Maleficent

This movie was exactly what I was expecting, and maybe even a little better. This deserves a good four stars, but when you look at all aspects of it, including the excellent Angelina Jolie (I just love her voice), it comes up to a full set of five. Maleficent surprised me in terms of story; I had expected it to pan out a little differently, but that doesn’t matter. The special effects were absolutely amazing and very true-to-life; they certainly added a lot to this movie. And as for Maleficent herself (who you can’t help rooting for, especially with Angie behind the mask), she is magnificent on the screen, as I wrote earlier on. (05/06/2014)

Avatar style. Maleficent really looks like she is off to fight Pandora, and in modern Snow White style, she tries to persuade us that she was right to be mad at the king. And it works. Angelina’s acting is excellent and so I found the rather lackluster Sharlto Copley disappointing (although in truth he didn’t have much of a part to play). I don’t know if incessant updating will work with all fairytales, but so far it seems to be going well. (26/08/2014)

Representatives of American studios will probably find my well-intentioned advice unconvincing, but just in case, here you go: When you next want to rehabilitate a fairy tale archvillain, don't skimp and hire a capable screenwriter alongside the cast and crew. I have nothing against alternative stories and different perspectives - I can even accept a gingerbread house being portrayed as a raid by ill-behaved imps destroying an old witch's dwelling, who in a sudden burst of emotion decides to deal with her lack of protein. Just write and film it in a way that makes sense within the context of the fairy tale world and its rules. Unfortunately, Maleficent fails in this aspect. The king, who faces a curse from his only daughter, the queen of the magical world, doesn't have her guarded like his most precious possession by an army of servants, but instead entrusts her upbringing to three clearly inept and quarrelsome fairies - representatives of the world with which he is at war. Nobody watches over the girl, and she regularly meets with the queen of the magical realm without any problems. Except for Maleficent, the other characters are underdeveloped, and in the end, the film relies on traditional Hollywood weapons - set design and special effects. Angelina handles her part with ease, while the other actors don't bring much to the table. I'm somewhat bothered by the visual style that caters to kids and the biggest kitsch enthusiasts. But then again, what can I expect from a family spectacle? Overall impression: 45%. (10/05/2017)

Maleficent is another in a series of new adaptations fairytale classics that haven't aged with time, and as a lover of Disney films, I couldn't pass up such a feat. And I have to say that this film is beautifully stylized, they really took care not only on the production design, but also on the look of the characters, both human and mythical. I’ve never been a fan of Angelina Jolie, I was quite put off by her Lara Croft, but this role really suited her perfectly and won my sympathy. As has been mentioned in other reviews here, I also liked the development of the relationship between Aurora and Maleficent, which for me was the centre of the whole story and was handled brilliantly. Who really is the villain in this story? Not everything is as it seems! Finally, I must not forget to mention the magical song "Once Upon a Dream" by Lana Del Rey. All in all, a very well made film which, like all fairy tales, offers a clash between good and evil, alongside a nice audio-visual experience and a likeable cast. (03/06/2014)

I was expecting a good fairytale, but this exceeded my expectations. It is a beautiful story that truly is a fairytale, but there are dark passages, and at times it is quite rough, but it is connected with humor, sensitivity, and also with excellent Angelina Jolie. The only thing that ruined the impression for me were the people in the cinema who needed to express too loudly how much they see in the story and how much they understand it. And no, I'm not talking about children, but about adults. The visual aspect is absolutely captivating, the creators really did a great job. Those monsters are divine. (02/07/2014)