It took five years for Disney to produce a continuation to their hit film Maleficent but now a sequel to the first movie has finally arrived with Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil. Since the release of the first Maleficent, Disney has been on a terror of releasing live-action Disney remakes of their classics such as Cinderella, The Jungle Book, Beauty And The Beast, Dumbo, Aladdin, and The Lion King. The first Maleficent was loosely based upon Charles Perrault's original fairy tale as well as Disney's 1959 animated classic Sleeping Beauty. The story differed from the original animated tale by telling the story from Maleficent's perspective, showing both her conflicting relationship with the princess and king of a corrupt kingdom. While the first Maleficent wasn't exactly a great movie and received mixed reviews upon it's release, the story worked because of Angelina Jolie's strong performance with her ultimately proving to be a great choice for the iconic role. She succeeded in taking the character of Maleficent and making her both understandable and sympathetic, showing audiences that deep down underneath the surface of her persona, there is a good person underneath that cares about her goddaughters well-being. The first Maleficent was not only a box office smash but earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Costume Design. Now five years into the live-action adaptation trend that Maleficent began with its surprise success, a sequel that picks up the story from where the first Maleficent left off has arrived and thankfully, it does not disappoint. Mistress Of Evil is not only an entertaining sequel to the first film, it also manages to be a stronger movie and improves on the storytelling of the first film with Angelina Jolie delivering an equally strong performance in the main role.
The plot for Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil takes place a total of five years after the events of the first film with Dark Fey (Played once again by Angelina Jolie) raising her human godddaughter Aurora (Played by Elle Fanning) to become the Queen of the Moors. When Aurora excitingly accepts a marriage proposal from Prince Philip (Played by Harris Dickinson) in hopes of uniting their two kingdoms, little does she know that Philip's mother (Played by Michelle Pfeiffer) may not actually be supportive of them. The storyline for Mistress Of Evil does a very good job of continuing from where the previous film left off with it almost feeling like no time has passed from where the first film ended. What the sequel does well that serves as an improvement over the first film, is giving a more interesting story that really makes the audience connect with the characters here while continuing their journeys. One of the biggest issues with the first Maleficent was outside of Jolie's performance, the film as a whole felt bland and not very interesting besides the main character study. Here, that's not the case as the sequel expands on Dark Fey's relationship with her human goddaughter, while having more interesting subplots incorporated surrounding their arc such as tension between the two families with Fey being at odds with Philips mother, as well as the conflict between the humans and the fairies with Philips mother scheming to wipe them out with a sinister plot. Michelle Pfeiffer proves to be a worthy addition to the cast and proves to be a worthy foe to Angelina Jolie's character. The film carries with it a strong cast that's accompanied by impressive visuals, brilliant cinematography, an improved story that builds upon the universe established with the previous film, that works well as being a two part story arc involving these characters.While the film has some issues that hold it back from being a truly great Disney flick, Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil feels like a step in the right direction for the franchise as a whole with the sequel feeling like the filmmakers took notes regarding what worked and what didn't with the first movie to craft a stronger film this time around.
One of the key elements that makes the film work is the performances with the main cast. The actors go a long way here in terms of injecting much needed energy into their parts, bringing a breath of fresh air as well as magic to the story. Angelina Jolie reprises her role of playing Maleficent and once again delivers a strong performance, that commands the screen when the film focuses on her character. She is terrific here as Dark Fey and proves to be perfect casting as she continues to craft a more complexed and beautiful picture of a misunderstood godmother. Elle Fanning does a very good job once again as Aurora, making the audience care about her character as well as her relationship with Maleficent. Her chemistry with Jolie remains spot-on with both working great off each other and continuing to make the audience invested in their mother-daughter relationship. Michelle Pfeiffer delivers a scene-stealing performance as Philips conniving mother, portraying all the right mannerisms of her character perfectly. Harris Dickinson shines as Prince Philip and shares solid chemistry with both Michelle Pfeiffer and Elle Fanning, making the audience believe that he's the son of Pfeiffer's character as well as the lover of Aurora. Sam Riley does well in his supporting role as shape-shifter and loyal companion to Maleficent, Diavai, with surprisingly good performances from Chiwetel Ejiofor as Conall, friend and ally to Maleficent. Juno Temple, Imelda Staunton, and Robert Lindsay as King John all deliver strong supporting roles with the cast as a whole being one of the films strongest points that doesn't disappoint. A big part of why the story works well here, is due to the energy, enthusiasm, and believability that the actors bring to the roles.
