maleficent 2 movie review essay

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DVD & Streaming

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

Action/Adventure , Drama , Kids , Sci-Fi/Fantasy , War

Content Caution

In Theaters

October 18, 2019
Angelina Jolie as Maleficent; Elle Fanning as Aurora; Harris Dickinson as Prince Philip; Michelle Pfeiffer as Queen Ingrith; Sam Riley as Diaval; Chiwetel Ejiofor as Conall; Ed Skrein as Borra; Robert Lindsay as King John; David Gyasi as Percival; Jenn Murray as Gerda; Juno Temple as Thistlewit; Lesley Manville as Flittle; Imelda Staunton as Knotgrass

Home Release Date

December 31, 2019
Joachim Rønning

Distributor

Movie Review

We all know the tale of Sleeping Beauty . A dark fairy cursed a princess to prick her finger upon the spindle of a spinning wheel and sleep forever. A prince battled against dark forces and a dragon to bestow true love’s kiss upon the princess and thus wake her. Then they lived happily ever after… Or so we’ve been led to believe.

Now, we know from the previous Maleficent movie, that wasn’t quite how it really went down. Maleficent did curse the princess. It was actually her own motherly love for the child that released the girl from her enchanted sleep, not the prince’s kiss.

But somehow, in the human Kingdom of Ulstead, that little detail has been deliberately omitted in the retelling of this now legendary story. No wonder most folks wrongly believe that Maleficent is the mistress of all evil. And frankly, with those huge horns, wings and scarily spikey cheek bones, who could blame them for their trepidation.

Well, it’s time for that to change. Philip and Aurora are going to be married. Philip’s kingdom of Ulstead and Aurora’s fairy kingdom of the Moors will be united. And Maleficent is coming for dinner, courtesy of a surprisingly magnanimous invitation from Philip’s mother, Queen Ingrith.

Maleficent, for her part, isn’t particularly thrilled about Aurora’s choice in husband. As she reminds her adopted daughter, “Love doesn’t always end well, beastie.” But Maleficent is grudgingly willing to make the effort. She practices niceties and even covers her horns with a shawl for the highly anticipated dinner with the King and Queen.

But relationships between in-laws can be prickly things. And so they are here, as everything that can go wrong quickly does.

In a blink, fragile affection morphs into open hostility, old prejudices erupt, and joyful talk of impending nuptials turns to grim talk of war between two kingdoms suddenly at deadly odds with each other once again.

Positive Elements

The war that unexpectedly explodes between the humans and fairies is characterized as a tragedy born of fear, mistrust and prejudice. (As well as some outright evil, as we’ll see below). And as each side unleashes violence on the other, all of those tendencies get reinforced. That’s the backdrop for Maleficent: Mister of Evil’ s main theme: the importance of love and peace, both of which are strongly emphasized throughout the story.

After all, Maleficent’s maternal love for Aurora is what saved the young woman from an eternal slumber in the first film. This love can be overprotective—Maleficent sarcastically wishes disease and calamity on Philip in the hopes that her daughter won’t marry him—but Aurora takes it good-naturedly. And in the end, Maleficent recognizes how much Philip loves Aurora and consents to walking her daughter down the aisle at their wedding.

In its turn, Aurora and Philip’s love for one another is what unites their kingdoms in peace. Philip’s father, King John, is especially proud of this feat since he has been trying to broker peace for years. Furthermore, Philip’s choice to let a dark fairy live (even when the fairy tries to kill him and his best friend) causes Maleficent to stop attacking soldiers (who are just following orders).

Aurora’s love for Maleficent also plays a huge role in convincing Malificent to choose peace instead of war. Maleficent also meets another key character who tells her that if she can love and raise a human as her own daughter and have that love reciprocated, then there is hope for peace.

As the story unfolds, various fairies make brave and sacrificial choices to save and rescue others from certain death. One especially poignant scene finds a fairy giving her life to ensure that her two closest friends are spared.

Spiritual Elements

As in many Disney films, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil takes us to a magical realm populated by both humans and fairies (who are often described with the uncommon word fey in the film).

Maleficent, with her wings and horns, has an undeniably ominous presence. Human Queen Ingrith calls her a “witch.” Indeed, Maleficent can blast through walls and toss people around like sacks of flour with the green flames that flow from her body. She can also turn the shapeshifter, Diaval, into any creature she desires—such as a raven and a giant black bear. In one pivotal scene, a friend of hers is killed, sparking a deep rage in Maleficent. Her eyes, typically bright green, turn red as she uses her powers to wreak havoc upon Ulstead in retribution. It’s no wonder that Maleficent (as well as others) are sometimes called “dark fairies.”

Even though Maleficent does unleash her powers on some unfortunate human victims as war commences, she (and others) also use their magical abilities for good, turning thorns into flowers, for instance, as well as saving a group of human children by flying them to safety during a battle.

As a dark fairy dies, his elders kneel by his body and perform a pagan-feeling ceremony to absorb his body into the earth and produce a bed of flowers. “Tomb blooms” (glowing flowers with magical properties) grow from the graves of fey people in the Moors. Aurora and Philip’s wedding is set to be in a church. Their wedding is performed by a bishop. A christening is mentioned. Someone speaks the phrase, “The truth will set you free.”

[ Spoiler Warning ] After Maleficent is killed while saving Aurora, she turns to dust, and Aurora sheds several tears over her ashes. The powerful expression of spontaneous love in turn resurrects Maleficent, causing her to literally rise from the ashes as a phoenix. The dark fairies (who believe the phoenix is the mother of their people) bow to her reverently, essentially treating her as a goddess.

Sexual & Romantic Content

Philip and Aurora share several kisses, including a passionate one after she accepts his proposal. Queen Ingrith attempts to wake her husband with true love’s kiss. The morning after Aurora and Philip’s wedding, Maleficent leaves but says she’ll return for the christening and winks.

Many female fairies (including Maleficent) wear tight and/or cleavage-baring outfits. We also see some bare stomachs and backs of both male and female dark fairies.

At the very end of the film, a porcupine-like fairy kisses the cheek of a mushroom-type fairy, and it’s unclear from the film exactly what the gender of either creature actually is. Immediately preceding that scene, someone says, “We’re not defined by where we’re from, but by who we love.” Those two scenes, combined, could be interpreted seen as subtly affirming any kind of romantic relationship for those who want to connect the dots between them.

Violent Content

A pixie (who we later learn had his wings shorn off by the queen) creates a red powder that kills fairies on contact. He then tests it on a dandelion fairy, destroying the creature but keeping the dandelion. Soldiers trap a multitude of fairy creatures in a church and use the red powder to kill them (although like the dandelion, we simply see them revert to their plant forms). One fairy sacrifices herself by flying into the source of the powder, her reverted flower form blocking it.

When the dark fairies attack Ulstead, they use vines to grab, throw and trap soldiers. The soldiers use their iron weapons and bombs made of the red powder to fight back. Scores of fairies turn to ash upon contact with the powder. Although we don’t directly witness any soldiers’ deaths onscreen, they are implied since several humans are picked up by flying fairies and dropped from great distances. We see a woman lose her balance and tumble off the edge of a balcony (presumably to her death). A group of dark fairies are ambushed by soldiers in the Moors and one is shot by multiple iron bullets while saving another. One character gets impaled by a crossbow bolt at close range.

A fairy bites a man to prevent being kidnapped, causing the man to fall and drop a lantern painfully on his accomplice’s head. Two men are strung up with tree vines by a dark fairy. It is implied they are killed since we hear their screams offscreen. A man threatens hanging for any soldier who leaves their post. The queen wants Maleficent’s head. An injured fairy struggles to fly straight, bumping into walls and falling several times.

A woman uses a weapon to shoot an iron bullet at Maleficent, badly wounding her and causing her to crash into a river and then go over a waterfall. A woman is thrown off a tower and screams as she falls (she is rescued before she hits the ground). While flying as a raven, a shapeshifter suddenly turns back into a man and crashes, though his resulting injuries aren’t serious. A group of fairies accidentally crashes into a tree. Peasants arm themselves with pitchforks against Maleficent—those who aren’t screaming and fleeing her ominous presence, that is.

Fairies have been kidnapped and placed into jars so that the pixie employed by the queen can perform experiments on them and find a way to destroy them. Soldiers desecrate the graves of fairies by stealing the “tomb blooms” that grow from them. A fairy child seemingly falls from a cliff but finds her wings at the last moment.

Crude or Profane Language

Drug & alcohol content.

At a family dinner, everyone drinks wine and a toast is given. During a particularly awkward moment, Philip requests more wine to help him get through it.

Other Noteworthy Elements

Aurora repeatedly compromises her values to match those of Ulstead and the queen. She consents to wearing the queen’s gaudy and extravagant wedding gown rather than the simple one made for her by the fairies. She asks Maleficent to cover her horns with a veil to make everyone feel more comfortable. These choices eventually lead a spurned Maleficent to (temporarily) disown her adopted daughter. It isn’t until Philip reminds Aurora that he fell in love with the girl from the forest that she realizes how badly she let Maleficent down by agreeing to all these changes.

[ Spoiler Warning ] The queen is highly prejudiced against fairies because she believes her brother was killed by them. When others talk of amity between humans and fey, she states icily, “Peace will not be our downfall.” She secretly manufactures weapons in the dungeons and hides the spinning wheel that Maleficent used to curse Aurora. It is revealed that she is the one who put the king to sleep and started the rumors about Maleficent being evil. And it is further revealed that she does not love her husband since true love’s kiss fails to wake him. She also cunningly engineers all of the major circumstances that lead to the brief-but-intense war between the fairies and the humans. It should also be noted that Maleficent eventually turns the queen into a goat … and there’s no hint in the film that she ever returns to her human form.

