Movie Review: ‘Maleficent’ Starring Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning

Rather, in this telling, it’s King Stefan who becomes corrupted, obsessed with the idea of protecting his daughter to the point that he risks bringing his kingdom to ruin. Copley, who did a terrific job as the antagonist in Elysium, does a solid job of portraying a desperate man who, like most of us, want nothing more than the welfare of our families; unlike most of us, though, the extent to which he goes to attain this goal is far beyond reason. As his anxiety worsens throughout the film, Copley shows us a side of us we never hope to see, and he does it well.

The rest of the supporting cast is decent, but not overly laudable. Elle Fanning is acceptable as Aurora, but in all honesty she isn’t given enough material to make a tremendous impact. Imelda Staunton, Lesley Manville, and Juno Temple provide much of the comic relief as the three pixies, but due to their comic nature and limited screentime don’t offer a whole lot of depth.

No, this is Jolie’s show, and she’s certainly up to the task. Cunning, powerful, but not without a measure of humanity, Jolie makes a triumphant return to the screen. She’s become tabloid fodder for her well-known romantic relationships, but casual moviegoers tend to overlook her impressive resume and the accolades she’s received for her work in the past. Pulling off a paradigm shift in an audience’s viewpoint of a character requires a tremendous amount of charisma, and Jolie brings it in droves.

Equally terrific are the special effects. The film’s heavily reliant on CG, and the integration is nearly seamless. My friend Jennifer, who accompanied me, especially lauded the art direction and costume design. The visuals will draw you in without overpowering you, an accomplishment that shouldn’t go unnoticed.

Parents should note that although this film is rated PG, it can get a little intense. There was a little girl, roughly three or four, sitting next to us who had to look away during some of the more intense scenes during the climax. It’s nothing over the top, and honestly compared to PG films of the past it’s pretty tame, but this isn’t intended to be a light film, and parents should consider this.

All in all, though, Maleficent does an admirable job considering the task it’s attempting to perform. There are other subtle differences from the original, but I’ll leave them to the audience to discover. The movie’s rather dark, but there are enough humorous moments to keep the audience from getting too down, and the adults in the audience seemed engaged enough that it won’t be too much of a chore to take kids to see it. Trying to garner sympathy from the perspective of a person so reviled isn’t the easiest thing to do when our opinions have become so entrenched after all these years, and the re-telling does a good enough job that perhaps the audience will walk out with a willingness to relook their own perspectives.

Maleficent gets a B.