In terms of the films directing, director Joachim Ronning takes over the directing reigns from Robert Stromberg, who did a serviceable job helming the first one. Whereas Stromberg focused on a quieter and more personal story revolving around the relationship between Maleficent and Aurora, Ronning takes the work Stromberg established and upgrades it making the story more broader in terms of scope. Ronning puts the films visual world on full display here making the background stunning to watch with beautiful background as well as costume design and make-up effects, While Joachim allows the world the characters are in room to grow and be explored in the film, he makes sure to keep the film focused on two main characters, Maleficent and the Queen. The moments where those two are on the screen together, the audience gets their full moneys worth as Ronning keeps the directing steady and allows the performances to dominate the setting of those scenes. Ronning follows the classic Disney formula with the sequel such as setting up the conflict between the two with Maleficent, as imperfect as she comes across, being the heroine of the story with an extra push from her goddaughter and Pfeiffer's character being set-up early on to be the films main antagonist. Their performances are complimented by the films gorgeous scenery, that's often a technical marvel to witness, especially if one watches the film on the big screen. The creatures are handled so well with them being colorful and their world breathtaking to see, Maleficent's world feels like a Disney version of Pandora from Avatar with the films climatic battle sequence being stunning to watch in a similar fashion to that films epic battle in its third act. Ronning goes to extreme lengths to make sure audiences get their moneys worth by spending more time in this mysterious yet exhilarating world with these interesting characters. He deliberately makes the sequel a bigger film than the first while making it a continuation of that films story, which is what a sequel should always strive to do. The pacing of the movie is perfect with the film moving at a relatively quick pace without ever feeling rushed nor moving too slow.
The films screenplay by Linda Woolverton, Micah Fitzerman-Blue, and Noah Harpster is strong enough to justify delivering a sequel that very few people asked for, but ends up justifying its existence by taking a not so great first movie and strengthening both its character and story arc. The writing not only builds on the universe established in the first movie, but stays true to the characters with Maleficent's arc feeling like it didn't miss a beat. She still remains the conflicted and misunderstood character, that tries to do good at Aurora's request such as trying to be friendly with Philip's family in order to smooth over the unity of the two kingdoms through his marriage to Aurora. Some of the themes that Mistress Of Evil tackle revolve around curses, war, true love, family, greed, tolerance, and civility with a final message that says striving for peace is always a worthy endeavor. The theme of peace is a big part of the films story with the whole marriage angle and binding of the two kingdoms together being centered around that concept. One thing that separates this Disney tale from other ones is how the female characters command the story without a male character assisting them. In the case of Prince Philip, he takes the role of being the love interest, whose left clueless regarding whats going on until the last minute whereas everyone else figures out his mothers intentions sooner. The key element that makes the story work for Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil, is that the film possesses a large dose of heart, moreso than the previous film and is a better structured film overall in terms of pacing and storytelling. The films only issue regarding the plot, is that it feels a bit similar to that of Disney's Pocahontas or James Camerons Avatar in a sense, but the directing and way the story is depicted makes it different enough to where it doesn't become a glaring issue over the rest of the film. Whereas the writing may come across as being cliched at times in regards to bringing the families and kingdom together (There is no originality present in this story but it works as an extension of the first films story), it still manages to work and make the audience care largely thanks to the performances of Jolie and Pfeiffer.
Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil is a surprisingly strong sequel, that manages to surpass its predecessor in quality, while extending the story well enough to make it an effective two part film arc. With the way both movies work off each other so well, there's almost no need for a third film. Angelina Jolie once again shines through in the main title role with her charm and charisma as she's both fun to watch and gives you a different perspective on a once hated now misunderstood character. Yes its true that the movies plot is not original and is borrowed from all the other hit Disney classics, but the presentation of it is what separates it from the others, and is what ultimately makes it stand on its own. The script carries with it romance, thrills, humor, suspense, and drama with characters that you end up caring for and want to experience their journey with them. With Mistress Of Evil, you really grow to like and appreciate these characters here as well as feel their emotion. As a piece of fantastical entertainment, this movie works and surprises in topping its predecessor in almost every way despite its minor flaws. The film is certainly darker and more intense than it's predecessor, but that's mainly because the story demands more compared to the previous film with the stakes being raised higher. With terrific acting performances (Particularly from Jolie and Pfeiffer), solid storytelling, steady direction, breathtaking visuals, brisk pacing, and themes that will hit home to audiences both young and old, Malificent: Mistress Of Evil is a welcomed addition to the Malificent story as it takes what worked about the previous film and gives audiences more, while crafting its own whacky yet extremely fun tale. With the way this story wraps, a third film is not necessary as both Malificent films work perfectly together as a two part story/film arc and sometimes that's all that's required.
