There are two sides to every fairy tale, leaving Maleficent to capitalize on it in this live-action origin story of the eponymous antihero. Rewinding into the past of Disney’s 1959 classic Sleeping Beauty, this reimagination of the spiteful fairy drops short of meeting its full potential.
First-time director Robert Stromberg may not have hit the bull’s-eye on his first go around, but that isn’t to say this film doesn’t have its strong points.
A battle scene with woodland monsters and the premise of a greedy king driven to the brink of insanity are good indications that Stromberg, along with screenwriter Linda Woolverton, set their creative sights in the right direction.
Clearly the most dominant figure, nothing is more memorable than the main woman herself.
Played by Hollywood sweetheart Angelina Jolie, Maleficent’s wickedness is overshadowed by her innocent beginnings in a fairy world she calls home. Not born with a heart of evil, her initial forgiving and generous personality is unrecognizable from the malevolent villain fans remember her as.
There is, without a doubt, no one other than Jolie who could have encompassed the character better. Her sly grin and cunning attitude is a spitting image of the original, even when factoring out the artisanship of her makeup and costuming.
Maleficent’s darkest hour mimics the brilliance of the original, and it is easily the most captivating moment of the entire film. Arriving at the christening of Aurora in a cruel state of abandonment and betrayal, the de-winged fairy curses the baby princess and sets the plot on track with its predecessor.
Had the entire film been able to capture the same magic as this scene, it surely would have thrived without having to cling so tightly onto the presence of Jolie. Just the same, living off of the title Maleficent can only carry the film so far if it doesn’t have the backbone to support such a distinct character.
Riding on the coattails of Jolie’s entrancing performance, the rest of the cast accessorize her presence. This includes Elle Fanning as Aurora, whose fated tale as the sleeping princess is but a side story to Maleficent’s journey.
Fanning doesn’t expand beyond the script to offer anything more than a supporting character, but she does avoid being overwhelmed by her three fairy friends — Thistletwit (Juno Temple), Knotgrass (Imelda Staunton), and Flittle (Lesley Manville). Clearly aimed towards children, their bubblegum personalities lack anything resembling humor for anyone above the age of five.
Sam Riley is one of the few people to stand out, taking to Jolie’s side as Maleficent’s companion, Diaval. In many ways, he resembles a physical form of the compassion Maleficent suppresses, while also filling the loneliness she suffers from.
Although not fully blossoming on the big screen, Stromberg still offers audiences a good family friendly movie. If anything, it is Jolie and her flawless execution as “the mistress of all evil” that makes it worth seeing.
There is a reason the character has a strong staple in Disney’s legacy, and the growing box-office numbers for Maleficent shows that even Disney’s earliest characters can still pack a punch decades later.