Starring Angelina Jolie, Michelle Pfeiffer, Elle Fanning, Harris Dickinson, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sam Reilly, Ed Skrein, Lesley Manville, Imelda Staunton,  Juno Temple, Robert Lindsay, Warwick Davis

(5-Okay Film)

Uninteresting. Competent. Muddled.

I don’t remember the first Maleficent. I haven’t seen it since it hit theaters back in 2014 and surprisingly made a great deal of money. I do remember the feelings I had about it and they pretty much align with my feelings about this sequel. Angelina Jolie looks great and is a perfect choice for the role. There’s a couple of nice visual touches. Most of the characters are flat and uninteresting. There’s no real romance or adventure. The costumes are worthy of an Oscar nomination. The fairy tale creatures are uninspired. The story could use a stronger villain. At least the last one isn’t true of this sequel since Michelle Pfeiffer plays a terrific evil queen. As Aurora (Fanning) prepares to marry her Prince Charming, or Phillip (Dickinson), her kingdom and the kingdom she’s marrying into prepare for all-out war, secretly instigated by Pfeiffer’s Queen Ingrith. Specifically, the film needs more romance to center it. Without it, the proceedings seem boring. I also would love to see shades of ’80s fantasy worked in. You know, when kids’ movies were creepy? I think Maleficent would benefit from some creepiness.

-Walter Tyrone Howard-

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