Maleficent (2014)
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Critics Consensus: Angelina Jolie's magnetic performance outshines Maleficent's dazzling special effects; unfortunately, the movie around them fails to justify all that impressive effort.
Critics Consensus: Angelina Jolie's magnetic performance outshines Maleficent's dazzling special effects; unfortunately, the movie around them fails to justify all that impressive effort.
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"Maleficent" explores the untold story of Disney's most iconic villain from the classic "Sleeping Beauty" and the elements of her betrayal that ultimately turn her pure heart to stone. Driven by revenge and a fierce desire to protect the moors over which she presides, Maleficent cruelly places an irrevocable curse upon the human king's newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Aurora is caught in the middle of the seething conflict between the forest kingdom she has grown to love and the human … More- Rating:
- PG (for sequences of fantasy action and violence, including frightening images)
- Genre:
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Directed By:
- Robert Stromberg
- Written By:
- Linda Woolverton
- In Theaters:
- May 30, 2014 Wide
- On DVD:
- Nov 4, 2014
- US Box Office:
- $241.1M
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Cast
-
Angelina Jolie
as Maleficent -
Sharlto Copley
as Stefan -
Elle Fanning
as Princess Aurora -
Sam Riley
as Diaval -
Imelda Staunton
as Knotgrass -
Juno Temple
as Thistletwit
Related News & Features
-
Maleficent Crosses $500 Million
– Hollywood Reporter
-
Box Office Guru Wrapup: Maleficent Has a Magical Opening Weekend
– Rotten Tomatoes
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Critic Reviews for Maleficent
All Critics (193) | Top Critics (41) | Fresh (94) | Rotten (99)
As for the screenplay, by Linda Woolverton, it treads carefully, and all too kindly, in the footsteps of "Wicked" ...
'Maleficent' is an admittedly great-looking, sometimes creepy.
As a cameo, Jolie's performance might have proven spectacular; but as a protagonist, she doesn't give us enough to hold onto. For all her efforts, she remains yet another special effect, however spectacular.
All would be forgiven if the film had more magical feeling.
At least Disney was smart enough to cast Jolie. She has a genuinely heroic presence. If only the movie were equal to it.
Whatever its flaws, "Maleficent" is a family-friendly Disney adventure that offers a relaunched and thoroughly delightful Angelina Jolie ...
While little is properly explained - hence the excessive narration - the scene where Jolie clutches her chest while howling for her beautiful wings, is deeply moving.
This is how you update a classic tale!
For all its digital spectacle and redundant action-violence it understands the power of the fraught gesture, the soft word, the shadowed expressionistic closeup: Jolie is photographed as lovingly and spookily here as Simone Simon in "Cat People."
Jolie's devilish best is smothered by a ploddingly safe movie insisting on vague goodness and badness, utterly redeeming a villain, and children being the very cutest-shmoopiest creatures in the world, oh-aren't-they-just?
Tonally, the story never knows whether it wants to be a kids' movie, a comedy, an action-driven fantasy, or a remake rooted more in the "dark and gritty" tradition of the original fairy tales on which it is based.
That the film is arguably far too emotionally and psychologically bleak for its target audience would be excusable, even laudable, if it were better.
Disney's #1 villain...they've turned her into a glorified nanny and a prankster.
whenever the film threatens to sink into CGI oblivion or narrative clunkiness, Jolie is there to save the day with her screen-grabbing presence
There's several moments where the titular character sits around watching other people and waiting for things to happen. In order to re-invent it from her POV, there were bound to be a lot of things that don't make sense, such as believable motivations.
No Jolie can't carry this film, but there is plenty of blame to go around.
The material seems too dark and violent for the target demographic, who could have difficulty finding a rooting interest in characters that possess more degrees of villainy than heroism.
...remains surprisingly faithful to the original while recreating the title character... You only think you know the story (but this one - in many ways - is so much better).
Taking as its visual reference the classic Disney animated film about Sleeping Beauty, it is a much darker tale, and far less interesting, despite an arresting performance by Angelina Jolie.
Giant holes in the plot are papered over by Janet McTeer's earnest narration, improbabilities abound, and it all seems longer than it actually is
With Aurora's aunts being female versions of The Three Stooges and a welcomed twist that becomes bittersweet in less than five minutes, Maleficent is a failed attempt at reconstructing one of the most evil animated characters of all time.
Aside from being admirable as a rare girl-friendly film in a summer of boydom, if you're coming to see Maleficent it's to watch Angelina Jolie devour of the scenery in the role she was born for. The camp factor alone is worth the price of admission
Passes all the tests Bechdel could invent short of sending adult Aurora off in the arms of a lesbian wood nymph.
The goofiest filmed version of classic literature since THE SCARLET LETTER was "freely adapted" from Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1995
It's clear immediately that first-time filmmaker Robert Stromberg isn't looking to reinvent the genre here...
Audience Reviews for Maleficent
Try it at your own risk. IMO, best leave it for kids (although I'm not sure if even they'd enjoy this just another fairy tale that's best left untold, no matter how it turns out in the end........... as if it were a surprising twist!!!).
MoreSuper Reviewer
A creepy but wickedly entertaining untold story of the classic Snow White cartoon. An easy to watch afternoon movie, pretty enjoyable!
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Super Reviewer
A nice character interpretation from Angelina Jolie as 'Maleficent' who unfortunately didn't have the backup from its weak script.. The story is definitely for family, it's a story about love from a pure-heart-turned-to-evil fairy to a princess who she think as her own child.. An interesting character comes from Diaval, with a strong and lovely performance from Elle Fanning as Aurora, while Sharlto Copley failed to shine in this movie with a wrong casting for Philips' character since they didn't cast a handsome boy as a prince but they cast One Direction's personnel (I'm just kidding).. Overall, I like the twist about true love means even though it's very predictable.. But at least they gave a movie that suitable for all ages despite the dark heart that Maleficent have..
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Super Reviewer
Disney correctly gauged the times when it decided to feature one of it's premier villains as a protagonist worthy of Vader-like admiration. Unfortunately they learned little from Lucas' mistakes when he decided to go back and "explain" his greatest creation. I'm gonna go with blaming an inexperienced director on this one because all the right elements are here, only maybe not put together for maximum impact.
In the meantime, Jolie's still got it, that thing, that "watch me" vibe, only it's wasted, and so everything else too. You watch the film ... but meh. And its over.
Super Reviewer
Maleficent Quotes
- Narrator:
- So you see, the story is not quite as you were told.
- Narrator:
- So you see, the story is not quite as you were told.
- Maleficent:
- No power in earth can change it.
- Maleficent:
- The princess can be welcome from her death sleep by only one true love's kiss
- Maleficent:
- How wonderful.
- Maleficent:
- Well, well. What a glitering assemblage, King Stefan.
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