MALEFICENT - Movie Review

 Title: Maleficent 3D
Running Time: 97 min
Director: Robert Stromberg
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, Sam Riley

Review:
Four years after her last appearance on screen, Angelina Jolie returns in Disney's new telling of the 1959 classic "Sleeping Beauty". The twist on this one is, that it tells the story from the perspective of the iconic character Maleficent. But her look at things does not only include bits from during and before this well known fairy tale. Some of the characters get portrayed in a complete opposite light, and some events apparently happened very different than we were told as kids.
Seeing Jolie in this role, there is no doubt that she was the only and perfect choice for it. Her looks, her voice and her over-all acting are just spot on, and she gives this dark fairy a lot of debth by showing her range of emotion. She looks amazing in costume and she got the creepiness down so well, that only her daughter was able to play a certain scene with her, since all the other child actors started crying. 
Her co-star Sharlto Copley does what he does best and his take on Aurora's father King Stefan works briliantly for this version of the tale. Next to those two actors the rest of the cast almost feels exchangeable, but nobody does bad job at all. Sam Riley as Maleficents servant and Elle Fanning as the actual Sleeping Beauty play their roles solid and well.
The visuals are as great as Disney gets and on par with films like "Oz the Great and Powerful". The same goes for the 3D, which is used nicely throughout the film.
Story-wise, eventhough a lot is changed up, this stays a fairytale. It's all there: a narrator, fantastical creatures, some innocent humor and the heart-warming moments. With some cool battle sequences in the mix, this movie is very enjoyable and you'll have a good time watching. At some points the plot feels a little rushed, but then again, the movie just shortens a story we already know a lot about.
So to sum it up, "Maleficent" is feel good movie with some dark elements to it, a very cool fairy tale and great for Disney fans. If it's still playing in theatres near you, and you feel the need to watch a nice film, i recommend this one. Not your biggest loss if you miss it, but then really make sure to catch it when it comes out on DVD.

For Fans Of:
Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)
Mirror Mirror (2012)
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Snow White And The Huntsman (2012) - excluding Kristen Stewarts Performance