Maleficent

[doink]

I was a little interested in this movie at first, because Angelina Jolie's costume looks awesome and spot-on...but then the script leak happened, and I hated just about everything in that script. From reading the spoilers in this thread, it seems the script was accurate to the final movie after all, including that ending. I'm going to skip this one. -_-

 

[Wheels]

I don't have any particular fondness or loyalty to the original film, or to Maleficent as a villain.

so I'm open minded and looking forward to seeing this tomorrow.

I consider Sleeping Beauty one the worst animated features released before Disney's death. The only reason it's not the worst is because of the mediocre anthology films that were released. Sleeping Beauty just does nothing for me outside of Maleficent, who at least looks and sounds great.

 

[terry78]

She was pretty much the only memorable thing about that flick, which is why I assumed they chose to make her the anti hero.

 

[Wheels]

She was pretty much the only memorable thing about that flick, which is why I assumed they chose to make her the anti hero.

Yeah, I haven't seen Maleficent yet but I imagine I will enjoy it more than Sleeping Beauty.

 

[jmc]

I consider Sleeping Beauty one the worst animated features released before Disney's death. The only reason it's not the worst is because of the mediocre anthology films that were released. Sleeping Beauty just does nothing for me outside of Maleficent, who at least looks and sounds great.

It is by far the single most boring film in the Disney animated catalog. It's only saving grace is its design.

 

[Boom]

And the dragon scene.

Literally the only reason I own it.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

Yeah no. This movie is sadly worse than Oz and Wonderland; despite how anyone felt about those movies, it did not entirely rewrite the stories/movies that inspired themand made them famous. And this movie's imagery cannot compare to The Neverending Story in any way.

That's quite the low temperature narrative you've got there male sibling.

 

[Whiskey Tango]

Maleficent - An Unusual Fairy Tale of Revenge

 

[TheVileOne]

This is nowhere close to Neverending Story.

 

[TheVileOne]

Am I SUPPOSED to be offened by the existence of this film? Am I some "lesser" fan of the classic film because I like it, and got swept away by the story? Is there some place I am to turn in my card, or the like?

Oh dear, looks like I stand accused of something. What ever shall I do?

C'mon man... I'm an adult. So are you. Leave that jibber jabber for the under 21 crowd.

After seasons of ONCE UPON A TIME on ABC, I'm fine with radical reimaginings of these tales. Most important of all to me is that it was a quality film that entertained and enchanted me.

Thing is, Once Upon a Time is a show that's far removed from animated versions like this. It's really it's own thing. Just like Fables. This was based on the classic film. It seemed like they wanted to make a a backstory behind the character from the classic film, and that's not what they did.

 

[Whiskey Tango]

LOL the last time I checked in on this thread everyone was pumped for this flick. Now it feels like the collective balloon has been popped. Such a shame, it really had some potential.

 

[TheVileOne]

I would prefer if she just turned down the live action remake projects. Is she involved with the new Cinderella remake too?

She could've done a take on it, but IMDB has Aline Brosh McKenna and Chris Weitz as the credited writers.

Also look, I don't think Woolverton deserves all of the blame. She's doing her job. Disney and co. filmed it. Plus, we don't know how much the film changed over time and how it might've changed during filming, the editing room, etc.

I get the sense a lot was cut because...I got to be honest, Jolie feels like she's barely a character in the movie. She has that one fight sequence and then becomes the "evil" Maleficent. And even then it seems like she barely does or says anything at all.

 

[jmc]

LOL the last time I checked in on this thread everyone was pumped for this flick. Now it feels like the collective balloon has been popped. Such a shame, it really had some potential.

Did it really? This film made no sense to me from the outset.

 

[TheVileOne]

Maleficent - An Unusual Fairy Tale of Revenge

Pretty fair review and well thought out arguments.

Did it really? This film made no sense to me from the outset.

I think people were enamored with Jolie playing a classic Disney villain and how cool she looked and maybe learning more about this character.

I think it just goes back to some characters are just better without learning about "where they came from."