As was true in 2014’s Maleficent , love is this sequel’s saving grace. It stops Maleficent from reducing the kingdom of Ulstead to a smoking pile of rubble—even when the dark fairy feels she’d be completely justified in doing so. But in the end, the harmonious love between her and Aurora convinces Maleficent to stand down.

But this is no whimsically delightful fairy tale. This film’s happily ever after conclusion only arrives after scores of characters—fairy and human alike—have met nasty ends.

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil echoes the darkness in Disney’s original Sleeping Beauty . We see characters betrayed by loved ones. We witness prejudice between different races. And even though there isn’t a drop of blood on screen, characters are still battered by bullets, pierced by crossbow bolts and reduced to ashes by bombs.

So despite its strong redemptive themes, this sequel’s intense-but-sanitized violence might still be too much for sensitive viewers.

Emily Tsiao

Emily studied film and writing when she was in college. And when she isn’t being way too competitive while playing board games, she enjoys food, sleep, and geeking out with her husband indulging in their “nerdoms,” which is the collective fan cultures of everything they love, such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate and Lord of the Rings.

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Film Review: Angelina Jolie in ‘Maleficent: Mistress of Evil’

With Maleficent no longer the villain of her own tale, this mistitled sequel reduces the character to a stylish pawn in a tacky 'Game of Thrones' ripoff.

By Peter Debruge

Peter Debruge

Chief Film Critic

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With her horned headpiece, impossible alabaster cheekbones and high-camp attitude, Maleficent looms as by far the most iconic villain Disney ever created. Landing Angelina Jolie to play the “Sleeping Beauty” baddie in 2014’s live-action redo was a dream-casting coup for which the studio was rewarded with three-quarters of a billion dollars at the global box office. That’s three-quarters of a billion reasons why the studio would want to dash off a sequel, although I can think of at least one why it should have reconsidered: The “Wicked”-like original went so far in its flip-the-script fairy-tale revisionism that the antagonist had essentially seen the error of her ways by the end — it was her kiss, not Prince Phillip’s, that awakened Aurora — leaving “ Maleficent: Mistress of Evil ” almost no way to live up to its title.

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Picking up where the first film left off, Aurora ( Elle Fanning ) is now set to marry her betrothed (“Beach Rats” stud Harris Dickinson). Semi-comedically playing substitute mother to the bland young beauty, Jolie’s character gets dragged into a series of human interactions for which she is temperamentally unsuited, the equivalent of bringing the Big Bad Wolf to a little pigs convention. If Maleficent is not evil but merely misunderstood, as the earlier movie implied, then there’s a real risk that she ceases to be interesting — a mistake this “twice upon a time” follow-up exacerbates by focusing on the ridiculous weakness that affects the otherwise all-powerful “dark fey.”

As previously established, Maleficent and her kind are sensitive to iron, which effectively makes them vulnerable to one of the most common elements on Earth — though somehow rare in this parallel universe, where the toxin is harvested from “tune bloom” flowers that sprout from the graves of dead fairies. This inexcusably lazy Achilles’ heel means that a species treated as fearsome to humans is actually quite easily endangered (like the water-susceptible aliens in “Signs” or the sound-averse monsters in “A Quiet Place”).

Why would a lethal iron allergy even matter, you wonder? In a fit of world-building gone horribly wrong, screenwriters Micah Fitzerman-Blue, Noah Harpster and Linda Woolverton have taken “Sleeping Beauty” and given it an entirely unwelcome “Game of Thrones”-esque spin. The new “Maleficent” movie, even more than the last, is preoccupied with palace intrigues, elaborate conspiracies between rival species and an unhealthy obsession with war. Since when did Disney movies become so belligerent? To the extent that the studio’s classic fare has been blamed for brainwashing young girls into unhealthy gender roles, it’s a positive thing that Disney has toned down the emphasis on helpless female characters waiting to be saved by putatively charming princes, but this obsession with spectacular “Lord of the Rings”-like confrontations between CG fantasy creatures hardly qualifies as an improvement.

How far these “Sleeping Beauty” spinoffs have strayed from their roots! And how perverse that the franchise that gave us Disney’s best villain should now be responsible for the studio’s most disappointing villain yet: That would be Queen Ingrith ( Michelle Pfeiffer ), Aurora’s soon-to-be mother-in-law, a red-eyed, genocide-ready warmonger bent on destroying fairykind for good. Why does Ingrid hate magic folk? What does it matter? Her motives are nothing but a pretext to stage extravagant battle scenes — like the ones that clogged the third acts of Disney remakes “Alice in Wonderland” and “Oz the Great and Powerful” — in which audiences are expected to delight at watching flocks of winged fairies dissolve in midair as they come in contact with clouds of iron dust.

It makes me angry to think what Disney has done with its most beloved “properties” — to use the term that reduces these pieces of shared cultural heritage to exploitable commodities. Not all of the spinoffs and remakes disrespect the classics (which were also critiqued in their time for fidelity issues to their literary sources, as the animated “Sleeping Beauty” was in comparison to Charles Perrault’s and the Grimm brothers’ earlier tellings), and some have done wonders to extend the appeal of the Disney spirit to a new generation of audiences. Of these, Kenneth Branagh’s “Cinderella” is perhaps the most enchanting, while Tim Burton should be kept as far away from these projects as possible.

The earlier “Maleficent” was directed by a visual effects supervisor, Robert Stromberg, who focused on building out the film’s garish rococo world to the detriment of anything resembling elegant storytelling. Here, Norwegian director Joachim Rønning (one-half of the duo responsible for high-seas adventures “Kon-Tiki” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales”) takes the reins, and the results are only marginally more coherent, while remaining every bit as overcrowded in terms of the fairy-tale universe in which it takes place. If anything, Rønning pushes the design dimension ever further, traveling beyond the edges of the map to reveal a land where many more of Maleficent’s kind inhabit an “Avatar”-looking realm.

Discovering fellow fey Conall (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and a handful of diverse bat-winged warrior tribes mostly serves to dilute Maleficent’s incredible specialness. She’s no longer bad, and she’s no longer unique, making her merely fierce — which ain’t nothing. So long as Jolie plays the character, Maleficent remains a formidable screen presence, and here, she brings an all-new wardrobe of sexy fetish wear, including a bustier that appears to be made of shredded vinyl and a gauzy long robe that fades from her signature black to wedding-ready ivory. The Maleficent fashion show is in order, and Jolie shows up at her vampiest extreme to purse her lips, flash her fangs and arch her eyebrows as only a living cartoon character can.

Pfeiffer’s doing her best with a ridiculous role (for a sense of the missed potential, compare with the vain sorceress she played in “Stardust”), and Fanning gets to be a bit more proactive than previous princesses, but the story’s still a mess, and the world itself — buildings, costumes and creature-filled environments alike — amounts to an overworked eyesore, much too detailed for the brain to register, let alone take pleasure in discovering. It’s as if a small army of below-the-line artists have put so much effort into designing every magical butterfly and buttonhole that there’s no room left for our imaginations to take flight. Then smother it all with Geoff Zanelli’s frantically busy soundtrack, and the whole experience starts to feel oppressive.

Rønning is just doing the studio’s bidding, adding no discernibly personal statement or vision. The culprits appear to be producer Joe Roth (also responsible for the “Alice” movies) and screenwriter Woolverton, who had a hand in several of the studio’s most beloved animated classics (namely “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Lion King”), now reinventing others as bombastic CG showcases. “The story is not quite as you were told,” the narrator concluded at the end of “Maleficent,” and now we learn who was responsible for leaking the fake news and why. If America goes to war sometime in the next year, pundits will have a field day with this movie. But barring that, it’s just another ugly, unpleasant slog through a disposable fantasy universe. The true Disney villains in this case are off screen, sabotaging the studio’s canon from within.

Reviewed at El Capitan Theater, Los Angeles, Sept. 30, 2019. MPAA Rating: PG. Running time: 118 MIN.

Production: A Walt Disney Motion Pictures release of a Disney presentation of a Roth Films production. Producers: Joe Roth, Angelina Jolie, Duncan Henderson. Executive producers: Jeff Kirschenbaum, Matt Smith, Michael Vieira, Linda Woolverton. Co-producers: Nikki Penny, R.J. Mino, Zack Roth.
Crew: Director: Joachim Rønning. Screenplay: Linda Woolverton, Noah Harpster, Micah Fitzerman-Blue. Camera (color, widescreen): Henry Braham. Editors: Laura Jennings, Craig Wood. Music: Goeff Zanelli.
With: Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Harris Dickinson, Michelle Pfeiffer , Sam Riley, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Ed Skrein, Robert Lindsay, David Gyasi, Jenn Murray, Juno Temple, Lesley Manville, Imelda Staunton, Judith Shekoni, Miyavi, Kae Alexander, Warwick Davis, Emma Maclennan, Aline Mowat.

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‘Maleficent: Mistress of Evil’ Review: Angelina Jolie Remains the Best Part of This Revisionist Fairy Tale

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Angelina Jolie has been in far better movies than the “Maleficent” franchise, but they provide an unparalleled platform for her appeal. The same birdlike monstrosity of the first entry, cloaked in feathery gothic opulence and angular sub-human cheekbones, careens through “ Maleficent: Mistress of Evil ” with the spirit of German Expressionism beating her wings. There’s such delicious flamboyance to this striking villainess that she outshines the latest heavy-handed Disney refashioning of the Sleeping Beauty story all over again. Only the world’s biggest movie star could upstage her own movie with each fearsome scowl.

