‘Maleficent: Mistress of Evil’ expands the world, story of the first film

Posted on October 25, 2019

By MARK VIOLA

Disney’s “Maleficent” was a quite enjoyable movie in 2014, turning the classic tale of “Sleeping Beauty” on its head, telling the story from the perspective of Maleficent (Angelina Jolie).

I praised the film for Jolie’s performance as well as the story’s world-building, expanding on the original tale in interesting ways, even if it was ultimately hampered somewhat by the necessity of including the spinning-wheel curse.

Now we have “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil,” picking up the story five years later, with Maleficent godmother to Aurora (Elle Fanning), who is serving as queen of the Moors, home of the fairies and fey. Although Prince Philip (Harris Dickinson, “Beach Rats”) wasn’t able to wake Aurora in the last film, they are continuing their romance, and Philip proposes to her. While Philip’s father John (Robert Lindsay, “Galavant”) welcomes the union, his mother Ingrith (Michelle Pfeiffer, “Ant-Man and the Wasp”) is suspicious of Maleficent and the other fey. When something goes terribly wrong in the castle, Maleficient appears at fault, driving a wedge between her and Aurora and potentially sparking a war, especially after Maleficent discovers there are other dark fey like herself, and many of them are more than willing to take up the fight.

This film expands the world even more with a story that feels much less constrained by the original fairy tale. For parents, let me say this film has a stronger action edge, and the battles can be quite intense, but it didn’t seem to bother the children who were in the showing I was watching.

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