but it does provides a fun experience. It also has many parallels with the musical Wicked to The Wizard of Oz. we get to see the same story told, but from the "evil" characters perspective.
Maleficent is a retelling of Disney's original Sleeping Beauty animated film made in 1959 which was Disney's 16th full length animated film. This was also Disney's last animated film based on fairy tales due to its low box office grossing until Little Mermaid.
I will preface this review with that typically I do not care for Angelina Jolie. She is just one of those actors that bugs me with her oversexed, pouty, predictable characters. With that said, she was an excellent choice for this film. She displays power, despair, loss, and compassion with equal sincere honesty. My only "complaint", or more accurately, an annoyance was her evolution to evil. I will call this the "Anakinader Event". Maleficent experiences extraordinary loss and betrayal which warrants her passage into evil, but it seems to happen awkwardly quick, as though a mental switch was flipped. However, her growth throughout the rest of the show feels justified and we get to see her emotional evolution which is humorously touching.
It was also fun to see Sharlto Copley as Stefan in this rags to riches king. His characters tend to be boisterously aggressive, and high energy as demonstrated in District 9, The A-Team, and Elysium. In this role, he comes across mentally unstable and irrationally paranoid. He plays the neurosis well as demonstrated in previous roles.
The look of the film is at times breathtaking and at all times natural and believable. The design of The Moors was serene with unique and charming creature designs. The tree Ent-like creatures were stunning and so cool in their attention to detail. beautifully crafted. Digital characters have come so far since Jar Jar. In addition, Maleficent's wings are alive on the screen and feel every part of her character as her arms. Extremely
excellent collaboration between digital design and an actress portraying the physical attributes of this character flawlessly with sincere honesty. I also really liked all the nods to the original animated film, the thorn walls, the dragon, and the green magic flames, all done very well.
Where this movie trips up is in the script. It comes across very much on the surface. It rarely sinks it's teeth into some of these emotionally rich and disturbing occupancies. The early love interest between Maleficent and Stefan seems very rushed and glossed over. The relationship doesn't feel sincere that Maleficent's descent to betrayed revenge and evil does not feel justified. There are many other areas that feel glossed over, but I Wish to avoid spoilers. I will say I found the "sleeping beauty kiss" enduring and moving.
In the end, this film does not compare with X-Men: Days of Future Past which has the complete package, but keeps me engaged and never leaves me thinking the film is too long and is a fun enchanting ride. That's why it currently lands second in the summer list of movies under X-Men: Days of Future Past and ahead of The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
1. X-Men: Days of Future Past
2. Maleficent
3. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
4. Godzilla
No comments:
Post a Comment