“Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” Proves That She’s Very Much More Than Just That

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Parent Category: Film Festivals

Category: Reviews

Published on Thursday, 31 October 2019 14:27

Written by Brad Balfour

“Maleficent: Mistress of Evil”
Director: Joachim Rønning
Cast: Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sam Riley, Ed Skrein, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, Lesley Manville, Michelle Pfeiffer

Given that “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” is a sequel and inspired by Disney's classic animated film, this Maleficent doesn’t appear as much of an evil sorceress as the title suggests, and with Angelina Jolie playing the lady mage, she looks pretty good even when showing a hint of fang and an occasional scowl. This recently released, digitally enhanced feature is less about being bad and more about being conflicted. She loves her adopted daughter Aurora but distrusts humanity in general and the King and Queen of the neighboring kingdom of Ulstead even more.

While Elle Fanning provides the dose of innocence needed for Aurora to connect, she also looks a little too much like a tween to be consistently convincing that she’s ready for marriage and children. Nonetheless, her relationship with Prince Phillip (with Harris Dickinson replacing Brenton Thwaites from the first film) endears while some of his other actions seem less than sensible.

But the best part of this sequel is Michelle Pfeiffer's skill at being the nasty, deceptive Queen Ingrith. Pfeiffer does evil well and turns the tables on everyone with just the right amount of self-justifying nastiness to make her expected comeuppance satisfying. 

Embracing by a complex mythology and backstory — something of a departure from “Sleeping Beauty,” the original classic Disney cartoon  that inspired this live-action series — this Maleficent is far more like a living being — emotional and conflicted. Jolie adds depth and even a dose of camp; Fanning’s innocence and light.

As a sequel to the 2014’s “Maleficent,” this film comes out of Disney’s universe, so it can only go so far. But it offers some rich alternate world building and greater detail to the characters who were first set into motion in the first film. With a solid cast consisting of Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple and Lesley Manville returning to their previous roles; and Chiwetel Ejiofor, Ed Skrein and Pfeiffer join the cast as new characters, the film comes alive. 

Though it received mixed reviews, with some criticism leveled at a "muddled plot and overly artificial visuals,” the performances made the film far more convincing than expected. And between the detailed costumes and production design, the films’s a wonder to view and one to provide some great costumes ideas for Halloween.