Get the Skinny on Disney’s Maleficent!

Maleficent
starring Angelina Jolie and Elle Fanning

Elle Fanning gave a wondrous performance in Super 8, but here she pulls off Aurora, but does not make her likable or even interesting. In fact Sleeping Beauty herself is quite bland. However, that is part of one of the fairies gifts. So she is doing what she is supposed to be doing. Be graceful and beautiful and not much else. Jolie has her moments and when she does…she just has such a aura about her, the way she can emote one word or a grunt, you just know what she is thinking. I do think she overdid the scene where she lost her wings it seemed forced, almost overacted.

There were also some moments you thought you had predicted, and then the movie surprises you. Make no mistake this is all Jolie all the time. The other actors are just her props. This story as the title says, is all about Maleficent. The story centers around her and her point of view of the Sleeping Beauty tale. So if you do not like Jolie, this is not the movie for you. Even if you do like Jolie, she does not play her typical self.

Jolie wears a costume towards the end that is very out of place, too modern. I think it was meant to show that Stefan had wounded her, or enraged her, or maybe it was just because someone felt a form fitting outfit was needed, but it really was unnecessary and too obvious what the intent was. I think most would agree Jolie looks sexy in almost anything, and this was not needed in this film.

I was surprised to see so many children in attendance. I really did not see this as a kid’s movie, but they did seem to love it. I could hear them reacting throughout, either laughing or being scared. On a comedic note when dear Sleeping Beauty falls asleep, you could hear snoring a few seats down in front of me. This almost had the entire theater laughing. A very comical coincidence. I liked the movie but was expecting something entirely different than what the trailers teased.

If you like fantasy there is plenty of that to go around, the home of the fairies, the Moors is chock full of Henson like characters and LOTR characters that did not make it into the Peter Jackson films. The 3 fairies were well done but at the same time, very strange looking, there was something about those heads on those bodies that just seemed…off. If it helps at all, one child I overheard at the end of the movie said ” I want to see that again!”

I think I will wait for the DVD though.