Maleficent

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.

54%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 270

70%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 176,341

Other movies

Where to watch

Show all services

Rate And Review

User image

Verified

  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Rate this movie

    Oof, that was Rotten.

    Meh, it passed the time.

    It’s good – I’d recommend it.

    Awesome!

    So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

    What did you think of the movie? (optional)

  • You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Step 2 of 2

    How did you buy your ticket?

    Let's get your review verified.

    • Fandango

    • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

    • Cinemark Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Regal Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Theater box office or somewhere else

    By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.

    You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Rate this movie

    Oof, that was Rotten.

    Meh, it passed the time.

    It’s good – I’d recommend it.

    Awesome!

    So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

    What did you think of the movie? (optional)

  • How did you buy your ticket?

    • Fandango

    • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

    • Cinemark Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Regal Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Theater box office or somewhere else

    By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.

Maleficent Videos

View All Videos (3)

Maleficent Photos

View All Photos (58)

Movie Info

As a beautiful young woman of pure heart, Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) has an idyllic life in a forest kingdom. When an invading army threatens the land, Maleficent rises up to become its fiercest protector. However, a terrible betrayal hardens her heart and twists her into a creature bent on revenge. She engages in an epic battle with the invading king's successor, then curses his newborn daughter, Aurora -- realizing only later that the child holds the key to peace in the kingdom.
  • Rating:
    PG (Sequences of Fantasy Action|Frightening Images|Sequences of Fantasy Violence)
  • Genre:
    adventure, action, fantasy
  • Original Language:
    English
  • Director:
    Robert Stromberg
  • Producer:
    Joe Roth
  • Writer:
    Linda Woolverton
  • Release Date (Theaters):
     wide
  • Release Date (Streaming):
  • Box Office (Gross USA):
    $241.4M
  • Runtime:
  • Production Co:
    Roth Films, Walt Disney Pictures
  • Sound Mix:
    Datasat, Dolby Digital, Dolby Atmos
  • Aspect Ratio:
    Scope (2.35:1)

Cast & Crew

Angelina Jolie
Maleficent
Elle Fanning
Aurora
Sharlto Copley
King Stefan
Lesley Manville
Flittle
Imelda Staunton
Knotgrass
Juno Temple
Thistlewit
Sam Riley
Diaval
Brenton Thwaites
Prince Phillip
Kenneth Cranham
King Henry
Sarah Flind
Princess Leila's Handmaiden
Robert Stromberg
Director
Linda Woolverton
Screenwriter
Joe Roth
Producer
Angelina Jolie
Executive Producer
Don Hahn
Executive Producer
Palak Patel
Executive Producer
Matt Smith
Executive Producer
Sarah Bradshaw
Executive Producer
Dean Semler
Cinematographer
Gary Freeman
Production Design
Show all Cast & Crew

News & Interviews for Maleficent

All Upcoming Disney Movies: New Disney Live-Action, Animation, Pixar, Marvel, 20th Century, And Searchlight
Halloween TV 2019: Scary Streaming and Television Series, Episodes, Specials, Movies, and Marathons
Here Be Dragons! Famous TV and Movie Fire-Breathers
View All

Critic Reviews for Maleficent

All Critics (270) | Top Critics (55) | Fresh (145) | Rotten (125)

View All Critic Reviews (270)

Audience Reviews for Maleficent

  • Mar 31, 2017
    I enjoyed Maleficent. It is easy to see how Maleficent would cast that spell on Aurora, and how she might have second thoughts later. Angelina Jolie did a bang up job playing Maleficent.
    Red L Super Reviewer
  • May 02, 2016
    While it may have Angelina Jolie in the title role doing a fantastic job, everything is weak - from cookie cutter special effects to a unbelievably weak supporting cast, but the biggest offense of Maleficent is the complete misuse of the title character, missing the mark so completely that it's a mystery as to why the script was made in this format.
    Matthew M Super Reviewer
  • Apr 20, 2016
    A lavishly OTT computer generated universe sacrifices all heart that the story could've had. Jolie can't seem to make up her mind on how to present the character of Maleficent, drifting between a trashy scary drag queen and a brooding mistress of all evil. I think I would've enjoyed it more if they hadn't changed the original story like having Diaval transform into the dragon and her kiss being the one that wakes Aurora - though this is clever, it doesn't make much sense. Also the fairies are too weird and reminiscent of the bobble-headed Red Queen from Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland. The film is so thickly drenched in CGI it becomes almost like a video game and that's disappointing.
    Harry W Super Reviewer
  • Dec 28, 2014
    Disney bastardizes their animated classic Sleeping Beauty with the updated adaptation Maleficent, which follows the recent trend of de-vilifying fairytale villains. Angelina Jolie stars as a guardian fairy named Maleficent who is betrayed by a former childhood friend, causing her to seek revenge by cursing his first born child to a death-like sleep on her sixteenth birthday. Jolie gives an extraordinary and charismatic performance that makes Maleficent a compelling character. However, the film seems to go out of its way to belittle and malign the humans and the three good fairies. Additionally, Disney cheaps out on the special effects; delivering some really shoddy CGI. But, James Newton Howard's score picks up some of the slack by providing powerful and sweeping themes that heighten the fantasy quality. Maleficent has some good action and puts a few interesting twists on the original story, but overall it's an unnecessary and inferior retelling of Sleeping Beauty.
    Dann M Super Reviewer
See all Audience reviews

Maleficent Quotes

View All Quotes

Movie & TV guides