Maleficent… I Kinda Liked It

Sometimes I wish Disney would just stop already with the remakes. Actually, all the time. But as live action Disney remakes go, Maleficent was not bad…

Every movie has its share of flaws and Maleficent was no different. For example: Naming a nice fairy Maleficent is really just asking for trouble (Dictionary.com defines the word used for her name as “doing evil or harm; harmfully malicious”). I did appreciate that Fauna gave the gift of happiness on Aurora instead of the gift of song. Find out more about that here, in my previous post! But Merryweather was cut off again! Even though Aurora has the gift of happiness, she very distinctly breaks into hysteric tears during the picture. 

But amidst all of that, the film provided an interesting look on the possible motivation for her evilness. Abandonment and betrayal when she was young left her bitter and angry. As she works through some of her issues, she takes out her rage on poor young Aurora. As Aurora (played wonderfully by Elle Fanning) bumps into Maleficent (played creepily by Angelina Jolie) over the first 16 years of her life, we are given glimpses into the confused mind of the heroic villain.

Much of the film parallels the cartoon quite smoothly. Many liberties have been taken however, especially in the characterizations. In the cartoon, Flora, Fauna and Merryweather are inexperienced but well intentioned but in this movie, they’re just stupid. In the cartoon, King Stefan is kind and protective of his daughter but in this move, he’s really quite mad. In the cartoon, Maleficent is green-skinned, but in this movie, Angelina Jolie didn’t go quite that far with her portrayal.

I actually appreciated the plot points that strayed away from the cartoon. It gave Maleficent a life of its own, rather than just being a straight-forward remake.

So, do I recommend it? Yes I do. It’s not going to bring home any Oscars, but it’s a fun bit of entertainment.

Let me know what you thought. Should Disney quit doing remakes? Cinderella is coming out next! Just what we need. Another movie about Cinderella…