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In 1959, the animated classic Sleeping Beauty introduced audiences to a sweet new princess—and a terrifying new villain. Now, Disney offers a new perspective on the beloved fairy tale in Maleficent—a live-action adventure that shifts its focus to the villain.
Maleficent is nothing like the Sleeping Beauty story that you remember. Instead of opening with the birth of a princess, it begins years earlier, with a playful young fairy who falls in love with a human boy. But the boy is driven by greed, and he soon forgets about the fairy who waits for him in her magical world.
Years later, when the human king decides to wage war against the neighboring kingdom, a grown Stefan (Sharlto Copley) betrays his childhood love, Maleficent (Angelina Jolie), in order to become heir to the throne. Enraged by his betrayal, she seeks her revenge by cursing his first-born daughter. But as she watches the child grow, she realizes that she may have made a mistake.
Despite its lovable characters and its sweet story of true love, even the animated version of Sleeping Beauty can be surprisingly scary, thanks to its terrifying villain. So it’s no real surprise that Maleficent is a dark and chilling thriller.
Angelina Jolie makes the film with her unforgettable turn as the legendary baddie. She’s the epitome of the classic woman scorned: angry, bitter, and out for revenge. Still, her heartbreaking back story gives her more depth and personality than the same old one-dimensional villain. She’s also loyal and caring and playfully mischievous. And as terrifying as she may appear, Jolie’s performance might just win you over, until you find that you love the character just as much as you hate—and fear—her.
If you can take your eyes off Jolie, though, you’ll notice that Maleficent is also a beautiful film, highlighted by its magical settings and mystical creatures. And while it’s often dark and eerie, it’s sometimes light and cheerful, too. When the tone is more upbeat, however, the film is extremely cheery—maybe even too cheery. Both the young Maleficent (played by Isobelle Molloy) and Elle Fanning’s Princess Aurora are so incredibly smiley and naive that they feel a bit overdone (and maybe just slightly irritating)—and they may have you wishing for a little more evil.
Really, though, none of the other characters stand a chance here. Maleficent is Jolie’s film—and she relishes every moment, both good and bad. Even when she’s at her kindest, her Maleficent is an intimidating presence—and those razor-sharp cheekbones alone are enough to give you nightmares. So while it might be best to leave the younger kids at home, this twisted fairy tale is sure to make you see the animated Disney classic in a whole new light.
Blu-ray Review:
The Blu-ray release of Disney’s Maleficent focuses the majority of its special features on turning 1959’s animated classic into a live-action adventure with a twist. From Fairy Tale to Feature Film discusses the story—both the original and the updated version. Angelina Jolie plays heavily into this feature, in part because of her close working relationship with screenwriter Linda Woolverton. Here, Jolie offers her own take on both the story and the filmmaking process. You’ll even get to see some brief but adorable behind-the-scenes footage of Jolie and Brad Pitt (and various other family members) working with daughter Vivienne on set.
Aurora: Becoming a Beauty turns the spotlight on Elle Fanning, who discusses her life-long love of Sleeping Beauty, her thoughts on her role, and the challenges of making Aurora a real, live person. Typically, cast interviews are reserved and professional, but Fanning is very much a teenager—and she giggles through most of her interview.
In addition to a handful of deleted scenes, other features include Building an Epic Battle, which offers a closer look at the stunts and effects used to film the battle between Maleficent and the human army, Classic Couture, which shows Maleficent’s jewelry and headpiece, and Maleficent Revealed, which uncovers the layers of effects and CGI that went into a number of key scenes.
None of the features included here are necessarily must-sees. But if you’re fascinated by the movie-making process, you’ll definitely want to check out both Building an Epic Battle and Maleficent Revealed. And those interested in characters and storytelling will prefer Aurora: Becoming a Beauty and From Fairy Tale to Feature Film (which is also a must-see for fans of the Jolie-Pitt family).
Listen to the audio review on Reel Discovery:
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