Maleficent

It is the age of Dark Fantasy and the age of setting the record straight in the world of fairy tales.  Or at least that’s what Robert Stromberg begins by saying in his attempt to direct a contemporary version of a classic fairy tale.  This time it is the turn of Princess Aurora or what most of you would better know as – Sleeping Beauty.

Stromberg, mind you is a multiple Academy Award nominated and twice Oscar winner (Avatar / Alice in Wonderland(2010)) for Art Direction.  In that context, Maleficent is nothing short of magnificent (OK I know that was a corny line but in my defence – it fits.  No?).  What stands out in brilliance is the wall that Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) creates to separate the Moors (the magical world) from the human world.

Many years ago, the world was divided into exactly these two parts.  The Humans were ruled by a king whose objective was to control everything.  The Moors – they had no king.  They were a whole bunch of beautiful and magical people living in complete harmony.  They didn’t need a king.  But they did respect the gorgeous angel called Maleficent (Isobelle Molloy).

Along the way, Maleficent does have some human contact in the form of the ambitious orphan Stefan (Michael Higgins / Jackson Bews / Sharlto Copley) whose dream is to stay in the palace.  Stefan and Maleficent fall in love and share love’s first kiss.  But Stefan does a Houdini after that.  Maleficent stays in the hope that he will come back.  He does, but with not a good intent in mind.

Maleficent is Stromberg’s first movie as a director and to that extent it shows.  Stromberg is exceptional in terms of visual effects and art direction of course.  But as a director, he has some way to go.  Maleficent is a slow movie with minor parts where it finds a new gear only to get back to neutral momentarily.

The movie is of course propped up very well with Angelina Jolie’s stellar performance as the “once bitten twice shy” Maleficent.  She brings out the multiple Shades of Grey in her character extremely well especially when she finds herself torn in between the happy Aurora and her desire for revenge.  It is great to see Jolie back on the big screen after a 4 year hiatus.

Maleficent is a great movie thanks to the effects and some of the performances.  If only, Stromberg would have paid more attention to the dialogue and the pace, we would have had a truly superb movie.  Instead, we are left with a visual treat with some flashes of brilliance.  Definitely worth a watch but on the big screen only.  One time.  6 on 10.

Watch the trailer on http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1449634329/?ref_=tt_ov_vi