Movie Review: High Drama and Higher Cheekbones in "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil"

Can Angelina Jolie’s cheekbones get a 5/5?

When Maleficent hit screens in 2014, it was somewhat refreshing. The character of Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) wasn’t a traditional Disney protagonist, what with her cursing Princess Aurora (Elle Fanning) to an eternal slumber and all. We all knew the story, as told in Sleeping Beauty, yet we didn’t know the trauma and loneliness that plagued our "Mistress of Evil", now detailed in this reboot. That was new, and quite fun to see.

Its sequel, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, is definitely fun, but it’s not entirely new.

This latest feature, helmed by incoming director Joachim Rønning (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales), picks up where his predecessor, Robert Stromberg, left off. Aurora is Queen of the Moors, bonded with her godmother, Maleficent. She's also still smitten with Prince Phillip (Harris Dickinson, replacing Brenton Thwaites). A planned distraction leads Aurora to Phillip, where he is nervously waiting to pop the question. She accepts the Prince’s proposal, much to the dismay of Maleficent, who evidently isn’t ready to let her goddaughter go. And so, the predictable drama ensues.

There’s nothing entirely wrong with this plot. The predictability can be forgiven when you take into consideration it’s a PG Disney film. Perhaps what’s lacking here is the emotional punch that propelled the original movie into refreshingly dark territory. If you’ve seen Maleficent, you’ll remember the scene where the formidable Queen has her wings sliced off by Stefan (Sharlto Copley), symbolic of a sexual assault. Of course, Stefan reached his end before Mistress of Evil. Still, it would have been interesting to see the sequel address these overtones in some way, or include a comparable antagonist. Some might say it’s not the role of a Disney movie intended for young audiences to do that. Or, others might interpret Maleficent’s mistrust of Prince Phillip and deep cynicism towards love as stemming from her own personal trauma.

Either way, none of this stops the sequel from being enjoyable. In fact, if you’re into spectacularly high cheekbones and dramatic stares, it might be the most enjoyable 118 minutes of your life. Jolie brings a superb amount of heart to Maleficent this time around, and halfway through the film, she embodies some sort of gothic/fallen-angel-Queen aesthetic, which is stunning to see.

As for Fanning, she does as beautiful job as possible with the strong, emotionally charged Aurora, and Michelle Pfeiffer completely fulfils her role as the utterly infuriating Queen Ingrith. Pfeiffer’s character is a little underdeveloped, however. She wreaks havoc for Maleficent and Aurora, but when her motivations are revealed, they feel lacklustre and unoriginal. Considering the first Maleficent was intended to be a fairytale retold from the villain’s perspective, presenting Queen Ingrith in such a two-dimensionally evil way seems somewhat misplaced. We’ve already explored the complexity behind deeming Maleficent a "villain", so it begs the question: Do not all villains deserve the same redemption? Maybe that’s a distinction screenwriters Noah Harpster and Micah Fitzerman-Blue want you to make yourself.

While Queen Ingrith’s character might lack substance, the production most certainly doesn't. Visually, there’s a lot going on here. Ronning has created an intricate world that kind of makes your eyes hurt and blows your mind all at once. One battle scene involving red smoke clouds even reminded me of the Battle of Crait in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, so there’s that too.

Even if Mistress of Evil isn’t as groundbreaking as the original, it does contain powerful messages about family: Loving the people around you is not always easy, but it can also be transformative. There comes a time where you need to let go of your insecurities, and trust in the bonds you’ve created with others. If you watch Maleficent: Mistress of Evil with that in mind, you’ll probably want to pack tissues.

3/5

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil arrives in Australian cinemas 17 October 2019. It is rated PG for mild fantasy themes and violence.