Maleficent’s dark history may surprise you

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Maleficent was definitely the Angelina show and we are ok with that. She’s perfect for the role and really brings this twist on a classic tale to life.

maleficent536ad1debb95e

Last week, Jerry and I were super excited to receive an invitation to an advanced screening of Disney’s Maleficent. This movie has been hotly anticipated for months and with good reason.

After seeing Angelina Jolie as the infamous villian, I will never imagine her any other way.

The film stars Angelina Jolie as Maleficent, Sharlto Copley, Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple and Lesley Manville and while each actor did just fine, Maleficent was definitely the Angelina show.

maleficent52823583203bc

About Maleficent

Maleficent,” the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the classic “Sleeping Beauty,” reveals the events that hardened Maleficent’s heart and drove her to curse the baby, Aurora, only to later realize that the child may hold the key to peace in the land.

As promised, this new version tells the story of why the dark fairy is so thirsty for revenge.

With a PG rating, there were definitely moments that would be too intense for my kids (ages 5 and almost 3), but I think most elementary-aged kids and older would do fine with the conflict.

What I loved about Maleficent

It almost goes without saying that Angelina Jolie was practically born to play this role. The moment her role was announced it just seemed perfect and the film lived up to my high expectations for her performance.

She was both villainous and strangely likeable, which I was not expecting. This was a lighter telling of the story than I thought it would be. I was expecting a very dark movie and while there were definitely dark scenes, there were quite a few lighthearted and even humorous moments.

You may or may not know that Jolie’s own daughter, Shiloh, plays the young Princess Aurora and this was one of my favorite scenes from the movie.

Visually, this movie is just plain fun. I loved the large shots with scenery of the kingdom or pretty much any time Maleficent’s wings were on the screen. The colors were so beautiful and dreary at the same time. It really drew me in.

What I didn’t love about Maleficent

There were a few particulars that didn’t float my boat for this movie despite all the strong points. The CGI seemed to break down for me when the high-color fantasy characters were on the scene. I understand they were supposed to represent a brighter, happier time, but something about them just didn’t work for me.

Maybe that was intentional too. I don’t know. I could have done without the pink and purple flying creatures in favor of more trees and vine beasts. Jerry and I discussed this and we wondered if it was because we saw the 3D version.

We are pretty picky about what we see in 3D and I think for Maleficent, we would have enjoyed it more without that added effect.

As I said earlier, Angelina was the star of the show. So much so that the other characters are barely memorable. It wasn’t that they were terrible. I just wish they had a bit more character depth and development. I

feel like King Stefan in particular could have been so much more than they made him to be.

One more nit-picky note is on the three fairies who raised Aurora. I loved these characters in the animated version of Sleeping Beauty and was disappointed to see them with different names and as rather unlikable dimwits.

I can see how this change added to the story, but the purist in me wanted to say, “Make it pink! Make it blue!” just once. It’s personal 🙂

Final thoughts

My recommendation? See the movie. It is a fun summer film and Angelina alone is worth your time. Maybe skip the 3D version and spend that money on more popcorn!

Have you seen Maleficent? What did you think?


You May Also Like


About Andrea Updyke

Andrea Updyke is a married mom of two boys living in Raleigh, NC. She is a published author and blogger of more than 18 years and loves to celebrate the little things that make life awesome.

Whether she's sharing tasty recipes, traveling or hanging with the family, Andrea's goal is to help make your days a little easier and a lot more fun! Email inquiries to andreaupdyke@gmail.com.

Get new recipes sent to your inbox!
Don't miss out! Subscribe and get all the new recipes first.
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

5 Comments

  1. I didn’t mind any of the CGI effects. It felt like the perfect fantasy story to me. But I do agree that King Stefan needed more depth and I felt part of the story was missing with the three fairies. What it honestly felt like to me is that they cut a lot of character development for the sake of time. I wouldn’t have minder a longer movie but I’m guessing they had to keep it short for the sake of the younger audience.

    1. I agree. I think another 10 minutes or so could have done a lot. But it was still good!

  2. Well said. The fantastical colors mixed with 3D didn’t work for me, either. Neither did her cheek bones. Also, the lip sync of the CGI Fairies was terrible. The guy who played the Bird Man was the best, IMO.

    C+