Maleficent is a live action take on Disney’s Sleeping Beauty seen through the eyes of the beautiful villainess Maleficent giving us a stunning and unique perspective on the 1950’s Disney classic. Maleficent has always been one of my favorite Disney characters as there was always something really awesome about her being able to turn into a dragon and trying to defeat the heroes. I mean, who doesn’t like dragons, right?
With the promise of dragon carnage my expectations for this movie went through the roof, especially after I saw that Angelina Jolie was playing Maleficent. Every trailer I watched with her in it sent chills down my spine as she made my favorite villainess come to life in a way I had only imagined since childhood. Seriously, it takes a lot of work getting that trademarked maniacal laugh just right and I have to say she really nailed it with this movie.
What I didn’t expect was how they seamlessly adapted Sleeping Beauty into a story from Maleficent’s perspective. This will forever taint the original version of the story for me and remind me that perspective is what life’s really about. One person’s actions can seem completely absurd when you don’t know all circumstances that brought them to that point. As I watched Maleficent’s decline into darkness I truly sympathized with her and thought to myself: Who hasn’t wanted to curse someone in vengeance after being emotionally wounded? Heck, I curse the person who doesn’t fill up the office coffee pot daily Then throw in a little heart break and this means war! I later fell in love with Maleficent in a way only a parent could understand. I was left awestruck as they ended the movie with a non-traditional true loves first kiss. Disney has not only pushed the boundaries with this movie but made it a stunning rendition to the original.
I gave this movie 3.5 stars out of 5 stars for a few reasons. The first is that it’s most definately a kid`s film. If I hadn’t loved the character so much I would have waited to watch this movie on Netflix. Although it’s an amazing story, it still lacks the adult like charm and humor we’ve come to expect from many Pixar and DreamWorks films. However, if you’re a die hard Disney connoisseur then you should not miss this movie in the theaters, as it will surely change you and the way you think about villains.
I also have to share the haunting music that plays during the credits of this movie. It brought a real smile to my face as the referenced the original song in Sleeping Beauty.
GloryHoundd Presents 