Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019) in Movies
Oct 15, 2019
In the years since the last film ended; Aurora (Elle Fanning) has relished in her role as Princess over the Moors and all of the enchanted creatures that live within it. When she accepts a proposal from Prince Phillip (Harris Dickinson), this sets off a chain of celebratory events as they all prepare for the big day which will unite the two lands.
Phillip’s parents King John (Robert Lindsay) and Queen Ingrith (Michelle Pfeiffer) are eager for the union while Maleficent strongly opposes it and tells Aurora that there will be no wedding. When Aurora persists; Maleficent reluctantly accepts an invitation to dinner at the Castle where things soon go horribly wrong and Maleficent is accused of putting a curse on the King.
Injured while fleeing, Maleficent is wounded and takin in by others of her kind who are preparing for war against the humans as a dark and dangerous plan is underway and the survival of the enchanted creatures is threatened.
The film then becomes a tense adventure with plenty of action, magic, and fantasy which is a nice framework for the great visual effects of the film.
I had been concerned that the film might be too dark for the usual audience for this type of film and there are moments where my concerns are validated. However there is much more charm, fantasy and wonder in the film and if anyone has ever read the original Grimm Fairy Tales; they will know that this is considerably toned down compared to what they offered.
The film has some great visuals to it but they never overshadow the characters in the film as Jolie seems to be taking gleeful delight in playing the title character but allows herself to have some fun with the character at times which helps her emerge as a well-rounded character versus being a staple Fairy Tale Villain.
The film may take a bit of time getting up to the main events but it does so to give more time for the characters to develop which helps them stand out from the usual good/bad monikers given to many fantasy characters.
The supporting cast is solid especially the performances by Pfeiffer and Chiwetel Ejiofor who add much to the complexity of the film and also invoke many themes of discussion that mirrors what is happening in much of society today.
In the end the film delivers a strong performance by Jolie and plenty of magic to make this a modern Fairy Tale Disney classic in the making.
3.5 stars out of 5.
Conversation Therapy Lite - Questions for Expressive Language, Pragmatics, & Cognition
Medical and Education
App
Conversation Therapy gets people talking! Now you can try this professional speech therapy app to...
Case Files Psychiatry, 5th Ed., (60 Clinical Cases - Lange Case Files by McGraw Hill Medical)
Medical and Education
App
Sixty high-yield psychiatry cases helps students sharpen their diagnostic and problem-solving skills...
PMP Project Management Professional Exam Certification Kit
Book
PMP(R) Complete Review includes the Sybex Deluxe Study Guide and Review Guide PMP(R) Project...
Beyond Fear: Thinking Sensibly About Security in an Uncertain World
Book
Many of us, especially since 9/11, have become personally concerned about issues of security, and...
International Finance and Open-Economy Macroeconomics: 2016
Giancarlo Gandolfo and Daniela Federici
Book
This rigorous textbook tames technicalities and makes even the most complex models accessible to...
Introducing Human Resource Management
Caroline Hook, Andrew Jenkins and Margaret Foot
Book
"A good, reliable and accurate all round book with lots of useful models that are well explained and...
Copyright for Archivists and Records Managers
Book
As an archivist or records manager it is essential to keep up to date with the complexities of...
Aesthetics: A Reader in Philosophy of the Arts
Book
Aesthetics: A Reader in Philosophy of the Arts, 4th Edition contains an extensive selection of...