Final Verdict: If you liked Malificent, you'll love Malificent: Mistress Of Evil. If you weren't too much of a fan of the first Malificent, the sequel will surprise and shock you with it's upgrade in quality. For Disney fans and lovers of Angelina Jolie, Malificent: Mistress Of Evil is a must see.
In terms of the films directing, director Joachim Ronning takes over the directing reigns from Robert Stromberg, who did a serviceable job helming the first one. Whereas Stromberg focused on a quieter and more personal story revolving around the relationship between Maleficent and Aurora, Ronning takes the work Stromberg established and upgrades it making the story more broader in terms of scope. Ronning puts the films visual world on full display here making the background stunning to watch with beautiful background as well as costume design and make-up effects, While Joachim allows the world the characters are in room to grow and be explored in the film, he makes sure to keep the film focused on two main characters, Maleficent and the Queen. The moments where those two are on the screen together, the audience gets their full moneys worth as Ronning keeps the directing steady and allows the performances to dominate the setting of those scenes. Ronning follows the classic Disney formula with the sequel such as setting up the conflict between the two with Maleficent, as imperfect as she comes across, being the heroine of the story with an extra push from her goddaughter and Pfeiffer's character being set-up early on to be the films main antagonist. Their performances are complimented by the films gorgeous scenery, that's often a technical marvel to witness, especially if one watches the film on the big screen. The creatures are handled so well with them being colorful and their world breathtaking to see, Maleficent's world feels like a Disney version of Pandora from Avatar with the films climatic battle sequence being stunning to watch in a similar fashion to that films epic battle in its third act. Ronning goes to extreme lengths to make sure audiences get their moneys worth by spending more time in this mysterious yet exhilarating world with these interesting characters. He deliberately makes the sequel a bigger film than the first while making it a continuation of that films story, which is what a sequel should always strive to do. The pacing of the movie is perfect with the film moving at a relatively quick pace without ever feeling rushed nor moving too slow.
Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil is a surprisingly strong sequel, that manages to surpass its predecessor in quality, while extending the story well enough to make it an effective two part film arc. With the way both movies work off each other so well, there's almost no need for a third film. Angelina Jolie once again shines through in the main title role with her charm and charisma as she's both fun to watch and gives you a different perspective on a once hated now misunderstood character. Yes its true that the movies plot is not original and is borrowed from all the other hit Disney classics, but the presentation of it is what separates it from the others, and is what ultimately makes it stand on its own. The script carries with it romance, thrills, humor, suspense, and drama with characters that you end up caring for and want to experience their journey with them. With Mistress Of Evil, you really grow to like and appreciate these characters here as well as feel their emotion. As a piece of fantastical entertainment, this movie works and surprises in topping its predecessor in almost every way despite its minor flaws. The film is certainly darker and more intense than it's predecessor, but that's mainly because the story demands more compared to the previous film with the stakes being raised higher. With terrific acting performances (Particularly from Jolie and Pfeiffer), solid storytelling, steady direction, breathtaking visuals, brisk pacing, and themes that will hit home to audiences both young and old, Malificent: Mistress Of Evil is a welcomed addition to the Malificent story as it takes what worked about the previous film and gives audiences more, while crafting its own whacky yet extremely fun tale. With the way this story wraps, a third film is not necessary as both Malificent films work perfectly together as a two part story/film arc and sometimes that's all that's required.
Final Verdict: If you liked Malificent, you'll love Malificent: Mistress Of Evil. If you weren't too much of a fan of the first Malificent, the sequel will surprise and shock you with it's upgrade in quality. For Disney fans and lovers of Angelina Jolie, Malificent: Mistress Of Evil is a must see.
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