Saturday 31 May 2014

Film Review: Maleficent



Maleficent is the latest live-action fairytale adaptation from Disney - a dark re-imagining of the classic Sleeping Beauty tale, Maleficent stars Angelina Jolie as the titular fairy with a tortured past alongside Elle Fanning as Aurora and Sharlto Copley as the King.


From the outset, the film aims to establish itself as something original; "if you think you know the fairytale, think again" the opening monologue affirms. And for the most part, the film succeeds in putting a fresh spin on a well-known tale. This isn't a straight-forward retelling of Sleeping Beauty, and actually alters the fairytale quite substantially in places. It also works a lot better than past Disney retellings like Tim Burton's surprisingly drab and gloomy Alice In Wonderland.

The VFX work in Maleficent is a real drawcard. Visually, the film looks amazing, as we have come to expect from these shiny Disney re-imaginings. Where Maleficent surpasses its predecessors though, is that it strikes a balance between VFX and shooting on-set and location. With films like Oz: The Great and Powerful and Alice in Wonderland, it was really hard to shake the feeling that the actors were doing nothing more than striding across acres of blue screen (take a look at the behind-the-scenes on Oz if you don't believe me). In Maleficent, I got the sense that the VFX worked to compliment and enhance scenes, rather than smother than. Sure, there are times when it again feels over-used, but it didn't burn the retinas or completely wash out the film.

There is no denying that this is Angelina Jolie's film, with the Hollywood heavy-weight returning to blockbuster movies with an assured performance as the titular wicked witch fairy. She owns the show, commanding every scene and nailing every line; the scene where Maleficent casts the curse upon Aurora in particular was great. I thought that Jolie did a good job of handling Maleficent's arc, that comes full circle across the 97 minute run-time. Elle Fanning was also great as Aurora - naturally, she doesn't play a big a role as Maleficent, but for what its worth she did a good job alongside an A-lister such as Jolie.

There is no denying that this is Angelina Jolie's film, with the Hollywood heavy-weight returning to blockbuster movies with an assured performance as the titular wicked witch fairy. She owns the show, commanding every scene and nailing every line; the scene where Maleficent casts the curse upon Aurora in particular was great. I thought that Jolie did a good job of handling Maleficent's arc, that comes full circle across the 97 minute run-time. Elle Fanning was also great as Aurora - naturally, she doesn't play a big a role as Maleficent, but for what its worth she did a good job alongside an A-lister such as Jolie.

Sharlto Copley, after playing a deranged future sci-fi maniac in Elysium, plays a deranged medieval fairytale maniac in Maleficent. Seriously, that guy is in danger of getting very type-cast. Anyway, he's wonderfully detestable as Aurora's father, driven to madness from the hopelessness of Maleficent's curse. He revels in being the scenery-chewing, castle corridor-striding villain.

One criticism I do have was with some of the character motivations - whilst Jolie had a great arc in this film, there are some scenes near the middle that had me utterly stumped. With just a few tweaks, the transition would've been a lot smoother, but as a result, there is a ten minute block in the middle that sort of stumbles along not knowing where to go.

Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple and Lesley Manville play the trio of sugary fairies Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup or whatever they're called. They're mainly here for the kids, as they bumble around their isolated cottage and display a shocking amount of neglect for an infant, especially one they are tasked with taking care of. I found that they got old very quickly.

Sam Riley put in a good performance as Maleficent's right-hand man Diaval. One of the films biggest strengths was the playful banter the malicious duo shared, especially with Maleficent turning Diaval into all manner of creatures with just a flick of her finger. Again, these sight-gags will mostly appeal to kids and teens.

I also thought that some of the creature design detracted from the grounded aesthetic the film was aiming for. Squelchy swamp goblins that resembled some kind of reject from the Star Wars prequels just didn't gel with the more conventional creature design. On the flipside, I thought that the design of Jolie's costume was particularly excellent.

The Verdict: 6/10 


A perfectly passable fairytale retelling that visually dazzles, and will enchant the little ones. Jolie owns the show, but the uneven storytelling may break the spell over older audiences.





2 comments:

  1. Nice review. Passable seems to be the most appropriate word to use when describing this film. Not bad, and it certainly gets better as it goes along, but nothing great, either.

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    Replies
    1. Pretty much sums it up, eh? :) Good to see Jolie back in a big film though, she hasn't been in much for a while!

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