Review #37: Maleficent

Release Date: May 30th, 2014
Writer: Linda Woolverton
Director: Robert Stromberg

Logline: A vengeful fairy is driven to curse an infant princess, only to discover that the child may be the one person who can restore peace to their troubled land. (Source: IMDb) Action-Adventure, 97 min.
Bechdel Test: Passed all 3 tests

Review
Maleficent is another chapter in the recent Disney franchise of classic film remakes with spectacular special effects and awful stories. Along with Alice in Wonderland, and Oz the Great and Powerful, Maleficent rips the story of a classic tale out of it's slumber and spins it to prominently feature Angelina Jolie's cheekbones. Not that that's a bad thing, of course.

In this film, the original Disney classic of Sleeping Beauty is retold through the eyes of the villain, Maleficent herself. As with all the recent Disney live action films, the visual effects are raised to new heights. Unlike the two previous endeavors, Maleficent never feels like it's showing off. It weaves a tapestry of fantastical beings, and seamless effects to entrance the audience. The magic of the pixie's is whimsical, while the power of Maleficent is dark and sinister.

I have to say, I'm a little over the one-note acting performances as seen in this film. As great as Angelina Jolie is at stomping around and looking amazing, she hardly breaks from that mold. Elle Fanning becomes quite grating despite only having a handful of dialogue due to her perky bubblegum persona. As for King Stefan, his charm wears off immediately and I was disenchanted with this overwrought performance. None of these characters conveyed any depth beyond the exterior, which is frustrating for a film built as a character study.

What kills this movie is the plot, combined with the weak character motivations. The entire purpose of this film is justifying the curse Maleficent places on Princess Aurora, and redeeming her character thereafter. I'm not sure it even comes close.

As the film opens, Maleficent is a carefree winged-elf being who as a adult is essentially all powerful. Even her biggest weakness cannot stop her powers or harm her physically. Her young love Stefan becomes power hungry and betrays her to become King.  From then on, it's all out war between the two factions: The kingdom of men fighting against the woodland realm of magical creatures. The theme of revenge is so overblown that it loses all meaning by the end because no one is even aware of what they are feuding about, a point often brought up by those second in command for both sides.

Without question I would rank this film above Alice and Oz. It's far more coherent and a more satisfying ride. There are silly, enjoyable moments, and Angelina Jolie is able to carry this film on a few lines of dialogue. It's far darker than any previous endeavor by Disney and shows that there is a potential for more in-depth, dark story telling.

Portrayal of Women: I have a hard time rectifying this film as being a feminist action movie as many are calling it. Perhaps it earns that title simply for having two female leads.

It does not represent women in any kind of equal way, it actually pits men against women. There's a very clear theme that arises about the powers of "man" against the magic of "woman." wherein all the armies of men are literally men, and all the magical creatures that could be gendered are women. The great betrayal that Stefan commits against Maleficent is when he drugs her and mutilates her body, leaving her for dead, and returning home a king. If you want to interpret that as a rape metaphor I wouldn't blame you because that's where my mind went.

It's almost incredible that this ended up in a Disney action film, when Alice in Wonderland concluded with the Mad Hatter doing a cringe inducing dance sequence. I honestly am at a loss for what any good feminst should interpret from this. At the end of the day, Maleficent was an all powerful being, so of course she would get the upper hand in battle. So what then should thematically be interpreted? That the ambition of men is dangerous? To fear the wrath of woman?

I honestly can't help but feel it's nothing but lazy writing with an unexplanable gender divided motif. There is nothing magical about relationship that was built between Stefan and Maleficent, and there was nothing magical about the way he choose to end it. It's an uncomfortable topic (date rape?) to place in a family movie, no doubt, but further then that something with no storylike enchantment has no place in this fairy tale. It's an inappropriate and incomplete social commentary that has no sufficient resolution.

Sisterhood Moment: Any movie that features 2 hours of Angelina Jolie is going to feature more than a few "Every girl wants to be me" moments, that I love. From the scene showing her wrath and rage as she stomps through the forest and bricks from the footpath go flying behind her, to showing up in the castle at the end and rising up in some sick leather pants, Angelina can't do much wrong. I'm pretty sure that's how every girl feels when they go out wearing leather pants. It's the "Bitch, you can't handle this" look, and she nails it.

Plus, the scene where Angelina acts with her young daughter, Vivienne, is adorable. They share a special connection that radiates through the screen. It's a great moment, especially if you've been tipped off to their relationship.

Rating: 2.5 Evil Curses

IMDb - Maleficent (7.2)
Wikipedia - Maleficent
Rotten Tomatoes - Maleficent (48%)