My Thoughts on Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

I thought I’d share my thoughts and feels about the Maleficent: Mistress of Evil film. In case you haven’t seen it, I’ve posted the trailer below:

So I wasn’t the biggest fan of the first film. It wasn’t bad, but, at the time, I just wasn’t super into Disney villains. I also have never really loved Angelina Jolie. She’s had her moments, but her acting is kind of stiff to me. That didn’t change for this film. Jolie was still stiff and awkward, but the storyline was A+.

My favorite part of this film was the aesthetic. The dark fey are awesome. Dark and magical in appearance and demeanor. There are so many different types of wings and appearances. For someone who had no idea these characters were being added, I was super invested in their culture and lifestyle to the point where I would love a TV series just about the dark fey. I especially loved Connall and Borra. Unfortunately, those are the only two dark fey we really get to know, but I still enjoyed them immensely. (I am going to give a SPOILER here that this film uses the typical overdone and awful trope of killing off the black guy. I was upset.)

Two other parts of the film I loved aesthetic-wise were Michelle Pfiefer’s portrayal of Queen Ingrith and the Moors. Of course, the Moors and the fairies there were in the first film, but I guess I didn’t appreciate the pretty, bright colors when I watched it. The animal-sidekick hedgehog creature wasn’t as cute as I think it was supposed to be, though. I actually thought the mushroom was cuter. But Warwick Davis was in this movie, and that’s always a plus. I wish we could’ve seen more of his character. He was kind of underutilized. As for Queen Ingrith, she’s the stereotypical evil queen, but her outfits were on point. Plus, she’s played by Michelle Pfiefer.

For this installment, Prince Phillip, Queen Ingrith’s son, was recast. I think the new actor did a decent job; however, I don’t really remember the first actor’s portrayal, so that isn’t saying much. Now sadly, Aurora and Maleficent were both kind of meh for me. BUT, their ending scenes were beautiful. Their relationship is something that isn’t seen much in Disney films, and I’m glad their bond exists for younger kids to experience and possibly relate to.

All in all, this film has its ups and downs. The aesthetic is magical and amazing, but sometimes, the acting isn’t quite up to par. The storyline was lyrical and lovely, with some exceptions, but the ending was a little too convenient. (Again, it’s a Disney movie.) Though, it does do a good job showing the consequences of violence.