Maleficent: Mistress of Evil Continues Disney’s Streak of Bad Remakes
I was a fan of the first Maleficent. It’s what I would call “reimagining” an old Disney movie, Sleeping Beauty, and add an interesting twist to it by focusing on the villain instead of the hero, Maleficent (Angelina Jolie). I was looking forward to the sequel, knowing it was directed by Joachim Rønning, one of the co-directors of the very fun & lively Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Like that movie, the film was going to have the aspect ratio of 1.90:1 exclusively for IMAX screens opened up for the entire film. I was very much looking forward to sitting down and experiencing the world of Maleficent once more….Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy.
We should start with the positives, because there are some. I will say I do like Angelina Jolie as Maleficent — she’s compelling in every scene she’s in and makes every badly written one slightly more interesting than they are. The best scene with her performance is the dinner scene where she is invited by Prince Phillip (Harris Dickinson)’s family (Michelle Pfeiffer & Robert Lindsay). The sequence is mediocre, to say the least, until Maleficent forbids the alliance between Aurora (Elle Fanning) and Phillip. The IMAX ratio enhances the sequence, and the sound makes it more engulfing than it already is. Jolie is the only good actress making a fine performance in the movie, all of the other actors embarass themselves completely. I did like Chiwetel Ejiofor as Conall (I actually had to look up the name, because I don’t remember once they say who he is), spewing the most interesting exposition lines of the entire film, but, unfortunately for him, his screen-time is maximum 15 minutes. He gets killed (in such a horrible action sequence) and then his powers gets transfered to Maleficent (?) (Is that it?) for the final climax of the film.
And the climax of the film is visually enthralling. There are some instances of absolutely horrible (and unfinished) CGI (mind you, this movie was supposed to come out in 2020), but there are also instances of visual wonder, especially the “red fairy-killing powder”, which makes for great use of the IMAX aspect ratio and fantastic eye-candy. There are some childishly irritating moments in the action sequence (and in the entire film, involving the three fairies played by Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple and Lesley Manville). One of the most childish and cringe moments in the entire film involves getting the creatures of the Moors in a chapel so a crazed lady can play the organ and kill them with the red power. That scene is absolutely atrocious and I have no idea what it’s doing in an otherwise sumptuous climax. The overacting, however, is present. With Michelle Pfeiffer giving, in my opinion, the worst performance of her career as Queen Ingirth, a crazed bitch who curses her husband (and frames Maleficent for it) and wants to eradicate the Moors in a trap disguised as a wedding between Aurora and Phillip. Fanning does overact a lot, especially in the scene in which Maleficent gets “killed” #ThanosStyle. Elle Fanning is better than this, she doesn’t need Maleficent: Mistress of Evil to make an impact of her career, The Neon Demon solidified that. Pfeiffer might get a razzie nomination, her performance is that bad.
And there’s nothing else to talk about. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is a soulless, vapid and ugly sequel to a pretty good remake. Those that expect Maleficent: Mistress of Evil to have a lot of action will be severely disappointed. The pacing is 90% walking and talking, flying and talking, sitting and talking, walking to a location so you can sit down to do some talking, people sitting and talking, while someone else is standing and talking, etc., etc. But the “talking” sequences aren’t interesting, they are rather boring and sucks the life and energy that the first Maleficent had. Aside from a good Angelina Jolie and Chiwetel Ejiofor (but wasted) plus a thrilling climax, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil doesn’t soar as the first one did. But please, Bob Iger, “No more remakes! We’re all tired of remakes! STOP!”
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