The “Maleficent” universe is loaded with entrancing surfaces and the illusion of deeper significance, but no amount of far-reaching metaphors and complex mythology can obscure run-of-the-mill storybook intrigue. An overlong blend of kid-friendly “Game of Thrones” warfare and standard-issue metaphors of intolerance, “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” finds plenty of ways to build on the original premise, but few that resonate any better than the last flamboyant ride.

“Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” is directed by Joachim Rønning, in the Norwegian filmmaker’s first credit since 2017’s misbegotten “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.” That messy blockbuster found Rønning and co-director Espen Sandberg making an ill-advised descent into studio-mandated storytelling following their Oscar-nominated Norwegian adventure “Kon-Tiki,” which looks downright quaint compared to the sheer scale of the playground here. Nevertheless, having collected whatever paycheck made this deal so enticing, Rønning is overdue to return to more original material. The continuing adventures of Maleficent don’t really belong to a single filmmaker’s vision, aside from Jolie’s own auteuristic presence, which elevates her every scene. But she can only do so much to ameliorate the deja vu in play.

At the end of the surprise 2014 blockbuster, the scheming fairy of the magical Moors forest accepted her maternal role over newly anointed queen Aurora (Elle Fanning), whose bland romantic interest Prince Phillip (Harris Dickinson, taking over from Brenton Thwaites) finally proposes to her as the new movie opens five years down the line. Maleficent scowls and huffs from atop her dramatic perch overlooking the fairy kingdom when she receives the news from her reliable shape-shifting spy Diaval (a shifty Sam Riley). There’s a reason why the character’s first lines — “ Don’t ruin my morning!” — receive a key needle-drop moment in the movie’s trailer: Despite the epic fantasy that follows, Maleficent’s dyspeptic reaction shots define this movie’s appeal just as much as its predecessor.

“Mistress of Evil” attempts to match that threat with another alluring dame — Prince Phillip’s scheming mother Queen Ingrith, played by Michelle Pfeiffer in her own cartoonish embodiment of Disneyfied villainy with less distinctive results. Ingrith insists that Aurora bring her adopted mother to the family’s kingdom for a celebratory engagement feast, so Maleficent can commune with Aurora’s new in-laws. It’s an awkward ice-and-fire variation on “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?” that wouldn’t seem out of place on “Robot Chicken,” at least until the conversation turns to politics — yes, politics — insofar as they involve the ongoing battles between humans and fairies at the boundary separating their domains.

Michelle Pfeiffer is Queen Ingrith in Disney’s MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL.

Before you can say “deplorables,” Maleficent goes postal on her human guests and King John (Robert Lindsay) lies comatose, seemingly trapped by another one of Maleficent’s debilitating spells. The fairy flees for the skies just as the kingdom’s defenses fire a bullet in her direction, sending her careening into the ocean depths below. So begins Maleficent’s journey to the Resistance: Rescued by another winged being much like herself, she finds herself in the shadowy bunker of likeminded creatures cast off by the human world and eager to find their revenge. These include the passionate Conal (Chiwetel Ejiofor, buried in horns, extensive makeup, and a befuddled expression) and the vengeful Borrow (Ed Skrein), a furious Valkyrian presence who issues rallying cries for his kind to take back their prominence in the evolutionary chain. Maleficent’s first encounter with these beings in their shadowy lair is abstract enough to work onstage as a Wagner remix, and makes for a genuine cinematic highlight in a two-hour movie that works best in pure visual terms.

Maleficent’s radicalized by her new peers, unaware that it’s all part of Queen Ingrith’s maniacal plan to goad her foe into battle, but the movie takes its time building up to that rather obvious revelation. Perhaps it assumes some audiences aren’t trained to connect the dots.

For younger viewers, the “Maleficent” movies are certainly a gateway drug to more complex cinematic experiences, but in other ways they invite complex discussions around the dinner table. The war between humans and fairies sets the stage for debate about opposing races jockeying for dominance, but the metaphor grows murkier as it moves along. It’s also fairly irrelevant once the movie finds its way to the battlefield, for a redundant climax undercut by an oddly upbeat finale in which some of the more macabre developments are shrugged off with a creepy nonchalance. Embrace the imagery and “Mistress of Evil” almost works on its own terms, but anyone grasping for the bigger picture will find that it often evaporates under scrutiny. When Maleficent takes flight, the movie soars along with her, but the storytelling is always on shaky ground. At least Jolie is always there, glaring through the screen, casting a mighty spell of her own.

Disney releases “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” on October 18, 2019.

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil Review — A Battle of Two Kingdoms Doubles as Allegory For Racism

The best way to start this essay, I figured, is by talking about the first Maleficent — a film that reimagined Disney’s classic Sleeping Beauty and provided a gothic backstory for the evil witch — which hit the big screen in 2014. The problem I run into immediately though is that I hardly remember anything from that drab of a film that was kept alive only by Angelina Jolie’s sharp-as-Valyrian-Steel cheekbones clinging on to the side of a cliff for dear life. Perhaps its greatest strength was its ability to put some of us to sleep as quickly as the curse did to the princess. Talk about an immersive cinematic experience. My point is, the film sucked. Thankfully, its sequel, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil does not.

What comes as a surprise is that despite the film’s title, Maleficent 2 isn’t really about Maleficent. Jolie and her magnificently enhanced cheekbones take a backseat to an interesting premise about a battle between two kingdoms and the unyielding power of love. Maleficent’s Goddaughter Aurora, who’s now the Queen of Moor accepts a marriage proposal from her lover, Prince Phillip of Alstead. Maleficent isn’t happy with the engagement, nor is Phillips’ mother, Queen Ingrith (Michelle Pfeiffer). The writing duo of Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster take what at first seems like a petty family feud anchored by two egotistical future in-laws and doubles it as an allegory for prejudice and bigotry. It mostly works with some unexpectedly nuanced penmanship.

Queen Ingrith is a racist. She has a deep-seated disdain for all non-human folk and she wants her family and kingdom to share her ideas — that magical creatures are foul and violent beasts — and take her for a saviour of sorts. Pfeiffer plays the character over the top in the best ways possible. Sometimes she’s ice, talking coldly through gritted teeth, sometimes she’s melodramatic, playing the victim. Maleficent can be violent, yes, but here, her rage is justified. Take the fantastically staged dinner sequence for instance. Ingrith repeatedly pushes Maleficent’s buttons. She spews hate, incites anger and slyly says that Aurora belongs in Alstead among her “true” people. But she does so with enough subtlety that when Maleficent shows any signs of retaliation, she comes off as the violent person, which Ingrith uses as “evidence” to reinforce her narrative.

The film is at its best when its adult and focused on the relationship between Aurora, Maleficent and Queen Ingrith (forget Prince Phillips. He’s just cannon fodder). I love the heart-sinking moment where Aurora asks her godmother to cover her horns with a veil before meeting the future in-laws. Maleficent agrees, but there’s sadness in her eyes which she convincingly hides from her daughter. My heart sank a little. What does that say about Aurora? Despite being taken care of by Maleficent since she was barely a child, is there a part of her that’s ashamed of her Godmother? Or is she simply trying to fit in and steer her mother away from the established stereotype? Either way, it’s a painfully dispiriting moment that reminded me of what Amandla Stenberg’s character says in The Hate U Give about purposely not using slang and being confrontational in her white neighbourhood school to prevent herself from being labelled ghetto.

But soon, Maleficent recides slightly into the background, though her presence is always felt. We’re introduced to the majestic winged creatures known as Feys. They’re people of Maleficent’s race, once free to roam the earth, now oppressed and forced to live underground (i.e. the ghettos) by humans. Some, like Borra (Ed Skrien) want to go to war against the humans, others like Conall (Chiwetel Ejiofor) believe that the best way to end the conflict is through methods of peace. The two characters loosely resemble Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X. (At the same time, Queen Ingrith is creating a biological weapon which could lead to mass genocide.)

Maleficent herself is conflicted. And this conflict is illustrated wonderfully through something as simple as her smile , one of the running threads in the film. For the most part, we see Maleficent scowling or glowering — Jolie brings a mixture of unfiltered sexiness and stoicism. Her trusty sidekick Diaval (Sam Riley) tells her that she needs to smile and be polite when she meets Prince Phillips’ parents. She struggles. Despair, uncertainty and warranted rage simmer deep within her bones. But when she sees a toddler Fey learn to fly, she lets out a wholly genuine smile, her eyes wet with tears. Here, Jolie allows her vulnerability to reach into your soul. Should she fight with all her physical might so that the little Feys can have a better life or should she stray away from the path of violence completely as that could put the lives of the little Feys in danger. War or peace?

But it’s not just some of the writing that makes the film work. It’s also director Joachim Ronning, who has stepped in and taken over the captain’s chair from the underwhelming Robert Stomberg. At the time of making Maleficent (2014), Stomberg was an inexperienced debutant helmer. Ronning who helmed Kon-Tiki and Pirates of the Carribean 5 has much surer hands. For the most part, he seems to have a good grasp of the fantasy genre. The cold open of the film is beautifully shot and is shrouded in darkness and mystery that creates a sense of urgency. We get the feeling that something evil is at work but we don’t know what. The reintroduction of characters like Aurora could’ve been done in a bland way, but Ronning slowly draws us in with sweeping shots that first show us old lady fairies who bicker like Taichi aunties, then water creatures with jiggly slabs of fat, pixies and various other creatures.

But I also wonder if Ronning wrestled with himself (and maybe higher-ups at Disney) when it came to the vision of the film. There are moments where the film is dark and ominous yet gorgeous. These moments are spellbinding. Together with cinematographer Henry Braham, Ronning paints some genuinely stunning images that belong on the walls of the Louvre Museum — like the one where two Freys are underwater and another which sees the angelic Maleficent awaken in an underground cave that’s bone-white and foggy. There’s also the sweeping shot that journeys us through the Feys’ home that’s a feast for the eyes.

