*Disclosure: I did receive this DVD to be able to facilitate the blog post. As always all my opinions are my own*
Synopsis
Directed by Joachim Ronning, “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” carries on the story of Disney’s most iconic villain. The years have been kind to Maleficent and Aurora. Their relationship, born of heartbreak, revenge and ultimately love, has flourished. Yet hatred between man and the fairies still exists. Aurora’s impending marriage to Prince Philip is cause for celebration as the wedding serves to unite the Kingdom of Ulstead and the neighboring Moors. But, when an unexpected encounter introduces a powerful new alliance, Maleficent and Aurora are pulled apart to opposing sides in a Great War, testing their loyalties and causing them to question whether they can truly be a family.
About The Film
I have to admit that prior to receiving the Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil BluRay I hadn’t seen this adaptation of Sleeping Beauty before. When the first movie came out my daughter was 2 years old and as such this film wasn’t at the top of the list to watch. So, I went and watched the first film and I am so glad I did. I was expecting them to follow the original movie and I was surprised to see them take a completely different take. I highly recommend checking it out! The sequel takes off where they left off at the end of the first movie continuing to follow Maleficent and Aurora’s lives. I was a bit concerned that my 4 year old would be scared of the movie. While he was able to watch the movie younger children may be scared as the film is geared more towards teens.
The main storyline follows Aurora’s engagement to Prince Phillip. During that time you will see that. Maleficent discovers that she isn’t the only one of her kind. She comes to find out that they have been driven into hiding due to the hatred of humans and have lost many of their people. While Maleficent is away she is made out to be the villain. However, the true antihero is Queen Ingrith which I’m sure you seen from the trailer. If you have seen the first film we find out that Maleficent is able to be injured by iron. Queen Ingrith uses this to her benefit and has clearly spent plenty of time preparing for the war that eventually ensues. I won’t give any more info other than that you will need to go watch it yourself!
Final Thoughts
While we thoroughly enjoyed both films I found the first movie to keep my kid’s interest a bit more. I love how the story is so much different than other Disney movies in that it wasn’t the prince’s kiss that woke her. It sends an amazing message that there is true love out there that doesn’t come just from a significant other. I feel like they really continued that message throughout the second movie as well. Something to note for parents is that this movie is a bit longer than the first at about 2hrs. I think this film is fantastic and would be perfect for tweens and teens but can certainly still be enjoyed by younger children. You know your child but, if you’re on the edge I would recommend watching it yourself first.
