Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent wants to be a dark fairy tale, and mostly it settles for a dark children’s movie. The film recasts Sleeping Beauty’s villain as a brooding heroine with wings, and it spends most of its running time trying to justify why she became evil in the first place. The result is a movie that is visually striking but narratively thin, a fairy tale that never quite stops explaining itself.
Trailer, via Walt Disney Studios Philippines.
The Wings of Maleficent
Jolie plays the title character as a winged fairy named Maleficent who lives in the Moors, a forest kingdom she protects from humans. She is free-spirited, powerful, and unbothered until a young prince named Stefan (played by Sharlto Copley) enters her life. Their friendship blossoms into something more, and then Stefan betrays her in a way that sets the whole story in motion. The betrayal is the engine of the plot, and it is also the weakest part of the film.
The betrayal is supposed to explain why Maleficent curses Princess Aurora (Elle Fanning) at birth. But the film never fully commits to the depth of that wound. It shows the betrayal, it shows the curse, and then it moves on. The emotional arc feels rushed, and the audience is left to fill in the gaps between cause and effect.
Elle Fanning’s Princess Aurora
Fanning plays Aurora as a bright, curious girl who is separated from her parents at birth and raised in a tower by three fairies. Her performance is competent, but the role is limited. Aurora is the audience’s entry point into the story, and the film leans on her naivety to make Maleficent’s anger feel justified. But the movie never lets Aurora grow beyond her childlike state, even as she becomes a princess and a mother herself.
The film also introduces a side character named Diaval (Sam Riley), a raven whom Maleficent transforms into a man. Diaval is meant to be a loyal friend, but his function is largely to serve as Maleficent’s eyes and ears in the human world. His scenes are some of the film’s best, but they are also the most predictable. He is the kind of character who shows up whenever the plot needs a convenient spy or a comic relief moment.
The Moors and the Palace
The production design is where Maleficent truly shines. The Moors are a lush, green kingdom filled with ancient trees and glowing creatures. The palace is a stark contrast, all marble and gold. The visual difference between the two worlds is sharp, and it helps sell the idea that Maleficent’s world is pure while the human world is corrupt. The film’s action sequences are also well-choreographed, especially a climactic battle that involves dragons and armies.
But the visuals cannot save the script. The film is overlong, and it repeats itself often. There are at least three major set pieces that cover similar ground: Stefan’s betrayal, Maleficent’s curse, and the final confrontation. Each one feels like a retelling of the same story from a slightly different angle. The pacing suffers as a result, and the film drags in its middle act.
The Problem With Maleficent
The biggest problem with Maleficent is that it never fully commits to its central character. Maleficent is supposed to be a villain, but the film keeps softening her edges. She is betrayed, yes, but she is also constantly forgiving. She is cursed, yes, but she is also constantly redeeming herself. By the end of the film, Maleficent is less a villain and more a misunderstood victim of circumstance.
The film also struggles with its message. It wants to say something about power, greed, and the nature of evil, but it keeps pulling back from its own thesis. The message is diluted by the constant need to make Maleficent likable. The film is so eager to make us root for her that it forgets to make us fear her.
- The betrayal scene is the emotional core of the story, but it is rushed and underwritten.
- Elle Fanning’s Aurora is a static character who never grows beyond her childlike state.
- The Moors and the palace are visually stunning, but the film repeats itself in its set pieces.
- Angelina Jolie plays Maleficent with intensity, but the script keeps softening her villainy.
- The film’s message about evil is diluted by its need to make Maleficent likable.
The Verdict
Maleficent is a mixed bag. It has moments of genuine beauty and a few strong performances, but it is held back by a script that cannot decide what kind of story it wants to tell. It is too dark to be a children’s movie and too light to be a proper fantasy epic. The film’s best scenes are its quietest ones, where Maleficent walks through the Moors and we see the world she protects. Those moments work because they let the visuals do the talking.
The film’s worst scenes are its loudest ones, where Maleficent fights armies and dragons. Those scenes are technically impressive but narratively hollow. They exist to show off the effects, not to advance the story.
Maleficent is a film that is easier to admire than to love. It is a technical achievement that fails to become a great movie. The film’s ambition is clear, but its execution falls short. It is a fairy tale that never quite escapes its own moralizing.
The film’s score sits at 5.6 out of 10.