I wish the entire film was photographed like this, because as a whole, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil feels like a tonal and visual mash between Sorcerer’s Stone and Prisoner of Azkaban. The climactic battle sequence feels too bright, generic and void of a dreadful mood. Wouldn’t the Feys’ home serve as a more enrapturing cinematic battleground than a regular looking castle?

The writing too begins to fumble as the film approaches the finish line. Characters are introduced but not really delved into (Connal and Borra are more idea carriers than three-dimensional figures) and some plot threads, like the one where Ingrith talks about her brother, is brought up for the purpose of adding layers to the character, but is simply left hanging. Also, the racism allegory doesn’t quite pack a punch once we get to the end of the film. The whole thing ends in too clean a manner that desperately left me begging for more grey textures and less cute jokes — the gag with the goat is rubbish. Maybe the great irony of Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is that it’s at is worst when it’s too kid-friendly.

I also have to ask, why does almost every single filmmaker these days who dive into the realm of fantasy (I’m including comic book movies) feel the need to wink at the audience? Early in the film, when Prince Phillips’ father gets cursed into a long sleep, Phillips and Aurora comedically tell Queen Ingrith to kiss her husband, “because true love and all…” Ingrith stares at them awkwardly (also played for laughs) and later says, “this isn’t a fairytale.” But it is, though! In another scene we see Ingrith open the pathway to her hidden chamber, not by tapping some bricks or pulling a book out of a shelf, but by twisting the neck of a mannequin, you know, cause she’s “eeeevillll.” What a load of bollocks.

A film can have fun but still take itself absolutely seriously every step of the way. That’s the whole point of fantasy. To be absorbed into a logically unrealistic world that FEELS as real as our own. Aquaman doesn’t look at a giant Octopus playing the drums and go, “heh! Comic book movies amirite?” The film doesn’t laugh at itself in an attempt to look smart. It’s this earnestness that transforms something as objectively cheesy as two superheroes kissing against the backdrop of bombs and laser blasts that form a fireworks display into something subjectively magical and resonant. Fantasy is at its best when it takes something ridiculous and turns it into something wondrous.

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is currently playing in Malaysian Cinemas.

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Maleficent: mistress of evil.

Common Sense Says
Parents Say 31 Reviews
Kids Say 53 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Powerful queens go to war in intense, dark fantasy sequel.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 10+?

War between the fae and humans leads to mass destruction and near-genocide of fa

Aurora and Philip kiss and embrace several times. A powerful warrior fae smells

Snarky insults: "You reek of humans," "humans are hilarious," "show them no merc

No product placement in the movie, but there are off-screen promotional tie-ins

Adults drink wine in goblets at a meal. Philip asks for "more wine" during a ten

Any Positive Content?

Everyone is capable of change, and individuals don't have to play into their rep

Maleficent loves Aurora and raises her to be queen of the Moors. Aurora is guile

Violence & Scariness

War between the fae and humans leads to mass destruction and near-genocide of fae via poisonous concoction that turns fae into dust (think Avengers : Infinity War ) or lifeless plants. Humans also kill fae with iron-based weapons/arrows. Humans are captured in the faerie forest. Screams. One beloved character sacrifices herself for the good of the fae. Someone curses the king. Maleficent is grievously injured twice; once, she technically dies. Aurora is injured and hurt.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Aurora and Philip kiss and embrace several times. A powerful warrior fae smells Maleficent in what seems like a sensual way but it's repulsion at her scent of humans. Another dark fae saves Maleficent, carries her, looks at her lovingly, protects her. Two little fairy creatures hold hands, kiss on the cheek.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Snarky insults: "You reek of humans," "humans are hilarious," "show them no mercy," etc.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

No product placement in the movie, but there are off-screen promotional tie-ins to Maleficent-themed merchandise, including apparel, toys, accessories, and games.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Adults drink wine in goblets at a meal. Philip asks for "more wine" during a tense dinner. A lethal powdery concoction is used to poison and kill the fae.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

Everyone is capable of change, and individuals don't have to play into their reputations or their darker natures. Reinvention and rediscovery are possible. On the other hand, Queen Ingrith's take on letting lies take hold until they're believed by a critical mass is negative -- but important. Empathy, collaboration, and teamwork are promoted.

Positive Role Models

Maleficent loves Aurora and raises her to be queen of the Moors. Aurora is guileless and loves her godmother, her Moorfolk subjects, and her fiancé, who is a kind and generous young prince. Conall, like King John, believes in peace and in striving for coexistence, not war.

Parents need to know that Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is the even darker sequel to Maleficent , Disney's live-action retelling of Sleeping Beauty . After Aurora ( Elle Fanning ) becomes engaged to Prince Philip ( Harris Dickinson ), his mother, Queen Ingrith ( Michelle Pfeiffer ), threatens not only Maleficent ( Angelina Jolie ) but all of the Moorfolk. The fantasy violence is more intense here than in the first film: Frightening sequences include war, mass destruction, and a near-genocide of the fae/fairy folk (think Avengers: Infinity War -like deaths). Characters are seriously injured, and one beloved character sacrifices herself. At one point it seems like no one will get to live, much less find a "happily ever after." Characters drink wine, and romance includes a few kisses, embraces, and some longing looks -- but it's the love between mother and daughter that's really at the core of this story. Themes also include empathy, collaboration, and teamwork, as well as the possibility of reinvention and rediscovery. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

Parents say (31)
Kids say (53)

Based on 31 parent reviews

What's the Story?

MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL is the sequel to Disney's popular 2014 Sleeping Beauty retelling , reuniting Angelina Jolie as dark godmother Maleficent and Elle Fanning as the lovely Aurora, queen of the Moors and all its fae/fairy folk. The bond between the two women is tested when Aurora accepts a proposal from her beloved Prince Philip ( Harris Dickinson ) of neighboring Ulstead. When Philip's mother, Queen Ingrith ( Michelle Pfeiffer ), demands that Aurora and Maleficent attend a celebratory family engagement dinner at Ulstead castle, Maleficent tries to be cordial -- until Ingrith openly insults her and the Moorfolk. In a moment of chaos, King John (Robert Lindsay) appears to be cursed by Maleficent, so Ingrith declares war on the Moorfolk. Meanwhile, Maleficent flees and is nearly shot down, only to be saved by fellow winged dark fae who've been hiding from humans for generations. Maleficent must decide whether to join her fellow fae to fight or to seek peace with the humans.

Is It Any Good?

Fabulous costumes, vibrant art direction, and the on-screen dueling of two Hollywood queens -- Jolie and Pfeiffer -- save this from being another uneven, unnecessary sequel. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is even darker and more violent than its predecessor. The manner in which Moorfolk are killed is as chilling as the disturbing moments in Avengers: Infinity War or War of the Worlds. But the brief scenes in the Moors, with its various fae creatures, are still enchanting for younger audiences. The romance, already established, isn't swoon-worthy here, but at least the future in-law troubles drive the paper-thin storyline.

Pfeiffer stands out as Ingrith, who's unwilling to entertain the prospect of peace with Maleficent and the fae. She's at her best as an ice queen mother-in-law with a penchant for war. Jolie is always a treat, but the subplot involving her original people is underwhelming, even with the always wonderful Chiwetel Ejiofor as one of the two dark fae vying for Maleficent's attention (the other, played by Ed Skrein, is a smarmy warmonger). The cast is stronger than the screenplay, so -- given the ( spoiler alert ) presumed happily ever after ending -- audiences may be left thinking/hoping that this is the last of the Maleficent films, but not the last of Jolie and Pfeiffer working together.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the violence in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil . How much violence can younger kids handle? What's the impact of media violence on kids?

How is the idea of love explored in the movie? Are there are kinds of "true love" other than romance? Which characters have a loving relationship, and which don't?

How does Aurora demonstrate empathy ? What other character strengths are depicted in the movie?

Do you think there should be another sequel, or do you feel this particular story is resolved?

Movie Details

In theaters : October 18, 2019
On DVD or streaming : January 14, 2020
Cast : Angelina Jolie , Elle Fanning , Michelle Pfeiffer
Director : Joachim Ronning
Inclusion Information : Female actors
Studio : Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Genre : Family and Kids
Topics : Magic and Fantasy , Princesses, Fairies, Mermaids, and More
Character Strengths : Empathy , Teamwork
Run time : 118 minutes
MPAA rating : PG
MPAA explanation : intense sequences of fantasy action/violence and brief scary images
Last updated : February 18, 2023

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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‘maleficent: mistress of evil’: film review.

THR review: In 'Maleficent: Mistress of Evil,' Michelle Pfeiffer joins Angelina Jolie and Elle Fanning for a sequel to the 2014 film centered around the 'Sleeping Beauty' antagonist.

By Todd McCarthy

Todd McCarthy

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The most immediately apparent difference between Maleficent: Mistress of Evil and its progenitor is that Angelina Jolie ‘s cheekbones now appear even more razor-sharp than they did five years ago; other characters could hardly be blamed for avoiding even a polite cheek kiss with her. In most respects, however, this inevitable follow-up to the eighth-biggest box office attraction of 2014 feels just as predictably programmed, with a new evil queen to make the title character seem benevolent in comparison, a textbook young love romance and enough swirling computer-generated “camera” moves to make this come close to qualifying as an animated film. All the same, its grand box office success is as inevitable as its momentarily imperiled happy ending.

