Maleficent 2: Mistress of Evil (2019)
SPOILER WARNING: spoilers for both movies (I couldn’t help it)
Maleficent 2: Mistress of Evil (2019) is a sequel to Maleficent (2014). Both movies are based on the story of Sleeping Beauty, focusing on the Maleficent, the "evil queen," the mistress of evil.
If you haven’t watched the first film, stop right here and go watch it. It’s amazing. I know I hate watching and reading stuff out of order, but maybe you don't mind.
I loved this movie, and as soon as it ended I thought I was ready to write a review. But, it’s taken me a while to finish it because I haven’t quite figured out how to explain why I love both Maleficent movies so much. They are fun, action-packed movie that ended up holding a deeper message than I was able to explore all at once.
Maleficent (2014)
The movie starts with a cheerful, kind girl with beautiful wings and magical powers. This fae goes by Maleficent (Angelina Jolie). She lives among other fae in the Moors, a magical forest.
One day, she meets a human boy named Stefan (Sharlto Copley) when he wanders into the forest. Over years, they fall in love.
Then, the humans attack the Moors.
Maleficent isn't a child anymore. She doesn’t want to hurt anyone, but she knows she must protect the fae who cannot protect themselves. Humans see her self-defense as an act of war because what else would they expect of a monster who had never bothered them before?
The dying king offers his throne and the hand of his daughter to anyone who could kill Maleficent. Stefan's greed and stupidity proved stronger than his love for Maleficent and his honor.
He drugs Maleficent and cuts off her wings. Jolie’s acting in the scene of the morning in which Maleficent wakes up with her wings stolen is absolutely haunting. She screams out in agony, betrayed by the only human she had ever known, loved, or trusted. It was a violation of her trust and of her body. I don't think I have to spell out how this imitates real life.
With her wings, Stefan takes her freedom, her strength, and her happiness. She becomes someone else without them, someone dark and merciless. She bottles up her fear and sadness and grows hatred out of it. That is how she becomes the evil witch that curses her assailant, the new king’s, baby, Aurora (Elle Fanning) at the Christening she was famously not invited to.
Maleficent: the Mistress of Evil (2019) In the second movie, Aurora , Princess of the Moors- who grew to become like a daughter to Maleficent in the first movie- is marrying Prince Phillip (Brenton Thwaites in first movie, Harris Dickinson in the second) and they hope to reign over both the human kingdom and the Moors. Of course, things do not go as planned. The story paints a vivid picture of how dangerous lies can be and how easily they can spread. There is a central theme of the battle of good vs. evil and just how much overlap there is. This is a concept I am exploring in the fiction I am writing. I find it fascinating. People do bad things for good reasons and good things for bad reasons, and sometimes we make decisions without knowing the whole story. And that leads us back the first theme of lies.
I think this was a great sequel and a great movie. As a sequel, it followed the story appropriately. It made sense both chronologically and the characters were consistent, but it still stood on its own. I would say it is darker, conceptually. As a movie, it was incredible. All of it: the costumes, the set design, the CGIs, the stunts and the world-building- it was all incredible. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.
Characters
I loved Maleficent character. I think she was written brilliant. I cannot not, unfortunately, extend such praise to all of the characters. There isn't a ton of interesting dialogue or many lines at all in the movie, but there was so much to look at that I didn’t care which I'm not sure I've ever said before.
Queen Ingris (Michelle Pfeiffer)
I was impressed by the villain, Queen Ingris (Michelle Pfeiffer). She had a backstory (mentioned briefly, but solid) and a strong motive to do what she did. Most importantly, she was smart. She didn’t get so far with her plan by sheer luck (that drives me crazy). She started a real, full-on war all by herself without anyone realizing that she was doing it. She was ruthless.
All of that is why I hated the resolution she got stuck with. I feel like the writers failed her. When they could have done anything with her ending, they tried to... make it funny? I’m not saying she should have been killed, but there’s a moment when she falls facedown in the dirt and looks up like a pissy brat when she stood up. It was an injustice to her character and diluted her power. It was flat out unsatisfying.
Aurora (Elle Fanning) and Phillip (Harris Dickinson)
Aurora, Princess of the Moors (Elle Fanning) and Prince Phillip of Ulstead (Brenton Thwaites in first movie, Harris Dickinson in the second) are pretty placeholders. Their characters served their purpose (they are crucial to the plot) but were very bland.
Diaval - Maleficent's right hand man- well, sometimes man, sometimes raven.
"And in return for saving my life, I am your servant. Whatever you need." - Diaval to Maleficent.
... He's Maleficent friend, partner, [and] loyal servant... After being saved by [a wingless] Maleficent as a raven, he agreed to be her servant and act as her 'wings,''" ("Diaval," Maleficent Wiki, fandom.com).
Diaval is a small character, played by Sam Riley. He is important. For one, he is the only friend Maleficent can always count on. He stays by her side when everyone else runs in fear. He is one of the only people who ever really know why she is the way she is. And in the end, while she might not always be in the mood to admit it, she cares for him, too.
Diaval is very honest and provides comic relief. Him and Maleficent often bicker like an old married couple.
Maleficent
Maleficent was spectacular. Angelina Jolie performed this role with incredible skill and grace. The character was complex and broken and beautiful. And she managed to capture all of that. I'm not sure what else to say.
Deep Cut - Maleficent's Important Connection
At one point, Maleficent is shot down from the sky (by orders of the evil queen). She would have died if she were not saved by Conall (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a another fae like her. Remember: before this, she had never met another fae like her. When she wakes up and starts meeting everyone, it is overwhelming. One thing that catches her attention is some children learning to fly. Maleficent definitely has a soft spot for kids. In the first movie, she falls in love with the young Aurora she cursed. And then there's the fact that she grew up happy and playful, just like the kids she was seeing. Her youth was the last time she felt peace and I'm sure she misses it. One night, they had a party. Some fae drummed and played music while others danced and yet others simply sat around and talked. Happily. This was the emotional turning point for Maleficent. No one can fight without having something to fight for. And here was one. All of a sudden, she wasn’t alone. She wasn’t a monster to them like she spent years being told she was by humans. I love that she found her people and culture that celebrated who they were. That is what gave the movie a punch, for me. I connected to it and I think anyone who has ever felt outcasted, especially those who have been lucky enough to later find a community that accepted them, can relate with Maleficent in these scenes. Conall believes in peace. He wants to co-exist with humans so that his people can live free. She fully agrees until she meets also Borra (Ed Skrein). He wants to go to war with the humans that almost wiped out their species and forced the rest into hiding. It’s a hard pitch for Maleficent to ignore when only days previous, the same humans tried to kill her after she attempted to make peace. She wants peace but cCan peace really win?
"The story is not quite as you were told."
(narration at the end of the first film)
Screenplay by Linda Woolverton, Micah Fitzerman-Blue, and Noah Harpster.
Directed by Joachim Rønning.
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