Angelina Jolie spreads her wings in ‘Maleficent’ sequel | The Triangle

Angelina Jolie spreads her wings in ‘Maleficent’ sequel

The Mistress of Evil has finally returned after nearly six years in “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.” We are welcomed back into Maleficent’s magical forest kingdom with a marriage proposal from Prince Phillip to Princess Aurora. However, their moment of happiness is cut short when their families discover their planned union. Their marriage symbolizes two nations that have always despised one another coming together.

This classic family feud concept is mixed with magic when a war between the forest kingdom and the humans quickly ensues by the hand of Prince Phillip’s mother; Queen Ingris, portrayed by Michelle Pfeifer. Her angelic appearance initially fools every character, masquerading her true intentions. All except for Maleficent, who sees the truth.

Pfeifer was a perfect choice for the role of the queen, perfectly embodying the role of a mother/ monster-in-law. The story may be about fairies and evil queens on the surface, but it is truly about not judging others for being different, as every Disney movie in history has taught us.

Disney films are typically redundant as the same story is told time and time again. That being said, I was surprised at how much I actually enjoyed this film. This interpretation of the classic story is witty, eye-catching and consumed the audience’s attention throughout its entirety.

Angelina Jolie reprises her role as Maleficent remarkably. Her performance is flawless and carries the heart of the film. Elle Fanning reprised her role as Aurora and continues to give us a charming adaptation of the Disney princess. However, the role of Prince Phillip, portrayed by Brenton Thwaites in the original 2014 film, has been recast, with Harris Dickinson taking his place. This change will most likely go unnoticed due to the amount of time that has passed since the release of the first film.

The chemistry between all of the characters never wavers and convinces you of deep love and hatred for one another. The tale is brought to life through the supporting characters having such a large presence in the film. Their interactions with one another make their world feel real and almost as if you are there with them. The banter between Aurora’s fairies added a strong sense of comedic relief and was a major cause of the audience’s laughter.

“Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” continues to preach the iconic Disney message that not everything is what it seems and love conquers all. I think it’s common knowledge that all Disney films end happily; but this film did a great job of leaving you wondering what will happen next, even though we are all at least somewhat familiar with the story of Sleeping Beauty.

Overall, I was very pleased with the film and think it’s audience can be very broad despite traditionally being a children’s story. It connects us through core emotion everyone wants to feel: acceptance.

“Maleficent: Mistress of Evil,” is out in theaters Oct. 18. Check it out to experience some classic Disney magic.