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‘Maleficent: Mistress of Evil’ Review: Sleep, Sleep, My Lovelies

Angelina Jolie returns as the powerful, dangerous fairy in this tame, disappointing follow-up to the 2014 revisionist hit.

Share full article

By Manohla Dargis

The happily ever after delivered by Disney’s “Maleficent” has vanished like a puff of bilious smoke, as its unhappy, reactionary sequel makes depressingly clear.

Released in 2014, the first movie is a satisfying rethink of “Sleeping Beauty” — both Disney’s and Charles Perrault’s — that showed how intelligent intervention could upend centuries of oppressive ideas about women. In its revisionist take, the titular dark, dangerous fairy played by Angelina Jolie isn’t naturally evil or merely spiteful in bestowing a curse, but exerting her power with a vengeance.

Played by Jolie with slinky verve, voluminous wings and two magnificently crowning horns, Maleficent is the earlier movie’s greatest special effect. She’s also its most inspired disruptive stroke, having been wronged once upon a time by a suitor, the type who usually bails damsels out of distress. Instead, he secures the throne by seducing and drugging Maleficent, and then clipping her wings, a startling metaphor of violation. The most bracing thing about the original “Maleficent,” though, is that it shifts the narrative weight from the love between a sleeping princess and a rescuing prince to that between the princess and her fairy godmother.

Maleficent is back and so is Jolie, who, with her augmented cheekbones and perfectly calibrated hauteur, remains the only reason to bother with it. Much else has changed and not for the better, whatever this hash insists. At the end of the last installment, Maleficent enthroned her adored surrogate daughter, Aurora (Elle Fanning) — who had grown up to become the cursed and liberated beauty — and given her the Moors, a computer-generated peaceable and enchanted wonderland. Aurora rules benevolently from her flower throne, smiling over a menagerie of flowery, floofy and leathery creatures great and small, cutesy and stately.

The sequel’s problems are tipped by its title, “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil,” which sounds as if our great horned one had landed a gig as a dominatrix. More worryingly, it suggests that, contrary to what you learned last time, Maleficent is, yes, very bad, a gambit that’s presumably meant to keep new viewers guessing about her character. But if she is evil, as this sequel promises, it makes you wonder about all the other dismal, stubbornly enduring clichés that the first movie jettisoned, specifically that reliably sexist duo: the wicked female usurper whose power inherently challenges ye olde patriarchy and the innocent maiden who needs a prince to rescue her.

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Maleficent: Mistress of Evil Reviews

There’s a distinct feeling that the filmmakers wanted this sequel to feel as stakes-heavy and intense as something like Return of the King, which is honestly just too ambitious.

Full Review | Jul 10, 2024

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil was a huge surprise for me, I found it vastly more enjoyable than the first film.

Full Review | Original Score: B- | Mar 8, 2023

While Maleficent: Mistress of Evil suffers from treading down some fairly well worn paths it does it with exceptional skill.

Full Review | Original Score: 8.5/10 | Jan 17, 2023

Much like the original, there's very little charm and excitement to be found in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil. While Jolie looks impressive in her full Maleficent costume, there is little reason to watch the film outside of that.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/10 | Aug 22, 2022

Despite a lackluster third act, Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil still works as a whole, largely thanks to Jolie and Pfeiffer’s all-in performances. It may not be much more memorable than the first entry in this franchise, but it’s still enjoyable enough.

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | May 19, 2022

Even though they try to [refresh] the tale, it comes off silly.

Full Review | Sep 16, 2021

It's certainly better than the other live-action Disney rabble, but it still fails to reach the potential it has.

Full Review | Original Score: 2. 5 / 5 | Jun 25, 2021

The dialogue is hopelessly trite and generic, maladroitly trying to balance predictable exposition with comic relief - from countless different sources.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/10 | Dec 7, 2020

'Disney's Maleficent: Mistress of Evil' is beautifully animated, but there are many dark moments and themes within the movie that overshadow the notion that this film is supposed to be for kids or younger audiences.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Nov 15, 2020

The Disney live-action fairy tale sequel that begs the question "Is Angelina Jolie too popularly disliked now to play anything but beautiful villainesses?"

Full Review | Nov 3, 2020

There's a lot of money on the screen, Angelina Jolie is once again really good in the film, the musical score is great, and some of the action sequences are cool. But the story this time around is even less investing than last time.

Full Review | Original Score: C | Jun 8, 2020

The sequel, however, is thankfully an improvement over the poorly-executed first movie, thanks to the more experienced director Joachim Rønning.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 14, 2020

Maleficient: Mistress of Evil could certainly be worse, but that does not make it a good movie either.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Jan 29, 2020

Pfeiffer, as usual, is magnificently portraying the not so innocent and kind-hearted queen.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jan 10, 2020

These elements give the movie a nice shine, but when you bust out the polish to make your shoe look pretty, it doesn't make a difference if the sole is missing.

Full Review | Original Score: Catch It On Cable | Jan 10, 2020

Mistress of Evil is simultaneously overdone and undercooked, with a lot of the customary mistakes of giant studio entertainment.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/10 | Dec 20, 2019

Maleficent 2 is weirdly memorable with strange visual choices, great costumes, and two true movie stars giving each other the stink eye.

Full Review | Original Score: C+ | Dec 19, 2019

... a feast for the senses and the mind in terms of pure fantasy and imagination... buries significant character opportunities, as if the writers were tasked to combine three different scripts that defied being strung together.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Dec 7, 2019

Mistress of Evil could have done anything it wanted with its unconventional villain. And yet, for some reason, Disney chose to clip her wings - keeping her story from ever taking flight.

Full Review | Dec 6, 2019

The moment they put two men on Mistress of Evil's screenplay was the moment it was doomed.

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'Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil': Review

By Tim Grierson, Senior US Critic 2019-10-15T13:00:00+01:00

Angelina Jolie returns as the wicked fairy godmother, Michelle Pfeiffer in hot pursuit

Source: Disney

‘Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil’

Dir. Joachim Ronning. US. 2019. 118 mins.

Even a sinister magical fairy has to learn to let her daughter grow up and live her own life: That’s the potentially potent premise of Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil , a lacklustre sequel undone by the same bloated effects and bland storytelling that tend to hamper other sub-par fantasy films. As with the 2014 original, this installment’s best feature is Angelina Jolie, who gives the title character a luxurious menace and a playful dry wit, all in service of a film in which she must watch her goddaughter Aurora (Elle Fanning) marry a fellow human, forcing Maleficent to spend time with a species she despises.

Mistress Of Evil invests heavily in inundating our eyeballs with relentless enchantment

Mistress Of Evil has its heart in the right place — preaching the importance of inclusiveness, studying the bonds between mothers and their children, and advocating hope over fear — but good intentions can’t overcome a nagging blockbuster familiarity amidst the pumped-up proceedings. The first Maleficent grossed $759 million worldwide, and Disney no doubt hopes to at least match that tally with this second chapter, which arrives in UK and US theatres on October 18. The studio is basking in back-to-back billion-dollar live-action hits thanks to remakes of Aladdin and The Lion King , and while Mistress Of Evil may not deliver as robustly, it will be one of the few mainstream films aimed at women amidst a glut of male-centric action dramas such as Joker and Gemini Man .

As the new film begins, Maleficent (Jolie) is anxious about the fact that Princess Aurora (Fanning) plans to marry handsome Prince Philip (Harris Dickinson): As a fairy who has often tangled with distrustful humans, she is wary of her new in-laws. But although Philip’s father, the kind King John (Robert Lindsay), only wants peace, his scheming wife Queen Ingrith (Michelle Pfeiffer), plots a coup that will result in a declaration of war against the fairies — and could jeopardise Maleficent’s relationship with her human goddaughter.

The 2014 movie presented a sympathetic origin story for Sleeping Beauty ’s monstrous villain, decking out the Oscar-winning actress in striking makeup which resembled the angular character from the animated 1959 film. The novelty of that conceit is difficult to replicate for Mistress Of Evil , requiring filmmaker Joachim Ronning (who co-directed Kon-Tiki and Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales ) to instead build out this fantasy world, introducing new lands and characters while raising the overall stakes. A sequel that starts with a marriage proposal ends with epic battle scenes as the fate of several kingdoms hangs in the balance.

Mistress Of Evil invests heavily in inundating our eyeballs with relentless enchantment, which unfortunately translates into largely dreary CG renderings of pixies, sentient trees and other woodland critters. As impressive as Maleficent’s makeup and majestic black wings are — giving us a three-dimensional reimagining of a fearsome cartoon character — the rest of the film lacks that same sense of wonder and wit in its construction. (A subplot involves Maleficent discovering that she is not, in fact, the last of the dark fey, and the film casts Chiwetel Ejiofor to play the group’s noble leader, to very little emotional effect.) The closest Mistress Of Evil comes to cheekiness — outside of Jolie’s it’s-good-to-be-bad portrayal and cleverly sharpened cheekbones — is Pfeiffer’s knowingly arch portrayal of Queen Ingrith, whose tight smile hides a megalomaniacal streak as she chews the scenery while conspiring to destroy the fairies.

The film sets up humans against fairies and this is clearly meant to speak to our world’s rampant xenophobia; as such, it’s mildly subversive that Mistress Of Evil prods the audience to side with Maleficent over humanity. The evil of genocide and reactionary politics are thematic touchstones, and Maleficent preaches tolerance and setting aside the divisions of the past. But as well-meaning as those talking points are, they feel perfunctory as the predictable, spectacle-laden plot lumbers along.

