Maleficent, 2014.
Directed by Robert Stromberg.
Starring Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, Imelda Staunton, Miranda Richardson, Juno Temple and Lesley Manville.
SYNOPSIS:
A vindictive fairy is driven to curse an infant princess only to realize the child may be the only one who can restore peace.
God we’ve missed you Angelina. In an acting time-out as she focused on her family and humanitarian work, as well as directing two films (2011’s In The Land of Blood and Honey, still to receive a UK release, and this year’s Unbroken), Jolie has finally brought her superlative talents back to the acting ring with the kind of role she was born to play: a live-action Disney villain in Maleficent.
Like Tim Burton’s lacklustre Alice in Wonderland retelling/quasi-sequel, Maleficent is written by Linda Woolverton, entrusted with turning another jewel in the Disney collection on its head. Where Burton’s film saw a teenage Alice return to Wonderland, here it’s the villain who takes centre stage, rather than the more traditional Sleeping Beauty. And while on paper it sounds a like a fun idea, particularly when you have Jolie in your arsenal, in reality its all rather uninteresting. Maleficent, like all good villains, has her backstory that turns her evil, but it’s all very familiar, very tired.
Elle Fanning is given little to do than smile and laugh, and similarly Sam Riley, here portraying Maleficent’s “sidekick” is given just as rough a ride. Worse of all is Sharlto Copley, who after his impressive debut in District 9, is slowly becoming one of the miscast actors out there. His Scottish accent is atrocious (on a par with his awful Oldboy efforts), his acting as wooden as the trees that surround his castle, and is only undermined further by the horrid “off with their heads!” King role he finds himself in.
Maleficent certainly teeters very closely to the 12A certificate, rather than the awarded PG. Coming from Disney, this was never going to rate any higher, but the censors must have been close. Murder, war and a light dusting of “sexuality” are a few of the themes on show here, with two scenes in particular that will give parents food for thought before taking any under-7’s.
Nevertheless, visually the film is impressive, despite joining the long list of films to fall foul to the evil darkness that is 3D, a horrible distraction to another lavish-looking film. The colours of the forest look stunning, as do most of the special effects (the flying sequences leave a little to be desired), and director of photography Dean Semler (Dances With Wolves) must be mentioned for his output here.
Similarly, director Robert Stromberg, making his feature debut, also does a decent job behind the megaphone, orchestrating some good stuff particularly in the first act, but is weighed down by the flaccid script, he barely gets much room to shine soon after. Still, he seems smart enough to know how to get the best from the film: just turn the camera and let Jolie go.
Without Jolie, Maleficent simply would not have been worth discussing. It would take a wise man/woman/studio to put forward the riches that this film has been afforded (a reported $200million) without Jolie’s involvement. Oozing class, Jolie flourishes in the sinfully evil title role that must have had her salivating over the breakfast table. There is no-one in Hollywood that could have pulled off the concoction of both dark and frivolous to the level that Jolie does here. She is simply wonderful.
Worth the admission for Jolie alone for her sinister, delicious performance (among the best of her career), Maleficent has enough magic, fantasy and delight for the family, and if you were one of the millions who helped earn Alice in Wonderland $1billion, you will certainly have a ball. Similarly, however, like that retooling, as a film it ultimately falls slightly short of its lofty ambitions, and as hard as she might, Jolie cannot entirely make up for the films fragile core.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film ★ ★ / Movie ★ ★ ★
Scott Davis
Originally published May 28, 2014. Updated April 12, 2018.
