I really, truly enjoyed Maleficent.
It was GORGEOUS in every way.
I think the creature design was heavily influenced by Brian Froud.
The themes of betrayal, cruelty and the tendency for some people to simply refuse to arrest their downward spiral...out of cowardice or inability...I don't know which.
I was amazed by how much of the film was dialog-free, and super atmospheric.
The only quibble my young companions (by young, I mean mid-30s) had was that the narration was not well voiced and pretty flat, writing-wise.
I can't dispute that at all, but it also seemed classically, old-school British. So, not necessarily a flaw.
IO9 reviews it as disappointingly anti-feminist, FTR
I don't feel like anyone has to agree with me on that point. To me, it's similar to Orphan Black in how it's intentional that the women have the most screen time and character development, and the men are on the side and not terribly useful.
I loved Angelina Jolie in Maleficent but I found the story disappointing.
the women have the most screen time and character development, and the men are on the side and not terribly useful.
Yes, that was cool.
I can't agree with that io9 article - I thought the movie was great. Calling it a revenge story against A Man is a vast oversimplification and honestly not the point.
Is
Maleficent
going to make me seethe with anger? Many people I know have thought it was great, but I'm very devoted to the idea of Maleficent being capriciously evil because she CAN be, not out of revenge. So, should I brace myself to go see it just for the pretty?
Jilli, I just saw it, and I think Connie's comment above covers my opinion. But it is VERY pretty.
A few more things:
1. Someone needed to tell the screenwriter it wasn't a good idea to give ALL the character beats and ALL the agency to one character.
2. The raven is cool.
3. Not a movie for people who want Prince Philip and/or the Fairy Trio to have good, meaty roles.
4. If there isn't a wave of dubcon femslash coming on the Disney kink meme, I will drop dead from shock.
5. There were at least two scenes towards the end where they could have put an Asian woman in among the soldier extras and apparently nobody thought of it. I am SO DISAPPOINT.
I enjoyed the movie. I didn't expect the Fairy Trio to have a meaty role but I hated how they were handled. Minor adjustments could have made me love them.
The rest - very pretty.
I guess I'll catch a matinee, but put a third viewing of Only Lovers Left Alive as higher priority, then.
Speaking tangentially of Only Lovers Left Alive - Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab posted a teaser for the upcoming line of scents, which means I can
FINALLY
start talking about them. Blood Popsicle is possibly my all-time favorite scent from them, and that is saying a lot.
What do you even make Blood Popsicle smell like? Diabetic blood?
(I still hate all you scent wearers--you need to be vetted by me, dammit, or stay out of elevators and queues with me in them. My family now doesn't bring toiletries when they come visit, pretty much, but the last time my father was here he used after-shave without thinking and I had to open the windows and leave the house. Maybe I should get some stocked, for all the men in my life.)