Maleficent (Live-Action)

[Dr Frankenollie]

I would have once loved to watch a live-action adaptation of Aladdin, because the amount of possibility in the explored cultural zone of Arabian Nights (all too neglected by the mainstream) offers great storytelling potential. Not to mention the action-adventure vibe could evoke Indiana Jones or the original adventure serials from the 1930s. Then again, today everything - not just the monsters or Genie or cave, but probably the sets too - would be in CGI. Here's the thing: people who don't like CGI movies always say that it should be limited to a SFX tool, but I prefer a film done entirely through computers than one which uses it for the effects. The magic of Ray Harryhausen et al has been lost entirely.

As for the possibility of a Little Mermaid remake, I don't know how many other directions the writers could go in with the same story. So much of the film's strength emanates from the music, so unless there's more world-building or character moments than I'd normally expect, I'm not too won over by that prospect.

[DisneyJedi]

A little something interesting to those who see this movie as a metaphor for rape?

The original Sleeping Beauty story that started it all, Sun, Moon & Talia? The Princess was raped in her comatose state by a prince. Yep, you read right.

[Disney Duster]

So I suppose we can expect a sequel or two to this bloated, uninspired, artless trash? I was wholly disappointed by Maleficent. Not in the sense that I expected it to be any good - of course not. With a script penned by someone as uniquely talentless as Linda Woolverton, I anticipated awfulness. Yet, woefully, I hoped for somewhat interesting rubbish. Something with such poor quality that you could really get your teeth into it. Something it would be fun to tear apart. Alas, Maleficent is an empty vacuum of a film, a cold unfeeling plastic structure adorned with the staples of whatever is trendy and current.

Jolie's performance was, at best, a pale imitation of the excellent original character developed by Marc Davis & Eleanor Audley. Her predictable character arc, gravitating from woman scorned to surrogate mother, is hardly a feminist revolution. The fact the director was inexperienced was ubiquitously obvious from scene to scene. And as for the production design, the visuals - perhaps the one thing that might just have been worth watching - were darkly-lit (creating an atmosphere of banality to substitute the genuine uncertainty and fear permeating the 1959 classic) and recycled tired old images and effects. It was an exercise in squeezing the credulous out of money for the sake of an inane light show. The very idea that it is tied in any way to the masterpiece that is the original is too laughable to cause revulsion.

You put it so eloquently, and it was a negative review! Looking back on this film now...it was pretty bad. I doubt I'll ever, ever want to watch it again. I'll buy it just to keep the special effects on video and maybe watch those sometimes, and because it's Maleficent the character, no matter how badly they screwed her up. And because it has some of the original story.

[Dr Frankenollie]

In fairness to Maleficent (as agonisingly painful as it is for me to type that), there is *one* element I rather liked about it. Diaval was an interesting take on Diablo and a marked improvement for a fairly generic character. He certainly shouldn't have been the one to transform into the dragon, yet he was the only character I actually enjoyed.

[WillytheDino]

Coming soon to blu-ray and digital clip.

The release date is 4th of November!

[santiagocapra]

Mexico

[Atlantica]

Oooooooooo !!!

That is absolutely gorgeous ! I've loved the posters for this film, I wonder who shot them ? ( I mean the ones with just Maleficent with the white background, not the Alice in Wonderland style ones).

[Vlad]

It looks beautiful.

[akhenaten]

maleficent is out on blu ray and 3d blu ray in malaysia.
the bonus features are

1.from fairy tale to feature film
2.building an epic battle
3.classic couture
4.maleficent revealed
5. deleted scenes (5 scenes)
6. aurora becoming a beauty

are these the same elsewhere?

thanks.

[Disney Duster]

I think that Angelina Jolie's acting was the one good thing about this movie, and not a pale imitation of Eleanor Audley's performance, but instead her own take on the character.

[Nala]

Got mine on pre-order from Disney Movie Club

[Lady Cluck]

I've only grown in hatred for this film over time. What a disaster.

[Atlantica]

Does anyone know what Maleficent now stands on, WW ?

[lord-of-sith]

Does anyone know what Maleficent now stands on, WW ?

According to Box Office Mojo, the current WW gross for Maleficent is $756,775,754. That puts it at currently number two worldwide for 2014 behind only Transformers!

[Atlantica]

Yay ! Whoop whoop, thank you for the news lord-of-sith, much appreciated !

Cannot wait to get it on blu when it comes out !

[Marky_198]

I didn't like the film, there was no tension or suspence whatsoever. Everybody was sweet for Aurora and wanted to help her.
It was cute but boring.

What I like about the original story is the rivalry between maleficent and prince Philip, she does everything to keep him away from the castle. That whole storyline makes it exciting. And in "Maleficent" she is helping him?

That's like making a film of "Cinderella" and her stepmother is actually helping her to find the prince, and brings the key to her room? Because everybody has to be sweet to her? WTH? Great way to ruin a story.

[disneyboy20022]

I didn't like the film, there was no tension or suspence whatsoever. Everybody was sweet for Aurora and wanted to help her.
It was cute but boring.

What I like about the original story is the rivalry between maleficent and prince Philip, she does everything to keep him away from the castle. That whole storyline makes it exciting. And in "Maleficent" she is helping him?

That's like making a film of "Cinderella" and her stepmother is actually helping her to find the prince, and brings the key to her room? Because everybody has to be sweet to her? WTH? Great way to ruin a story.

Hell has frozen over. I'm agreeing with the one known as Marky who has a reputation for not understanding.

[Marky_198]

Well thanks I think it has a lot to do with people not reading my posts properly. As in their replies I often read that they actually agree with me.

[Sotiris]

Maleficent was initially planned as an animated film!

According to Hahn, Sean Bailey, president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production, called Jolie to pitch the idea and her interest resulted in a green light. “We started this project in 2003 as an animated title,” said Hahn. It went live action as soon as the star smiled upon it.

Source: http://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/li ... 7e082.html

Hahn said the light bulb to give Maleficent her own story went off more than 10 years ago in a meeting with Disney's animation department, as they were all mulling over possibilities of fleshing out existing characters in the Disney canon.

"It was about 2003, maybe, when were sitting around one day, asking, 'Who is a really strong and interesting female character we can base a movie on,' and somebody said 'Maleficent,' but I can't point out exactly who it was," Hahn recalled. "It made sense, because she was this really popular villainess who is glamorous and like a runway model. Still, she's been wounded somehow in the past."

The timing of the idea was largely inspired by the Broadway smash, "Wicked," which delved into the history of the witch sisters from "The Wizard of Oz," Hahn said. "We thought we could do a 'Wicked' thing with Maleficent and show her back story. That was just the germ of the idea and it sat in animation for a while," Hahn said. "We did some development and some drawings on it, but then it went pretty quickly over to live-action, where it sat."

Source: http://www.ktuu.com/don-hahn-maleficent/29499928

[PatrickvD]

That would have been blasphemous...