Maleficent

In Disney's "Sleeping Beauty", the optimistic and peacemaking Fauna comments that Maleficent "can't be all bad." This live action film would prove just that if it had followed the original tale more closely. Instead, "Maleficent" offers a very different version of the story of "Sleeping Beauty". Angelina Jolie's performance was really good but that is the best quality of this show. The themes were not strong and the story was not what I was expecting. People shouldn't pay a fortune to see this. I thought this was going to be another tragic origin story like that of Theodora in "Oz the Great and Powerful" (the production designer of that film by the way has his directorial debut with "Maleficent"). The best way I can explain my disappointment is by discussing some of the film's most important plot points.

The filmmakers on this film appear doing for the character of Maleficent what "Wicked" did for the Wicked Witch of the West. Because I have not seen the musical, I cannot say for sure what the people behind "Maleficent" did wrong. I think one reason why I could not fully accept Maleficent as a heroine is because of the persona of her animated counterpart that has been around for more than 50 years. Her name itself means "harmfully malicious" and in the animated film, she calls herself the "Mistress of All Evil". I believe what people love most about the character is Marc Davis' design and Eleanor Audley performance. The start of "Maleficent" was pretty good. I was able to accept the childhood relationship between Maleficent and Stefan. The fact that Stefan takes off his ring so that he can touch Maleficent was pretty moving. This story motif of two children becoming friends and years later falling in love is very popular on TV and on the big screen such as in the Pixar film "Up". It is also able to happen in real life, creating some of the most enduring marriages because the foundation of which is strong. I am a personal believer that true love does not start with love at first sight but rather by long-lasting friendship. That is not the case however with this film. Stefan is introduced in such a good light and because we don't see but only hear about his longing for worldly greatness as he grows up, we can't accept his betrayal of Maleficent. I think it would have been better for those two to meet as teenagers because those kinds of relationships are more likely to fall apart. Because Stefan still has feelings for his childhood friend, he performs a less cruel act than killing her but cruel nonetheless. It makes for a plausible rise to the Maleficent we remember as she fashions her staff and retreats to a ruined castle on the Forbidden Mountain.

While the origin of this character as seen in this new live action film is acceptable, the relationship between Aurora and Maleficent is quite contradictory to our predetermined notions. I love Maleficent's shadow that precedes her reveal at Aurora's Christening. This scene is quoted almost verbatim from "Sleeping Beauty" and I like the angle of the curse of Aurora becoming almost like a prophecy that cannot be prevented. I did not like how the Three Good Fairies were even more incompetent in this version. This was done so that Maleficent would have reason to keep watch over Aurora and this was where I started to have questions concerning where the story was headed. While I enjoyed some dramatic moments such as when Maleficent desires to remove her own curse, I felt that the second half of the film had many story problems. Stefan's growing obsession was a very big departure from the original animated story and one silent theme I can interpret from this whole movie is that there is no such thing as true love between a man and a woman. Others might argue that the curse was broken in "Maleficent" in the same way that Anna was saved in "Frozen" but that animated film was clear on the definition of true love and that is does exist between men and women. Also, Kristoff's kiss probably would have saved Anna. It was obvious that on "Maleficent", Phillip's kiss was going to have no effect but what I would have done is have Maleficent realize that true love requires effort. Accordingly, she should have "kidnapped" Phillip so he could make a heroic escape and achieve the necessary level of true love. This would have fit perfectly considering the climax of the 1959 film. Maleficent could also have sacrificed herself at the hand of Phillip making herself a true tragic heroine. I am not saying that motherly love is powerless; what I am saying is that the 1959 animated Maleficent is far from being considered a motherly figure. I am happy though that Phillip is including in the very end scene implying that he and Aurora will end up together after all. This film's version of "Once Upon a Dream" is very good because it has a slight haunted feeling.

Angelina Jolie did her job very well. I knew she would do great with this role because of what I saw from her work in "Beowulf" and from the trailers for this film. I could definitely sense a respect for Eleanor Audley's vocal performance but Jolie also made the character her own as well. I saw Ellie Fanning in a few films before this including "Super 8". She was a great Aurora in that I accepted her character's sweet nature. As a fun fact, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's daughter is the young Aurora. This was done because other girls were scared of Jolie in her makeup, which was created by Rick Baker (arguably the greatest Hollywood makeup artist with seven Oscars on his wall). I immediately recognized Imelda Staunton. First-time director Robert Stromberg won two Oscars as the production designer for "Avatar" and the live action "Alice in Wonderland" and so his focus may have been on how the film looks instead of on the story. One peice of evidence for this includes the Oscar nomination this movie received for Costume Design. Screenwriter Linda Woolverton is a trailblazer for women screenwriters but I don't think this is her best work considering she was screenwriter for "Beauty and the Beast", "The Lion King" (she also wrote the aforementioned "Alice in Wonderland"). I was hoping that with Don Hahn producing "Maleficent" that the film would stay true to many aspects of "Sleeping Beauty" but I was let down.

This is not a straight adaptation but rather a re-imagining of this villainess. Despite Angelina Jolie's performance, "Maleficent" has some pessimistic themes that overshadow much of what is good about this film. In my opinion, Maleficent is such an iconic villain in the Disney universe that you can't change her persona overnight. It might have worked if the filmmakers had made her out as a tragic heroine in this movie instead of misunderstood.

3 Stars