More affecting is Maleficent’s slow realisation that Aurora, the young woman she took under her (literal) wing, is about to become her own person — a bittersweet development for a misunderstood creature whose painful past has made it hard for her to be close to others. Just as Maleficent must do battle with Queen Ingrith, so too does Jolie wage war with a film that’s so awash in effects that it somewhat diminishes her formidable presence. But the actress’s scenes with an otherwise underused Fanning are touching, especially when Aurora manages to remind her that she’s no wicked godmother.

Production company: Roth Films

Worldwide distribution: Disney

Producers: Joe Roth, Angelina Jolie, Duncan Henderson

Screenplay: Linda Woolverton and Noah Harpster & Micah Fitzerman-Blue

Production design: Patrick Tatopoulos

Editing: Laura Jennings, Craig Wood

Cinematography: Henry Braham

Music: Geoff Zanelli

Main cast: Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sam Riley, Harris Dickinson, Ed Skrein, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, Lesley Manville, Michelle Pfeiffer

United States
Walt Disney

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'Maleficent: Mistress of Evil' gives us Disney's version of a 'red wedding' with an excellent Angelina Jolie

Warning: There are minor spoilers ahead for "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil."
The sequel to the 2014 hit revolves around an impending wedding for Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip.
The real scene-stealers of the film are Maleficent (Angelina Jolie), Phillips' mother, Queen Ingrith (Michelle Pfeiffer), and all of Maleficent's stunning outfits.
Some of the forest creatures are a bit nightmarish and the film's plot is fairly predictable.
Visit Insider's homepage for more stories

"Maleficent: Mistress of Evil" is action-packed and surprisingly funny, if a bit predictable at times.

Several years after the first film, Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip want nothing more than to get married. Unfortunately, their mothers Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) and Queen Ingrith (Michelle Pfeiffer) rather start an all out war between humans and faeries before they let their children become betrothed.

The "Maleficent" sequel has the highs of "Avatar" as it travels into a mysterious fairy-filled world and the lows of George Lucas' 2015 flop "Strange Magic." Magic aside, it's the hostility and brewing war between Jolie and Pfeiffer's characters and their masterful performances that make the sequel worth a watch.

Why you should care: It's the sequel to 2014's hit 'Maleficent' and Angelina Jolie's first big onscreen appearance since 2015's 'By the Sea.'

Jolie is back as Disney's most iconic villain in another story where, it turns out, she's really not the villain at all. She's just misunderstood. Michelle Pfeiffer joins the cast this time around as Prince Phillips' mother, Queen Ingrith, and Chiwetel Ejiofor plays a fellow Fey named Conall.

Do I need to watch the first film to understand the sequel? No.

If you don't have time to rewatch the first film before seeing the sequel, don't worry. Disney does was it does best by summarizing what you need to know about Maleficent and her relationship to Aurora and her missing parents pretty early in the film. By the film's end, it actually ties pretty neatly into the first film.

What's hot: The performances from Jolie, Michelle Pfeiffer, a 'Game of Thrones'-like red wedding, and every costume Jolie's Maleficent wears.

You're not going to watch this sequel for the story of Prince Phillip and Aurora's impending wedding. They're two of the most boring, bland people in this entire movie. Michelle Pfeiffer's Queen Ingrith boils Aurora down as someone who rules by running around the moors barefoot with flowers in her hair, a line that will make most of the adults who are taking their kids to theaters undoubtedly chuckle.

Thank goodness for the addition of Pfeiffer as a conniving queen and Jolie's return as the one to go toe-to-toe with her. Not only do they make this mostly unnecessary sequel bearable, but pretty good as you're sucked into the brewing tension between the two mothers until it comes to a head in the film's tremendous third act.

If you had told me going into "Mistress of Evil" that there would be a giant action sequence reminiscent of "Game of Thrones'" killer red wedding, barricaded doors and all, I would have thought you were mistaken. That's way too dark for Disney! But they pull it off for what are about the most enjoyable 20 minutes of the film. Queen Ingrith is essentially the film's Cersei Lannister.

Jolie reminds you why she's an Oscar winner. She livens up the film any time she's on screen. Whether it's for a mere one-liner or an entire scene, Jolie has the ability to make you fully focused not just on her delivery but engrosses the audience in how she responds to any scenario with the smallest movement in her eyes.

Costume designer Ellen Mirojnick ("The Greatest Showman") did an impressive job making Jolie's scene-stealing looks. Though she also designed eight gorgeous dresses for Ingrith, fans will be talking about the red-carpet ready attire Jolie showed off. The actress looks absolutely stunning in every scene whether her hair is tucked away or wrapped around her face to make her look timeless. I'm expecting to see a lot of cosplay inspiration come from Maleficent's looks alone.

By the film's end, you may have a new idea of who you want to dress up as for Halloween.

What's not: Any of the magical forest creatures and pixies and a pretty predictable plot

Do you remember George Lucas' Disney movie "Strange Magic" ? It's a 2015 animated musical released by the Disney after he sold Lucasfilm to them. It flopped at the box office and was filled with fairies and pixies and a bunch of other magical creatures that looked kind of creepy.

I couldn't stop thinking about it any time sequences with any of the magical creatures in "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil" came on screen. For a company that makes beautiful movies and has the capability to make animated rain look realistic in "Toy Story 4" and oceans look lifelike in "Frozen 2," the VFX of the forest creatures in "Maleficent 2" are kind of crude and underwhelming.

Aurora's three fairy godmothers are the strangest-looking of all and some of the most annoying characters Disney has ever put on screen. Even Maleficent gets fed up with them. A few minutes into the movie, Jolie tosses them away with a flick of her wrist. It's probably why there's so little of them in a franchise where they were some of the most beloved characters in the original.

The biggest complaint some may have with "Maleficent 2" is that the plot is pretty predictable. It won't take you long to figure out Pfeiffer is the film's real villain. (Let's be honest. If you watched the trailers and thought Pfeiffer wasn't playing some sort of villain then you simply weren't paying attention.) In the end, the film's predictability didn't bother me so much since the film delivered a few key surprises by its end.

Aside from the movie's end, there are moments where Jolie soars through the sky with other creatures like herself. It truly feels like a moment out of Fox's (now Disney-owned) "Avatar" when the Na'vi soar through the sky on banshees. It's a fun moment, but fans could point to it as uninspired.

Overall: If you enjoyed the first 'Maleficent,' you'll like this. Go for Jolie and Pfeiffer.

Screenwriter Linda Woolverton once again makes you feel compassion and empathy towards one of Disney's darkest villains. Aurora and Prince Phillip's wedding aside, "Mistress of Evil" puts a message of tolerance and peace between two warring nations front and center. A few dark moments during the film may scare little ones, but the sequel itself isn't frightening.

If you're a big Disney fan, there's one nod to the end of the original 1959 animated film and the sequel has a satisfying and unexpected link to the first movie by its very end.

"Maleficent: Mistress of Evil" is in theaters Friday. You can watch a trailer for the movie below.

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Guillermo del toro’s hellboy 3 chances get blunt response from comic book creator ahead of second movie reboot, beetlejuice beetlejuice added 1 fun detail to betelgeuse's origins story, writers explain burton's input in backstory, maleficent: mistress of evil expands the world of disney's retelling with high fantasy action, but suffers from a weak plot and thin characters..

In Disney's quest to remake its animated properties in live-action, 2014's Maleficent was one of the studio's first, taking the classic Sleeping Beauty tale and putting a new spin on it by making the villain the protagonist. Angelina Jolie starred as the titular misunderstood Dark Fae who not only put a sleeping curse on the princess Aurora (Elle Fanning), but awoke her as well. Now, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil continues the storyline of Jolie's fairy and the princess - who's now queen of the Moors - as they encounter more Dark Fae and the hatred certain humans have for the fae. Joachim Rønning ( Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales ) takes on directing duties for the sequel, which has a script by Maleficent screenwriter Linda Woolverton and the duo behind A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood , Noah Harpster and Micah Fitzerman-Blue. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil expands the world of Disney's retelling with high fantasy action, but suffers from a weak plot and thin characters.

Mistress of Evil picks up five years following the events of Maleficent , with Aurora happily ruling the Moors as its queen. However, when Prince Phillip (Harris Dickinson) asks Aurora to marry him, a chain of events is set into motion that will change the lives of everyone closest to them and their entire kingdoms. Phillip's parents, King John (Robert Lindsay) and Queen Ingrith (Michelle Pfeiffer), invite Aurora and Maleficent to dinner, but things take a turn for the worse when Maleficent loses her temper and forbids the marriage. Maleficent flees and takes refuge with other fairies like her, learning from Conall (Chiwetel Ejiofor) that the Dark Fae are in hiding from the humans and some, like Borra (Ed Skrein), would have them wage war on the humans. With Queen Ingrith similarly stoking the flames of war among the humans, fae and humankind are barreling toward an epic battle, and it remains to be seen if Aurora and Maleficent will be able to stop it - or if they'll take sides.

David Gyasi, Angelina Jolie, Sam Riley, Jenn Murray, Harris Dickinson, Elle Fanning, Robert Lindsay and Michelle Pfeiffer in Maleficent Mistress of Evil

Like Maleficent before it, the world of Mistress of Evil is beautifully realized, with lush landscapes and interesting creatures brought to life in the Moors. That said, Mistress of Evil looks better when its characters are in a static environment or when using practical effects to bring its fairy creatures to life. Some of the CGI characters - particularly the pixies Knotgrass (Imelda Staunton), Thistlewit (Juno Temple) and Flittle (Lesley Manville) - wind up looking more awkward and shoddy than fantastical. Still, since many of the Dark Fae are brought to life with makeup and costuming, they present an imposing new faction of fantasy creatures to make Mistress of Evil even more striking. Though their history and culture isn't as well developed as it could be, the Dark Fae do provide a compelling expansion of the Maleficent world.

