"Maleficent" Movie Review

Alright I know this movie is like a year old, but whatever. I'm still obsessed with it. I think this is my favorite movie Angelina Jolie has ever done.

I'll be honest- when I first heard they were making a movie from Maleficent's point of view, I was nervous. I love Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) and I love her story. I always have and I always will (here's to hoping I get to name my daughter Aurora). I was afraid her story would be ruined by Maleficent, but I was pleasantly surprised. 

I fully understand know why Mal was pissed at the king. King Stefan stole her wings while claiming to love her. Mal was a kind fairy (something I didn't see coming) and she showed Stefan kindness when he was just a nobody. They fell in love but his greed came first. It's so sad. Mal took her frustrations out on his daughter, Aurora. 

She was always there watching over Aurora, waiting until her 16th birthday when she would fall into a sleep she would never wake from since there is no such thing as true loves first kiss. The three flood fairies: Flora, Fauna, and Merrywether, were idiots and basically Aurora would have died many times has Mal and her bird/human sidekick Diabold not been watching over her. I didn't like that part very much, but I get why they did it. 

It was kind of funny watching Mal toy with the fairies while Aurora showed no fear of her. King Stefan was losing his mind which was weird and the Queen dies. When Aurora is older, she believes Mal is her fairy godmother and isn't afraid of her. 

They grow closer, although Mal clearly tries to keep her feelings at a distance. Aurora meets Prince Phillip in the woods and its hits as sweet and awkward as in the cartoon. She finds out Mal cursed her and she is taken by the fairies to her father's castle. She is heartbroken about Mak and Diabold and she is upset she can't see Phillip ever again. Of course she pricks her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and goes into her sleep. The fairies find Phillip and have him kiss her, but it doesn't work. Mal isn't surprised as she knows true loves first kiss is a lie. I didn't like that as it was one of the most iconic scenes in the cartoon, but the part that followed made up for it 

Mal tearfully apologized to Aurora as she realized that she couldn't save her "Beastie". She kisses Aurora's forehead and Lo and behold, the princess awakens! This was true loves first kiss. It was like the love of a mother for her child. 

The sweet moment doesn't last however when Mal is discovered by the kings men and captured. He knows (thanks to a young Mal) that iron burns fairies, so he has her chained with iron shackles. Aurora is locked in an attic like Rome where she finds Mal's wings. She grabs them and breaks out, getting them to Mal who takes over. She turns Diabold into a dragon and eventually they win. 

She crowns Aurora the queen of the Moors (the magical land where all the fairies and other creatures live). She, Diabold, and Phillip stand at Aurora's side and it's beautiful. 

I love that Aurora is just as kind and innocent as she is in the cartoon. I love the relationship between Mal and Aurora. They really are like mother and daughter by the end. Mal's emotional and mental journey throughout the movie is so intense and Jolie did a great job with her. Also. I totally ship Mal and Diabold! 

This was a great movie and will basically be the Sleeping Beauty live action movie, but it was so good that I might actually be ok with that. (Although I'm a little disappointed that thee was no iconic blue/pink dress).

I give this movie 5 stars.