Review of Maleficent (2014) by Jason R — 22 Jan 2015

In the retelling of a fairytale, particularly one that Disney has already done, the expectations and realities may be a little unusual to handle. Disney tells this tale much like it did in their great heyday, before modern classics like Frozen and Tangled changed the way they did business.

Yet like Frozen, Maleficent helps redefine classic Disney processes, reversing some ideas that have been held since it was drawn up as the original Sleeping Beauty.

There are throwbacks to the original, which are nice to see, as well as the element that deals with Maleficent's loss of her wings to deep, greedy betrayal. Her character as such develops organically, growing stronger despite a blatant violation, not just humanizing her from the original version, but creating a character who we can understand and get behind.

Jolie acts the hell out the part, Sharlto Copley is perfectly cast for the level of evil required, and the scenery is beautiful and engaging. It has an epic feel that it is not long enough to actualize, but regardless tells its tale with flair, style, and substance.