Maleficent

[Thar]

 

Just came back from seeing this movie. My first impression of it after seeing it's announcement was pretty exciting for me, seeing that she was my favorite Disney villain. But part of me was skeptical, seeing as the majority of cartoons turned into live-action movies are usually a splash of dirty water: refreshing, but not preferred over clean water.

 

After seeing it, it was MUCH better than I expected. However, like I DID expect, there were some things that threw me off from what I remember of the Disney classic.

 

The following spoilers contain actual spoilers, so open at your own risk.

 

[spoiler=Things I liked]

• The world was glorious. The animation and design of the creatures, the CGI, and the overall visual aspect of the film were just breathtaking. I could feel a Lord of the Rings vibe from it, but that idea didn't sit well with me after some thought. The colors were MUCH more vibrant, as was the feeling that it expressed.
• Elle Fanning was the perfect choice for Aurora. She played the character perfectly, and I would've DEFINITELY preferred her over someone like Amanda Seyfried, which would've been dreadful.
• I personally love these kinds of movies; the ones that alter the canon of the classics. It makes you look at the story in a different way and makes you feel differently about other characters. Seeing as how Maleficent is my favorite Disney villain, feeling this much empathy for her was more than what I could ask for.

[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Things I didn't really like]

• The scenes that were based off the classic movie were pretty awkward to watch. The writing was a bit too dramatized, as if they were trying to make fans of the classic feel more than what they felt back then. This was a hit or miss for them, and a miss for me.
• Prince Phillip was absolutely pointless in this adaptation. I was expecting him to be the "true love's kiss" that Aurora needed, but after the reveal that Maleficent's true love was more than Phillip's, I could see no point in his character being included. He was just a half-assed plot point that got brushed aside, and that felt very out of place, even for a non-canonical story. My biggest disappointment is not seeing Phillip's battle with Maleficent in dragon form. If that were included, not only would it string the canon back together, but it would make me feel even MORE empathy for Maleficent... and the movie would've been SO much better. I imagined it this way: Seeing as King Hubert (Phillip's father) and King Stefan (Aurora's father) were friends in the classic movie, upon seeing Stefan killed by Maleficent, Phillip sought to rescue Aurora from what he sees as an evil Maleficent that will destroy his "one true love." With the help of the three fairies (which, btw, had no reason to trust Maleficent at the end for no reason), he kills Maleficent, rescues Aurora, and they become king and queen in Stefan's place. As for Maleficent, Phillip's attempts to bring her down drives her back to the darkness, which makes Aurora a hostage that she uses to blackmail Phillip.
• Following up on the previous point, the ending, while being happy and feelsy, was a bit underwhelming. When Phillip shows up, he's just showing up. The only significance he had in his appearance was when he said he'd come back. No relationship was clarified, and the conclusion felt empty without it.

[/spoiler]

 

Putting ups next to downs, the ups added up to a decent, albeit not the best, movie that I really enjoyed.

 

Thoughts?