Maleficent: Mistress of Evil Is a Worthy Sequel

After the successful release of Disney’s 2014 film Maleficent, a sequel seemed almost inevitable. While I didn’t dislike Maleficent—Sharlto Copley’s hammy performance as King Stefan is endlessly entertaining—I wasn’t the biggest fan of the story and how some of the characters were handled. When I learned there would be another film, though, I was cautiously optimistic. I have yet see a live-action remake from Disney that I didn’t end up liking at least a little bit, and if nothing else, I’d be treated to some nice visuals for two hours. I definitely didn’t expect Maleficent: Mistress of Evil to be funny, suspenseful, and my new favorite live-action film from Disney.

Walt Disney Pictures

Five years after the first film, Prince Phillip (Harris Dickinson) proposes to Queen Aurora (Elle Fanning), much to the chagrin of her godmother, Maleficent (Angelina Jolie). Phillip’s mother, Queen Ingrith (Michelle Pfeiffer), is averse to accepting any of the fey folk into her family, and soon Maleficent and Aurora both find themselves choosing sides in a long-standing war between the kingdom of Ulstead and the nearby moors. While some wish for peace between the lands, Ingrith is determined to take over the moors—and destroy Maleficent in the process.

I appreciate that Disney didn’t just retread familiar territory, which has been the status quo for the studio’s other live-action films. The creators needed an original plot this time around, and it was refreshing to see familiar characters in a story we hadn’t seen them in before. It’s fairly simple and easy to follow, but it expands on the world established in the first film. There was quite a bit of what the guys of Pretty Much It describe as “too much ooh and ahh” in the first film, focusing more on the visuals than on the creatures inhabiting the moors. The fairies feature more heavily and serve a purpose in the sequel, with a few getting their own little subplots that have satisfying payoffs.

David Gyasi as Percival and Michelle Pfeiffer as Queen Ingrith. Walt Disney Pictures

While we’ve learned that Maleficent isn’t evil so much as misunderstood, Angelina Jolie once again makes her a formidable force of nature, made even more intimidating by the size of her wings. Jolie doesn’t forget to give Maleficent a bit of humanity, so to speak; while she’s not pleased with Aurora’s engagement, it’s clear she wants what’s best for her goddaughter, even if her wishes are misguided. Sam Riley is back as her loyal crow, Diaval, and he gets some funny moments throughout while also serving as devil’s advocate for Maleficent and making her consider things from Aurora’s perspective. Michelle Pfeiffer is delightfully wicked as Queen Ingrith, making for a villain who is equal parts dramatic and intimidating. Harris Dickinson replaces Brendan Thwaites as Prince Phillip, and I admit I joked a lot about how distracting it was to see him in the trailer because the two look nothing alike. But I ended up enjoying Phillip much more in this film than in Maleficent because Dickinson fleshes him out to be a young prince trying to make the right choices when it comes to Aurora and the moors.

Angelina Jolie as Maleficent. Walt Disney Pictures

With a broader focus on other characters, it’s Elle Fanning who delivers the most poignant performance. Aurora is now a young adult, and Fanning brings a sense of maturity to the character while still maintaining her innocence and love for her kingdom. (One of the first shots we see of Aurora shows her with bare feet, a detail I loved and that made sense with her character.) During the climax, she uses her wits and quiet strength to help her loved ones, and she has the most heartbreaking scene in the film, hands down. All I’ll say is if you aren’t convinced that Fanning is one of the most talented young actresses of this generation, your mind will be changed by the time the credits roll.

Elle Fanning as Aurora. Walt Disney Pictures

The one thing I was disappointed by was the revelation—shown in the first trailer—that Maleficent is not the only one of her kind. Having read a tie-in novel of the first film that mentioned her parents dying when she was very young, I was excited to see how Disney handled this discovery. While I enjoyed Chiwetel Ejiofor as Maleficent’s guide Conall, there was something about Maleficent’s time with the other winged fey that left me feeling a little disappointed. I wanted to learn more about their past and where they came from, other than a mere “all over the world” explanation that was one sentence long. That said, this didn’t detract too much from the rest of the film, and for what it was, it was definitely an interesting addition.

Ultimately, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is not a necessary sequel, but I’m glad that it exists. Going in with modest expectations, I ended up having a lot of fun and immersing myself in the story much more than I was anticipating. It expands on the lore of both Sleeping Beauty and Maleficent, with a few references and callbacks that fans will be delighted to see, and I can certainly say it was one of the more original live-action remakes, if only because it couldn’t strictly fall back on a retread of an existing animated counterpart. It is definitely worth checking out for Disney fans and anyone else wanting to get swept away in the stunning visuals that are always a staple of Disney films.

One last thing: be prepared for the organ playing. Make of that what you will.

Angelina Jolie as Maleficent. Walt Disney Pictures