movies/tv Luna Reviews: Maleficent

[Mr. Critical 434]

     Greetings my loyal subjects. It is I, Princess Luna. Guardian of the Night. And I am here to deliver a review of the so called movie, as you call it, Maleficent. Now, Critical had specifically asked for my assistance in this movie since it has certain themes that I am all to familiar with. And after he took me to the theater and saw the movie, I can see what he meant. Though, it is a bit darker than what occurred to me all those years ago. 

The basic story is that of a young mare's betrayal and revenge on a stallion that betrayed her. We see them as foals of a young age spend their time together in a forbidden friendship. As the years go by, they drift apart and see very little of each other. All the while the neighboring kingdom of... what ever Critical is called, as they try to steal the treasures of maleficent's home. As the King is on his death bed, he tells his knights if he slays Maleficent, he would give the slayer the throne and his kingdom. An odd concept to saw the least. At least to me it is. And thus, one of those nights was the colt from Maleficent's youth. The colt finds Maleficent and Drugs her and cuts her wings off rather than kill her. As Critical has told me, "Without the subtleties, Maleficent was seduced, drugged and was robbed her of her innocence." A rather despicable act with and without the so called subtleties.

 

That is the basic story and the first act is rather good. Building it up into a foal friendly version of some kind of movie Critical told me of. Kill Shrill or something like that. But during the second act, it gets a bit flimsy. As if somepony realized how dark its themes were getting and pulled on the reigns to the point of foal friendly rather than a story that was compelling. In fact, most of the story makes utterly no sense to I, nor Critic. The second act has the daughter of the stallion that betrayed her, now the king, curses his daughter to fall into an eternal sleep. Showing how much her anger has consumed her to the point of taking it out on an innocent child. However, the second act has Maleficent meeting the child as a young mare and for some reason bonding with the young princess. And eventually befriending her and trying to reverse her irreversible curse that Maleficent cast upon her. 

The character in this film was okay. But the one playing as Maleficent was superb. I could feel her anger, her passion. And it sent shivers down my spine.Sure the stallion as the new king was dispicable, but he was rather dull and uninteresting. Maleficent was a fantastic character. A defender turned into a mali- oh, I see where Critical was going with that. Maleficent is a form of my alter ego, Nightmare Moon.  A defender changed to a dark tyrant seeking vengeance on the one she loved. Though, it was a platonic love for me. Maleficent was more romantic betrayal, adding to the pain of when her wings were cut off and stolen. Very clover Critic. But sadly that where my insight ends, except for her redemption. 

As for visually, it was a sight to see. The visuals and the worlds the creators have designed are rather stunning. The faerie kingdom is rather interesting and I couldn't get enough of it. Though the kingdom of... the less interesting one, is rather mundane. The flair is all in the faerie kingdom and in Maleficent herself. The other actors are boring and dull. To me, the film is okay. To Critic, he sees it as unfinished and below average. Another live action disney film, whatever that means. Still, it is interesting seeing a character go through such an ordeal when I myself have gone through something of in a sense. I, Princess Luna, award this film the fraunkinstine award for a functional mess. It was enjoyable, but it felt incomplete.