"Maleficent" (2014)

This is a quite a different take on the classic story of “Sleeping Beauty”. Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) grew up with the other fairies, a beautiful and pure-hearted young girl with an idyllic life in the peaceful forrest kingdom. She makes a friend, a human, and they grow very close. However, following the invasion of an army threatening to distrupt the peace where she lives, Maleficent experiences a terrible betrayal in her new friend. Years pass, and he is now king. Still extremely hurt, and bent on revenge, Maleficent decides to place a curse on the king’s new born daughter, Aurora. As Aurora grows, Maleficent finds herself unwittingly growing quite fond of the girl…

Well, it certainly puts a whole new spin on the original Sleeping Beauty. I always liked the original. Even now I still enjoy it. The fairy god mothers are great entertainment!! And I like the song "I know you I walked with you once upon a dream..." But I love the new slant this film has brought to it now! Maleficent's character is not all as bad as she had once been made out. And this is why I liked this film. 

Some of the scenes were actually quite sad. The moment in which Maleficent realises she has been betrayed and her wings are cut off her back, was a heartbreaking moment. It really was. I felt so angry with him for doing it to her for absolutely no justifiable reason! I loved the relationship that formed between her and Aurora as the film went on. It was sweet.

I never realised while I was watching it that Angelina Jolie's own daughter, Vivienne, plays the younger Aurora while she's growing up with the fairies in the cottage in the forest. There's a scene where she walks up to Maleficent and asks for a hug even though Maleficent is sort of telling her to go away because she doesn't like children, but she gives her the hug anyway. The little girl (Vivienne) is really cute! That was another moment in the movie I liked a lot.

My only disgruntlement was the randomness of Prince Philip entering the proceedings. In the original, he was introduced as a young boy attending Aurora's christening. While in this film he seems to just appear with no tremendous explanation as to where he came from! I was kinda hoping Maleficent's crow (who in this film has the ability to turn into a man) might turn out to be the Prince Philip, it just would have been far sweeter since he grew up watching out for her with Maleficent...but alas, not.

(Oh...I hope I haven't spoiled it now for those who haven't seen it yet!)

I would recommend this film. As with any Disney movie, any age will enjoy it, I think! And then if you’re like me, you’ll have to go back and watch the original Sleeping Beauty again to compare(!) In short, this is an enjoyable movie.

TRAILER: