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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.
Critic Consensus: Angelina Jolie's magnetic performance outshines Maleficent's dazzling special effects; unfortunately, the movie around them fails to justify all that impressive effort.
All Critics (258) | Top Critics (48) | Fresh (139) | Rotten (119) | DVD (2)
Undoubtedly, Jolie's performance will be touted as elegantly evil, but it's Elle Fanning's effervescence as Aurora that really makes this film glow.
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.
It's a technological marvel starring the world's biggest celebrity: the full weight of Hollywood spectacle incarnate.
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.
This version of "Sleeping Beauty" is a snoozer, a plodding and predictable film that never recovers after a dreadful prologue.
Maleficent is another worthy entry in the Mouse House's catalog, proving this 91-year-old company is still a relevant, vital part of global culture.
For those who either enjoy seeing inventive variations on a theme and/or who can take Maleficent on its own terms -- and for anyone who likes to see Jolie playing powerful women -- this is a great time, and a rather lovely one.
[Angelina Jolie is] funny, powerful, treacherous, and anything but a cardboard cut-out of cackling evil. Maleficent shines in her hands.
Angelina Jolie is good in the film, and I do think kids will dig this movie.
They could have upped the stakes, made the ending better...I'm not looking for the deepest movie ever from a Disney live action thing...surprisingly enough, Maleficent was a good time.
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.
Super Reviewer
Angelina Jolie is radiant and delivers a nuanced performance in this decent retelling of the fairy tale that features dazzling visuals, a great score and a welcome modern message, even if the director tones it down to a light Disney level instead of making it more urgent and epic.
Robert Stromberg doesn't get magnificent with Maleficent. 90 minutes may seem short at first, but once the storytelling takes place, it seems fitting. There really isn't much material to indulge or amuse between the introduction and conclusion. The back story, while enough to put the pieces together, lacks sufficient background for characters. With that said, the film does have enough production value to surpass mediocrity. For the most part, the CG effects are agreeable with the film's personality. The few scenes of bright color contrast the overly dark atmosphere and tone of the picture. The film belongs to Angelina Jolie, as it should. Listening to her line delivery hits the spot. Elle Fanning has a few moments of delight herself. Maleficent never reaches the epic status, but for a family oriented fairy tale, it gets the job done.
Disney has produced a nice update to Sleeping Beauty that reflects society's more evolved value towards women. Whereas the original paints women as helpless beauty prizes for "nice" males, the updated tale envisions that a woman's power, self-worth and joy is found without need of tethering herself to any man. The contrast goes further and bravely darker, with a man's horrible treatment of a woman as the creation story of the updated tale's "villain." However, redemption for males is also found in the re-imagined prince who is confused by the notion that a woman needs a man to save her. The message is that, like adventure, love is all around and in many forms. Rather than the need to show the audience a marriage to make a happy ending, we simply see the prince and princess laugh together from across an opening in a forest. Their value and contentment is found individually, and they willfully connect through the sharing of each other's joy.
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