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Maleficent, once more, pushes you to wonder why doesn’t Disney reinvent its villains rather than lazily remake its classics?

Director(s)		Joachim Rønning
Screenplay By		Micah Fitzerman-Blue, Noah Harpster, Linda Woolverton
Date Released (Theatrical)		10/17/19
Genre(s)		Action, Adventure, Romance, Fantasy
Good If You Like		Seeing Angelina Jolie Being A Bad Ass Fairy Tale Creatures A Showcase Of Tolerance & Love Despite Differences
Noted Cast
Philip	Harris Dickinson
Aurora	Elle Fanning
King John	Robert Lindsay
Maleficent	Angelina Jolie
Queen Ingrith	Michelle Pfeiffer
Diaval	Sam Riley
Knotgrass	Imelda Staunton
Thistlewit	Juno Temple
Fittle	Lesley Manville
Conall	Chiwetel Ejiofor
Borra	Ed Skrein

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Plot Summary/ Review

With Phillip proposing to Aurora, this caused great cheer for many and disdain for others. The various faeries, and Philip’s father, King John? They are joyous. However, when it comes to Maleficent and Philip’s mother Queen Ingrith? Totally different story. But with Maleficent desiring not to lose Aurora, she grins it, with Diaval assisting her to come off friendly and human.

This, unfortunately, doesn’t make it so the engagement party can go well. For with Ingrith having nefarious plans, all that was supposed to go well ends up ruined. Just so she can prove herself right and attempt to seem righteous in the days ahead.

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Highlights

It’s An Emotional Journey

As shown in the original, Maleficent isn’t so much someone hard to love as she is someone who fears being vulnerable in any sense of the word. So the idea of her human being with another, living with another, and being claimed by another, you can understand how this would upset her. After all, humanity has already taken so much from her, and forced her to snatch it back, and surely Maleficent has no desire to repeat the past.

Making the idea of Maleficent thinking Aurora would choose humans and turn her back on her heartbreaking. Primarily due to this entry, unlike the first, lacking filler and primarily focusing on the only thing which makes Maleficent vulnerable: Aurora.

The Three Stooges Play A Smaller Role

Thankfully, Knotgrass (Imelda Staunton), Thistlewit (Juno Temple), and Flittle (Lesley Manville) play minor roles in this film – the kind which seem obligatory beyond anything else. Thus making it seem the movie took out one of the major annoyances of the first film to focus on all the things it did well.

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The Two Hours Are Wisely Used

Which is, beyond creating an emotional journey, building a world which fleshes out the kingdom, its surrounding areas, and the beings which inhabit it. For with us being introduced to more fae creatures than ever before, and seeing a massive war, you’d be surprised how quickly those two hours pass. This isn’t to say you are left wanting more, but the film does end at the perfect time.

On The Fence

Queen Ingrith

In many ways, as Maleficent was allowed to seem three dimensional through this retelling of Sleeping Beauty, you can see Queen Ingrith is supposed to be framed as a complicated figure as well. However, while we are told a lot, and are led to understand the reasoning behind Ingrith’s actions, we don’t see enough or truly get beyond Ingrith’s malice to say she isn’t a two-dimensional villain you are just waiting to get her comeuppance.

Overall: Positive (Worth Seeing)

While Maleficent: Mistress of Evil doesn’t belong in the category of unnecessary sequels, if you weren’t a fan of the original, I’m not sure this entry will convince you to check out the sequel. But, with that said, this film does what sequels are supposed to do in being better than their predecessor, and it also reminds you of the potential many of Disney’s villains could have if given their proper due diligence.

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Maleficent: Mistress of Evil Ending Explained, Recapped, and Spoiled

Queen Ingrith, before being coerced to marry King John, was a princess of another kingdom that bordered the Moor people. Said kingdom dealt with famine, and so, naturally, with such splendor right next door, there were attempts to take, maybe talk, to the Moors. However, with her brother being killed, and father preaching peace, her kingdom was overthrown.

So later on, when Maleficent made herself known, she began the story of the evil witch to set up the opportunity to go to war with the Moors and eradicate them. This she nearly does for using the flowers, that come from the graves of pixies, with this powder, she finds a way to quickly destroy the magic of any fairy, even the powerful dark fae, like Maleficent, with the simplest substance.

But, how can one have a war and use such a weapon without being provoked? So, using Aurora, and an invite to Maleficent for an engagement dinner, she sets Maleficent up to appear that she cursed King John and being that Aurora is a f***ing idiot, she thinks the ever so jealous Maleficent cursed King John and doesn’t believe her when she says she does.

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This leads to Maleficent escaping, being shot by one of Ingrith’s minions, and nearly dying, until she is rescued by Conall and the remaining members of the dark fae. People who are rather large in number when we see them, but after many lost wars with humans, we’re told they are all that remains. Hence why Borra craves war, and with it being revealed Maleficent is the most powerful of all dark fae, a phoenix, she is looked to as a leader for this war.

One that is had, during what should be Aurora’s wedding, where she is trapped in her room, after discovering the weapons Ingrith has made. But, while the dark fae attack, the regular fae, the tree people and all those who we saw in the first film, they are being massacred. In fact, until Maleficent shows up, it seems Ingrith is going to get her genocide.

However, Maleficent evens the scales, and with seeing Philip refuse to kill Borra, Aurora help the fae, and then Aurora confronts Ingrith and calls Maleficent her mother, the war ends. Especially since Ingrith technically kills Maleficent but only for a moment. For with her being a phoenix, she can’t be killed, so she is revived, and with that, Ingrith flings Aurora from the tower they stand on, and due to everyone seeing Maleficent save Aurora, they realize what was said about her wasn’t true.

Leaving us to see Ingrith turned into a goat, Aurora, and Philip getting married, with hints of a baby on the way, and Maleficent breaking the spindle curse. The one Ingrith used to incapacitate the king, making it appear he died or at least was cursed by Maleficent. Oh, and as for how Ingrith’s husband and son feel about her being turned into a goat? Well, they don’t seem to care.

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Is A Sequel Possible?

Considering all we learn about the dark fae this go around, a prequel would make more sense than a sequel. Granted, the downfall of the dark fae would be a sad tale, but considering how the original Maleficent weaved in and out the original story, one could imagine a prequel doing the same with the 2014 film and connecting all three together.