As for the actors themselves, they're not given much to work with in terms of their characters' arcs, with very little development of the main characters beyond basic motivations. Jolie is fine as the formidable fairy, though she does shine when working opposite Sam Riley's Diaval, especially when she's attempting to mimic human customs and politeness. Aurora is given a great deal of agency in Mistress of Evil and Fanning works to portray her as a dynamic character, while Pfeiffer has some fun with the campiness of her Queen Ingrith. Dickinson, who takes on the Prince Phillip role from Brenton Thwaites in Maleficent , is perfectly charming, brave and kind - and not altogether useless. Ejiofor and Skrein are serviceable at preaching their characters' respective views about war with the humans. Despite an all-star cast, though, the Maleficent: Mistress of Evil script is too thin for the stars to bring much depth to their one-note characters.

Michelle Pfeiffer in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

Altogether, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is a resplendent return to the world of Disney's live-action Sleeping Beauty retelling, continuing the first film's themes and giving its female characters as much - if not more - agency than the typically male heroes of fairy tales. The story isn't very strong, but the writers do manage to include themes of xenophobia that are undoubtedly relevant today, and though those themes aren't handled with a deft hand, they are easily understandable to the children in the audience. Because, of course, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is meant to be a film for children and their families, and it will no doubt succeed in entertaining young audiences all the way through.

As such, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is fun for the whole family, if perhaps a little overlong for more adult viewers. The third act especially drags as director Rønning goes all in on CGI spectacle and lets the characters fall by the wayside - though that may make it worth a viewing in IMAX if viewers are so inclined. And, since Mistress of Evil goes beyond the Sleeping Beauty story, it's forging its own fairy tale path, though it's nowhere near as strong as the classic story. Ultimately Maleficent: Mistress of Evil attempts to make up for its lack of character development and strong plot with CGI spectacle, which will only win over those that can forgive the movie's missteps for the lush, high fantasy action.

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is now playing in U.S. theaters. It is 118 minutes long and rated PG for intense sequences of fantasy action/violence and brief scary images.

Let us know what you thought of the film in the comments section!

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is a 2019 sequel to Disney's Maleficent. In the sequel, Maleficent and Aurora deal with complex family ties and begin to grow apart as a new evil presents itself. The film received mixed to negative reviews upon release but did get nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling at the 2020 Academy Awards.

Key Release Dates

Maleficent 2.

Movie Reviews
2.5 star movies

The “Sleeping Beauty” riff “Maleficent” is another overproduced summer spectacular, released into a world that has too many. It has sub-“Phantom Menace” landscapes and creatures, a bombastic and unmemorable score, and the sorts of chaotic images and fast cutting that signify a lack of true filmmaking imagination. It is truly a movie made by a committee: its direction is credited to Robert Stromberg , a longtime production designer, and its script to “Beauty and the Beast” scribe Linda Woolverton , but there have been reports of many studio-imposed rewrites, and reshoots by director John Hancock (“The Rookie”). But it’s powerful anyway. As the title character, a misunderstood and wronged woman, Angelina Jolie has make-up enhanced cheekbones that could be registered as lethal weapons. Put them together with her wary cobalt eyes and ruby lips and the wings and horns that the character sports early in the picture, and you’ve got an image of female otherness as eerie as Scarlett Johansson wading into black goo in “ Under the Skin .”

The film’s story is an example of what The Guardian’s film critic Peter Bradshaw calls “that emerging post-‘Wicked’ genre, the revisionist-backstory fairytale,” but it’s affecting. It has a primordial edge that the clumsy filmmaking can’t blunt. There are moments in “Maleficent” that are profoundly disturbing, in the way that ancient myths and Grimm fairy tales are disturbing. They strike to the heart of human experience and create the kinds of memories that young children—young girls particularly—will obsess over, because on some level they’ll know, even without the benefit of adult experience, that the film is telling them a horrible sort of truth.

And at this point I should give you the opportunity to step away from the review, see the film based on the above description, and read the rest later to see if you agree. Fair enough? Good.

The tale begins with a flashback to Maleficent as a young girl fairy, befriending a farm boy who’s snuck into her forest on a mission of thievery. They grow close and continue to see each other, even after the king of a human stronghold on the outskirts of the forest tries to invade Maleficent’s domain and then watches in shock as the heroine and her tree-warrior pals lay waste to his army. As teenagers, the fairy and the human share a silhouetted lip-lock on a hilltop—”true love’s first kiss,” in the Disney parlance. He stops coming around, breaking the girl’s heart. Years later, the now adult Stefan ( Sharlto Copley ) overhears the now-dying king promising his realm to anyone who can kill Maleficent. And it’s here that we head into the first of the film’s magnificently disturbing sequences.

I’ve read reviews complaining that we don’t know enough about Maleficent and Stefan’s personalities, much less the details of their relationship, which means that Stefan’s betrayal “comes out of nowhere,” and so does not make dramatic sense. This is a fair description (or complaint); but to me, the lack of development makes the twist feel more like something that might happen in a fairy tale—not a clean-scrubbed Disney fairy tale in which every plot twist is clearly delineated, but an ancient story that kids might listen to, rapt and horrified, then interrupt to ask, “By why would the boy do that to someone he loved?”, whereupon the adult storyteller would explain that sometimes people do cruel things to people they love because they want things.

In any event, we know what’s really going on in the scene. After snuggling with Maleficent on a hilltop, Stefan gives her a drink laced with a sleeping potion, prepares to murder her after she’s passed out, then has a failure of nerve. He slices off her wings instead, and brings them to the king as “proof” that he did as promised. It’s a symbolic assault with sexual overtones, specifically an attack that occurs after a woman has passed out. Maleficent doesn’t just lose her wings; they’re stripped from her, against her will. The attack is also a maiming or disfigurement that, in this context, feels like a gender specific physical “message,” drawn from a continuum that includes everything from the punitive hacking off of a woman’s long hair to clitoridectomy. (Jolie underwent a double mastectomy not long before the film was shot; it’s hard to imagine her shooting this sequence and not putting it in a personal context.)

The scene of Maleficent waking up on a hilltop with huge scars in her back, then weeping with rage, is the most traumatizing image I’ve seen in a Hollywood fairy tale since the Christ-like sacrifice of Aslan in 2005’s “ The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe .” It strikes so deep, and its impact resonates for so long after, that it makes the film’s numerous missteps seem less like deal breakers than irritants. The assault transforms Maleficent from an unabashed heroine into an anti-heroine—a straight-up bad guy, as far as the story’s terrified humans are concerned—and warps Disney’s vanilla 1959 film into a conflicted revenge story with an unmistakable feminist undertone. It’s the deepest betrayal imaginable. Every subsequent action Maleficent takes—including casting a spell on Stefan’s daughter Aurora (played as a teen by Elle Fanning ) that will send her into a coma at age 16 after a finger-prick by a spinning wheel needle—is driven by the trauma of that betrayal.

The film has a long way to go after that—plot-wise, I mean; at a sleek 98 minutes, this is a rare summer blockbuster that’s as terse as the typical cartoon feature—and while “Maleficent” never rises to the peak of power that it attains when the heroine awakes without her wings, and its action sequences and ostentatious creature displays are murky CGI soup, it keeps the audience unbalanced in a good way. There’s wasted motion in the plotting and a fair amount of confusion in how the script spells out what Maleficent can and can’t do (if she can turn a raven into a male sidekick played by Sam Riley with a wave of her hand, and create a fire-breathing dragon with similar ease later on, why doesn’t she just unleash an army of monsters on the kingdom and save herself a lot of bother?). But we always know what’s at stake for her. We know where her head is at.

Despite winning a slew of deserved awards for early performances, Jolie has never gotten the credit she deserves as both an old-fashioned glamorous movie star and a skilled, thoughtful actress; this part fuses both sides of her talent. Her mesmerizing stillness makes us pay closer attention to Maleficent’s every word and gesture than the film’s screenplay deserves. We feel close to Maleficent even when she’s doing the ice-mask-of-death expression showcased in trailers and in stills. We feel her conflicted feelings as she pretends to be the young Aurora’s godmother, playing a role and then slowly becoming that role, just as we felt her rage at being violated and mutilated, and her need to make the human kingdom (whose representatives are all male) pay for what was done in its name.

I was looking forward to seeing Angelina Jolie play a Disney villain. That’s not “Maleficent,” obviously, but what she’s asked to do is still fascinating. The character starts out good, turns bad for good reason, then tries to right the wrongs she committed in the name of righting wrongs. This is a film of Hollywood storytelling cliches, including the eat-your-cake-and-have-it-too villain death that lets the heroine seem noble while still satisfying the audience’s bloodlust.

But it’s also a film of resonant gestures and dream logic, in which ancient and contemporary predicaments jostle against each other: romantic betrayal or sexual assault, and their psychological aftermath; the fundamental differences between male and female minds; the way that patriarchal culture fuses women’s sense of self-worth to their bodies; even the tangled maternal impulses that independent single women who never wanted kids might experience when they have to care for a child. The movie is a mess, but it’s a rich mess. It has weight. It matters. Years from now you’ll hear teenagers or college students bonding over having seen it as child and lost sleep over it, and its title will have acquired three more words, plus punctuation: “Oh My God, Maleficent!”

Matt Zoller Seitz

Matt Zoller Seitz is the Editor-at-Large of RogerEbert.com, TV critic for New York Magazine and Vulture.com, and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism.

