Movie spotlight
A beautiful, pure-hearted young woman, Maleficent has an idyllic life growing up in a peaceable forest kingdom, until one day when an invading army threatens the harmony of the land. She rises to be the land's fiercest protector, but she ultimately suffers a ruthless betrayal – an act that begins to turn her heart into stone. Bent on revenge, Maleficent faces an epic battle with the invading King's successor and, as a result, places a curse upon his newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Maleficent realizes that Aurora holds the key to peace in the kingdom – and to Maleficent's true happiness as well.
This live-action adaptation reimagines the classic fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty from the perspective of the villainous Maleficent. Once a kind-hearted young fairy with magnificent wings, Maleficent suffers a brutal betrayal by her childhood love, Stefan, which turns her heart to stone. Driven by revenge, she curses Aurora, Stefan's newborn daughter, to fall into an eternal sleep on her sixteenth birthday. However, as the young princess grows, Maleficent finds herself growing fond of her, leading to a dramatic conflict between her desire for vengeance and her burgeoning maternal feelings.
Maleficent received mixed reviews from critics, who were divided on its visual spectacle and Angelina Jolie's performance versus its narrative and pacing. Audiences, however, were generally more receptive, particularly enjoying the visual design and the fresh take on a familiar villain.
Praised for its stunning visual effects and Angelina Jolie's commanding performance as the titular character.
Criticized for a convoluted plot and a narrative that struggles to fully justify Maleficent's transformation.
Noted for its unique perspective on a classic fairy tale, though some found it lacked the depth of its source material.
Google audience: Google users largely appreciated the film's visual splendor and Angelina Jolie's captivating portrayal of Maleficent. Many enjoyed the modernized retelling of the Sleeping Beauty story and found the fantasy elements engaging. Some viewers, however, felt the plot was somewhat predictable or that the character development could have been stronger.
Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design. Also received nominations at the Saturn Awards and People's Choice Awards.
Angelina Jolie's children, including Vivienne Jolie-Pitt (who played young Aurora), appear in the film.
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79/100 This retelling of "Sleeping Beauty" is far better than I ever would have expected. I never paid much attention to it before and, after watching a trailer, I thought maybe we would like this. My wife and I loved it. Jolie, as the s...
Perrault's "Sleeping Beauty" is easily my favourite Walt Disney adaptation and this film takes up on by far the best character from that delightful animation - the wicked witch "Maleficent". It tells us how this true epitome of wickedness w...
Good movie seeing how maleficent became maleficent. Pretty bogus what they did to her. Now she fights to get her wings back.
_TL:DR An enchanting retelling of a classic story which really holds it's own with the changes in it's story-line. If you love magical worlds, definitely give this one a watch! (7/10 on the Dragon-Scale for including two very badass drag...
Not as dark or deep as I was expecting/wanting, but it is cool to see a different telling of <em>'Sleeping Beauty'</em>. Angelina Jolie fits as the titular character, bringing with her a good performance. Elle Fanning (Aurora), Sharlto C...
Good watch, would watch again, and can recommend. I'm not a big Angelina Jolie ("Lara Croft: Tomb Raider") fan, but she definitely nailed the part, and I felt for her when those things happened, so I'm definitely not going to say she's n...
Today, June 4, I went to see Maleficent on the birthday of its star, Angelina Jolie. In itself, nothing more than a funny coincidence, although when you think about it, it is customary for someone who is celebrating their birthday, to hand ...
When I first read about this movie I was not entirely sure whether I liked the idea or not. After having watched it I have to say that I really liked it. It is a nice fairy tale based on the Sleeping Beauty but from the perspective of the e...
Nice re-interpretation of the sleeping beauty children's tale. Angelina Jolie has some really good moments in which a simple smile from her can make you shit your pants, although the interpretation is, in some parts, irregular. Elle Fanning...