Just take the name itself. The name itself sounds like it should be the name of an evil demon or succubus. Maleficent sounds like some evil perversion of like Magnificent or Excellent. So maybe that should not have even been her real name. Doesn't sound like it should be the real name of a benevolent leader and protector of fairy tale and mythological creatures.

 

[jmc]

Villains especially don't need back stories explained in subsequent episodes. It's frankly pointless at best and at worst dilutes the character.

 

[-JKR-]

But most important, has anyone ever really that that hiring a first time director to helm a $200+ million dollar project by the producers of the recent Oz (which I did actually enjoy) and Alice in Wonderland (which may as well be Tim Burton's worst movie yet) would be a good idea?

Everything I've seen from the movie looked more like a perfume commercial than a movie to me.

 

[TheVileOne]

While some fans online may not like Alice in Wonderland, the movie was a huge hit and it's getting a sequel. Oz, the Great and Powerful also made a over half a billion dollars worldwide, so that's a win for Disney.

 

[-JKR-]

I'm not talking box office. I'm talking about the actual movies' quality. Alice was pretty bland, and that had Tim Burton attached to direct (and I'm not a die-hard fan of the material who was offended by it, I just thought it was a mediocre movie). Imagine the same production team with a first time director - that's what I wanted to say! So far it seems that Maleficent is doing fine at the box office, aswell. At least in Italy it's gone straight to #1 this weekend.

 

[TheVileOne]

I get it man, but from a Disney standpoint it's a good idea that the makers of these movies want to do an idea like that and reboot a classic property starring an Academy Award winning actress and huge superstar like Jolie. Not saying I agree with you in principal, but in the officers, this is how it works out.

Now look, do I think Lone Ranger and spending hundreds of millions of dollars on it was a good idea? No, I don't. But Disney made it because the team that gave them Pirates of the Caribbean were all on board and wanted to do it. They asked them to cut down the budget...they did, though it still ended up going over budget later. So it's like, OK the guys that launched one of our biggest franchises are all reunited together and they really want to do this, can we really say no?

 

[WC Avengers]

OMG! just seen Maleficent with my daughter. WOW! this film is awesome, we loved it.


This is the summer blockbuster people have been waiting for,

Just WOW!

 

[WC Avengers]

BTW! lots of families and theatre was packed, stopped into an Xmen theatre and it was a quarter **** at best.

 

[Dark Raven]

Pretty fair review and well thought out arguments.



I think people were enamored with Jolie playing a classic Disney villain and how cool she looked and maybe learning more about this character.

I think it just goes back to some characters are just better without learning about "where they came from."

Just take the name itself. The name itself sounds like it should be the name of an evil demon or succubus. Maleficent sounds like some evil perversion of like Magnificent or Excellent. So maybe that should not have even been her real name. Doesn't sound like it should be the real name of a benevolent leader and protector of fairy tale and mythological creatures.

I think it's a portmanteau of Malevolent and Magnificent. And yes, it doesn't sound like it should be a heroic name. In fact, it could be one of the best-sounding villain names invented. Even the name itself sounds scary.

I don't mind knowing where she came from, but I would prefer that it doesn't turn out she's actually benevolent (otherwise she should be called Beneficent) but that we just see her journey to the dark side. Maybe she could even have originally been called Beneficent (a really good and benevolent fairy who looked beautiful and not scary at all) but her turn to the dark side also involved a change of name to something more malevolent, and her physical appearance changed as a result of dabbling in the dark arts or striking up some kind of deal where she sold her soul.

 

[terry78]

Beneficent sounds like something they would've said in the 19th century, like one of those words people don't use anymore.

"I must say that trip to the haberdasher was quit beneficent."

 

[mclay18]

She could've done a take on it, but IMDB has Aline Brosh McKenna and Chris Weitz as the credited writers.

It seems like Cinderella is a straightforward version of the 1953 film (with a modern feminist bend) than Maleficent is. I'm actually looking forward to that one, with Kenneth Branagh involved.

 

[TheVileOne]

It seems like Cinderella is a straightforward version of the 1953 film (with a modern feminist bend) than Maleficent is. I'm actually looking forward to that one, with Kenneth Branagh involved.

What does feminist bent mean though? Didn't Drew Barrymore already do that version then with a sword-fighting Cinderella?