A light fantasy film - 6/10

by The Movie Inspector

A light fantasy film, Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil works as a fun yet unnecessary sequel that has lots of fun moments and colorful visuals. Angelina Jolie shines again as the titular character yet the thin plot doesn’t really allow the film to stand out. 

 

So the sequel to 2014’s ‘Maleficent’ proves to be quite entertaining despite being clearly unnecessary, and delivers a fun family-friendly adventure. The setting is just as majestic as the first movie, with the colorful enchanted forest and splendid creatures. The greatest asset in the film though is the cast, Angelina Jolie fabulously retuned with a flair, while Michelle Pfeiffer was a great addition. ‘Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil’ follows Maleficent and Aurora after a dispute stirs lots of problems ahead of the princess’ wedding. 

Most of the characters are fun to watch and follow, and the great performances really aid that. There is also a lovely atmosphere paired with a warm soundtrack that solidify that Disney magic and transport you to a wonderful world for a few hours. We revisit the world of the film in a smooth matter during the opening scene but soon after that the movie runs into issues as it faces trouble to launch its story in its desired direction. Therefore, what drives the story and creates the setup feels forced and sketchy. That drive feels unbalanced throughout the runtime but manages to tell a decent story.

The runtime may feel a little lengthy but the redeeming qualities from acting to technicalities manage to make up for that. Additionally, the visual effects and production design are pretty impressive and beautiful. The inclusion of Maleficent’s heritage could’ve been handled more effectively had the script received a better treatment. Despite many issues the film faced, I managed to have a good time watching it, mainly due to the mood. Lots of cute creatures are there to uplift the scenes. So it still manages to be entertaining and mainly a film that all family members can enjoy without thinking about too deeply.

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