Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
/“I remember this story of an evil witch, and the princess she cursed to sleep forever. The story became legend. But this is no fairy tale.”
Filmology Rating: 1.5 out of 4
When Maleficent came out in 2014, I had quickly dismissed the film since it didn’t feature the version of the character that I had wanted. I wasn’t willing to go with the film on the journey that it had envisioned and I was hoping for something a little more sinister. It would seem, however, that others must have felt the same since the sequel to the film is called Mistress of Evil. This should mean that Maleficent will finally be able to call upon the demons of hell and we might get to see a character relish being the character that we all grew up watching in the classic Sleeping Beauty. I should have known that I shouldn’t be so naive to believe the title of a film.
Aurora, played by Elle Fanning, has been ruling over Moors for years since being awakened by a sleeping curse. She wants nothing more than peace between her kingdom and that of the other more human kingdoms. When Phillip, played by Harris Dickinson, proposes to Aurora it causes much celebration across the Moors since peace might be close, but Maleficent, played by Angelina Jolie, doesn’t trust that peace will come so easily.
One has to ask if any of the cast actually wanted to be in this film. Nearly every actor gives a horrid line reading or just blankly stares at the screen clawing for you to feel some emotion from that soulless glare. It should have been a triumphant moment to see Angelina Jolie return to the silver screen, her last on screen appearance being By the Sea in 2015, but the performance and script never helped her give the powerhouse performance that most people wanted. Jolie is trying to do the best she can with a one dimensional role and she should be commended for it, the actress who should have her guild membership revoked for the horrid performance is Michelle Pfeiffer. Even with the small amount of screen time in Ant-Man and the Wasp she was able to bring a sense of pathos but her performance in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is so one note that you wonder if a computer is just giving the performance. Some of her line readings during the battle during the third act are laughably bad and if you find yourself invested in her turmoil, then you might need to see a doctor to see if you yourself have actual emotions.
Usually in classic fairy tales the villain of the story will meet their end in a gruesome yet satisfying way. If the antagonist wants to see nothing more than every hero suffer and fail then it would only make sense to watch them suffer that same fate at the end. The strange twist that Maleficent: Mistress of Evil takes is that it doesn’t let us see the villains get the punishment, it completely holds its punches even though those committing murderous acts against no less than ten different species. The film has no problem showing the acts of violence but when it comes to holding those accountable for committing the acts the film is like it’s time to turn the other cheek. But then those acts keep happening again and again for what feels like hours of the film. The characters are either completely dense, which makes for a dull watch or the filmmaker has no problems with emotionless killing, which would make me never want to go to a paintball range with him. I can understand why some might believe that I’m overreacting but there is a moment in the film where a character can bring back all of those who have died but decides not to and instead chooses to have a party. I shouldn’t have to shut off my ethics and empathy at the door when walking into the theatre, they should only help me connect to the emotional experience between the film and myself.
Perhaps Maleficent: Mistress of Evil does have some points to make about how those in power spread propaganda to further their own power and about how we quickly misjudge those who are different than us; however; these are basic elementary level points. When looking back at either classic Disney animated films like Pinocchio or Bambi, they played to both adults and children, or more recent blockbusters like Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, you have amazing set pieces with heart pounding action, so the company does know how to produce films that can appeal to everyone. I would argue that even the Disney Renaissance princess films have more to offer to all age groups and genders than this confused film. I rather a film come out swinging with their views on their sleeves rather than a film that feels confused about the messages that they are trying to make.
Disney makes films that people want to see, there is no denying that, but I just wish that they would attempt to have some more efficient quality control over their current films. Dumbo had some good elements but no one wants to see a child continuously separated from their mother for two hours in a children’s film, and The Lion King was one of the most pointless films to ever be released to cinemas in years. I’m a huge Disney fan, I take frequent trips to both of the American parks and I talk about the content that they put out ad nauseam to the point where I often get asked if I have sold my soul to the company. The Walt Disney Company now owns nearly 50% of the films that are being released into theaters and if we continue to get such colossal wastes like Maleficent: Mistress of Evil then the death of cinema might be closer than I had ever hoped.
Rating: Let It Burn
-Jonny G