Maleficent has always been one of the most memorable Disney villains and we had really enjoyed when Disney developed the live action “Maleficent.” Unlike some of the other movies that stuck close to the original story, this movie offered a unique and memorable twist. When we heard that a sequel was coming out (by the way can you believe it’s been five years since the first?) we were excited to see where this story would continue. Last night we were invited to attend an early screening of “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil”, read on to hear what we thought…
Aurora (Fanning) is queen of the Moors (the land of the fairies)
Official Film Synopsis:
In Disney’s “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil,” a sequel to the 2014 global box office hit, Maleficent and her goddaughter Aurora begin to question the complex family ties that bind them as they are pulled in
The years have been kind to Maleficent and Aurora. Their relationship, born of heartbreak, revenge and ultimately love, has flourished. Yet the hatred between man and the fairies still exists. Aurora’s impending marriage to Prince Phillip is cause for celebration in the kingdom of Ulstead and the neighboring Moors, as the wedding serves to unite the two worlds. When an unexpected encounter introduces a powerful new alliance, Maleficent and Aurora are pulled apart to opposing sides in a Great War, testing their loyalties and causing them to question whether they can truly be family. “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” stars Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sam Riley, Harris Dickinson, Ed Skrein, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, Lesley Manville and Michelle Pfeiffer as Queen Ingrith, and is directed by Joachim Rønning. With a story by Linda Woolverton and a screenplay by Linda Woolverton and Noah Harpster & Micah Fitzerman-Blue, the film is produced by Joe Roth, Angelina Jolie and Duncan Henderson with Matt
Smith, Jeff Kirschenbaum, Mike Vieira and Linda Woolverton serving as executive producers. “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” opens in U.S. theaters on October 18, 2019.
Prince Phillip (Dickinson) with his parents King John (Lindsay) and Queen Isreth (Pfeifer)
Julie's Thoughts
The story of Maleficent: Mistress of Evil picks up five years later with Aurora and Maleficent living in the Moors with the fairies. Right away Price Phillip proposes to Aurora, but everyone quickly realizes this is more than just a union between the two of them, but also a partnership between two very different worlds. Throughout the film we get insight into Phillip’s family (including his mother played by Michele Pfeifer who does a great job at play a role driven by vengeance) and the dark Fey who end up showing Maleficent more of her kind’s back story.
I have to say the visuals of this film are absolutely stunning. From the opening scene spanning the land, to flying scenes, and epic battle scenes I was in awe. The costumes and sets were absolutely beautiful. The fairy creatures were so creative (and some very adorable to boot). I found the acting to be perfectly cast and well done, I also enjoyed Aurora having more of a part in this film too. I found the film entertaining, it was two hours but never felt like it was dragging. There was a lot happening and even a few funny parts here and there. It was cool to get a bit more of the story, with some small pieces that further explain this version of Maleficent.
But overall I did find some things about the film that felt like a little of a let down. The story was pretty predictable with the Queen being obviously villainous from the moment you meet her. I also feel like Maleficent herself didn’t shine in this film like the original and was lacking some of the emotion from the first. (But perhaps we are supposed to carry over the emotional backstory from the first film?) I also would have liked some more substance from the dark fey, we get a small peak into this world but ultimately just a lot of flying and battle scenes. In the end I think the story could have been much stronger, but overall I found the film entertaining enough to enjoy at the theater. While this wasn’t a favorite I would purchase a copy of, it certainly wasn’t bad for a sequel.
HER RATING: 4 out of 5 “horns”
Maleficent meets Conall (Ejiofor) and other dark feys.
Andrew's Thoughts
Admittedly, I wasn't super excited to see this film. I thought the first one was just OK and because of that I only saw it once. Having said that, I thought the follow up was much better! I'm a little surprised I liked it so much because I actually found it to be pretty predictable. Roughly 20 minutes in, I could have recited the basic plot of the movie and how it would play out. However, I still thoroughly enjoyed the journey to the ending. I really enjoyed a lot of the flying and battle scenes and found them very comparable to other fantasy works such as Game of Thrones. We saw the film on a huge IMAX screen and it was super immersive, (if you can, splurge on the big screen for the graphics.)
It seems in recent years that Disney has overused stunning graphics in-lieu of substance (i.e. A Wrinkle in Time). In Maleficent, Mistress of Evil, the amazing graphics seem to enhance the story and weren't used as filler. Between the opening 10 minutes and the battle scene, the imagery really added to the story telling by making the viewers feel they were part of the action.
The cast did well enough in their roles but to me there were two standout performances. One of the bright moments in the first film was Angelina Jolie and her perfect mix of charm, charisma, and an ability to flash some evil when needed. These traits carry over into this film as she did a great job reprising her role as Maleficent. The second impressive performance was Michelle Pfeiffer who was perfectly evil in her role as Queen Ingrith.
It felt that Maleficent: Mistress of Evil was more geared to older kids/teens and adults. While there were some cute fairies here or there, the film for the most part is darker and we could easily see where some younger children could get frightened by certain scenes. Overall I really enjoyed the continuation of this tale with a twist and diving in deeper in to the world of Maleficent.
HIS RATING: 4.5 out of 5 “horns”
The Mistress of Evil looking quite fabulous.
The movie is best for: older fans of the original Maleficent and fans of fantasy films in general. We do also recommend seeing the first installment before this sequel, as you may need some backstory.
View the official movie website.
It seems everyone has been anticipating and talking about Director Christopher Nolans’s new film: Oppenheimer. Andrew has been so excited. As a World War II history enthusiast he couldn’t wait to see the story about the creator of the atom bomb. To be honest this wasn’t even on Julie’s radar, but she is always down for a good historical drama. We are both fans of the director’s previous work, and the cast seemed jam packed with talented folks. Let’s dig into what we thought…