Elle Fanning as Princess Aurora
Peter Capaldi as King Kinloch
Imelda Staunton as Knotgrass
Lesley Manville as Flittle
Sharlto Copley as Stefan
Juno Temple as Thistletwit
Miranda Richardson as Queen Ulla
Jamie Sives as Shepherd
Angelina Jolie as Maleficent
Sam Riley as Diaval

Cinematography

Dean Semler
Linda Woolverton
Robert Stromberg

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Essays on Movie Review

Once in a while, you’ll be asked to do a movie review essay. This task is a great training tool for enhancing critical thinking skills. Essays on movie review aim at presenting a film from the most important scenes, special effects, to exciting moments and may be accompanied by criticism. From an advertising perspective, such a paper is aimed at convincing readers to watch the movie in question. Your writing should let a reader draw a conclusion, i.e, whether the film is worth their time or if they should try something else. Most importantly, your opinion must be independent and accurate. But how can you create a perfect introduction if you don’t have the experience in this type of writing? Relax. A good online writer can do it for you. If you have an idea but need some guidance, simply ask for a professional outline or use evaluation essay examples for students for more insights.

Hook Examples for Movie Review Essays

"a cinematic masterpiece" hook.

"Prepare to be captivated by the sheer brilliance of this cinematic masterpiece. Explore how every frame, performance, and detail contributes to a visual and emotional spectacle."

"Beyond the Screen: Themes and Messages" Hook

"This film transcends entertainment, offering profound themes and powerful messages. Dive into the underlying ideas and social commentary that make it a thought-provoking experience."

"The Journey of Character Development" Hook

"Follow the compelling journey of characters who evolve throughout the film. Analyze their growth, conflicts, and relationships, making this movie a character-driven narrative."

"Visual Delights: Cinematography and Special Effects" Hook

"Be prepared to be visually stunned by the breathtaking cinematography and cutting-edge special effects. Explore how these elements enhance the storytelling and immerse the audience."

"Unforgettable Performances" Hook

"The cast delivers unforgettable performances that breathe life into the characters. Discuss standout acting moments, character dynamics, and the emotional impact of their roles."

"The Soundtrack: Music That Moves" Hook

"The film's soundtrack is more than just music; it's an integral part of the storytelling. Explore how the score enhances emotions, sets the tone, and complements the visuals."

"Cinematic Analysis: Directing and Editing" Hook

"Delve into the meticulous craftsmanship of the director and editor. Analyze their choices in pacing, sequencing, and storytelling techniques that make this film a cinematic triumph."

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Maleficent
"Maleficent: Unveiling the Enchanting Tale of Darkness and Redemption" Movie explained in Hindi Urdu
MALEFICENT Movie Explain in Hindi \ Urdu
Part 4 : Maleficent be able to take revenge for the betrayal? 😱 #shorts #moviereview
Maleficent Hollywood Movie #hollywoodmovie #viralshorts #movie #marvel #shorts

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Maleficent: Mistress of Evil movie review (2019)
The sequel "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil" would seem like a perfect complement to the first film, because it's built around a clash between Jolie and another great '80s and '90s star, Michelle Pfeiffer. But having set up this potentially juicy conflict, and having detailed a scenario that would put it front-and-center while deepening ...
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
Movie Review. We all know the tale of Sleeping Beauty. A dark fairy cursed a princess to prick her finger upon the spindle of a spinning wheel and sleep forever. A prince battled against dark forces and a dragon to bestow true love's kiss upon the princess and thus wake her. Then they lived happily ever after… Or so we've been led to believe.
'Maleficent: Mistress of Evil' Review
Film Review: Angelina Jolie in 'Maleficent: Mistress of Evil' Reviewed at El Capitan Theater, Los Angeles, Sept. 30, 2019. MPAA Rating: PG.
'Maleficent: Mistress of Evil' Review: Angelina Jolie ...
October 15, 2019 9:00 am. "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil". Courtesy of Disney. Angelina Jolie has been in far better movies than the "Maleficent" franchise, but they provide an unparalleled ...
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil Review
Verdict. Like its predecessor, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is an ambitious fantasy epic that sometimes loses its way when it comes to pacing and tight storytelling. Unlike the first film, though ...
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil Review
The best way to start this essay, I figured, is by talking about the first Maleficent — a film that reimagined Disney's classic Sleeping Beauty and provided a gothic backstory for the evil witch — which hit the big screen in 2014. The problem I run into immediately though is that I hardly remember anything from that drab of a film that was kept alive only by Angelina Jolie's sharp-as ...
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil Movie Review
MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL is the sequel to Disney's popular 2014 Sleeping Beauty retelling, reuniting Angelina Jolie as dark godmother Maleficent and Elle Fanning as the lovely Aurora, queen of the Moors and all its fae/fairy folk. The bond between the two women is tested when Aurora accepts a proposal from her beloved Prince Philip (Harris Dickinson) of neighboring Ulstead.
'Maleficent: Mistress of Evil': Film Review
THR review: In 'Maleficent: Mistress of Evil,' Michelle Pfeiffer joins Angelina Jolie and Elle Fanning for a sequel to the 2014 film centered around the 'Sleeping Beauty' antagonist.
'Maleficent: Mistress of Evil' Review: Sleep, Sleep, My Lovelies
In its revisionist take, the titular dark, dangerous fairy played by Angelina Jolie isn't naturally evil or merely spiteful in bestowing a curse, but exerting her power with a vengeance. Played ...
'Maleficent 2' review: Angelina Jolie returns as 'Mistress of Evil'
Review: Angelina Jolie's 'Maleficent 2' is like a dark and magical 'Meet the Fockers'. Love, war and Angelina Jolie 's supernaturally sharp cheekbones mark " Maleficent: Mistress of Evil ...
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
Full Review | Original Score: 4/10 | Aug 22, 2022. Despite a lackluster third act, Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil still works as a whole, largely thanks to Jolie and Pfeiffer's all-in performances ...
'Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil': Review
The 2014 movie presented a sympathetic origin story for Sleeping Beauty's monstrous villain, decking out the Oscar-winning actress in striking makeup which resembled the angular character from ...
The story of Maleficent: [Essay Example], 781 words
This story of a powerful fairy and her journey of betrayal, love, and redemption is beautifully portrayed by Angelina Jolie. This Maleficent movie review essay will explore the character development and plot twists of this unique take on the classic tale of Sleeping Beauty. The film presents a fresh perspective on the fairy tale, showing ...
'Maleficent 2' Is Pretty Predictable With an Excellent Angelina Jolie
The sequel to the 2014 hit revolves around an impending wedding for Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip. The real scene-stealers of the film are Maleficent (Angelina Jolie), Phillips' mother, Queen ...
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil Movie Review
2.5. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is a 2019 sequel to Disney's Maleficent. In the sequel, Maleficent and Aurora deal with complex family ties and begin to grow apart as a new evil presents itself. The film received mixed to negative reviews upon release but did get nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling at the 2020 Academy Awards.
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is a 2019 American fantasy film directed by Joachim Rønning from a screenplay by Linda Woolverton, Micah Fitzerman-Blue, and Noah Harpster.Produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Roth/Kirschenbaum Films, it is a sequel to Maleficent (2014), itself a live-action retelling of Walt Disney's 1959 animated film Sleeping Beauty, and the second installment in the Maleficent ...
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil critic reviews
Oct 16, 2019. What worked about the first "Maleficent" was Jolie herself, trying on something softer, even funny, her face, enhanced with prosthetics, half of the visual spectacle. But "Mistress of Evil" crowds Jolie. Maleficent fades to the background, eclipsed by full-camp Pfeiffer as the evil, Trumpian dictator queen.
Maleficent movie review & film summary (2014)
It's the deepest betrayal imaginable. Every subsequent action Maleficent takes—including casting a spell on Stefan's daughter Aurora (played as a teen by Elle Fanning) that will send her into a coma at age 16 after a finger-prick by a spinning wheel needle—is driven by the trauma of that betrayal. The film has a long way to go after ...
Maleficent Movie Review
Maleficent Movie Review - Free download as Word Doc (.doc), PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is a sequel to the 2014 film. It follows Princess Aurora ruling the moors with powers from Maleficent, but Aurora's love for Prince Philip creates conflict between humans and fairy folk. The film features impressive visuals of the moors and castles ...
Essays on Maleficent
Maleficent Movie Review: a Fresh Take on The Sleeping Beauty. 1 page / 781 words. "Maleficent may be known as a wicked villainess but she didn't start off that way.". Maleficent is not your typical fairy-tale villainess, as the eponymous movie reveals. This story of a powerful fairy and her journey of betrayal, love, and redemption is ...
Movie Review Essay Examples Papers and Topics
Topics: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Feminism, Holly Golightly, Marx's theory of alienation, Marxism, Movie Review, Sex industry, Sex worker, Social class. 1 2 … 19. Perfect and absolutely free movie review essays. Find the best movie review essay examples and relevant topics for inspiration in our database.
MALEFICENT MOVIE REVIEW
MALEFICENT MOVIE REVIEW.odt - Free download as Open Office file (.odt), PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free. The movie Maleficent 2 - Mistress of Evil is directed by Joachim Ronning and is a dark fantasy adventure film. It stars Angelina Jolie as Maleficent and Elle Fanning as Princess Aurora. The best scene is when Aurora agrees to marry Prince Phillip.
Film Review Of The Movie Maleficent By Linda Woolverton
It was a touching and beautiful movie. It may have parts too scary for aged 5 and under, but no worse than other kid movies out there. No bad language or obscenities of any kind. No sex or sexual innuendos. No political. Free Essay: I have watched an English movie entitled Maleficent as one of the assignments for my movie review.

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Reviewed at El Capitan Theater, Los Angeles, Sept. 30, 2019. MPAA Rating: PG. Running time: 118 MIN.

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