Maleficent: Mistress of Evil continues the story of Maleficent and Aurora. The movie takes place several years after Maleficent as Aurora and Prince Phillip are preparing to wed. As so often happens, the parents must meet each other. With the meeting comes complications and conflict. As the conflict grows both Aurora and Maleficent find themselves really thinking about who they are. The film also questions the balance between nature and human technology. As the movie progresses what is good and what is bad comes to light as the truth comes to light.
Quality
The first time I saw Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, it was in a 4DX theater and was quite the adventure. This time, it was in the comfort of my own entertainment room. While it was pretty incredible in the theater, it was a very enjoyable experience watching it at home. It seemed to me that the movie looked even better on my HD television than it did in the theater. Thee colors were vibrant and the digital animation seemed to look better to me on my own television. While there are still moments that look a little more digital than I’d like, overall this presentation looked beautiful and was an enjoyable film to watch. The audio was solid all the way through the film. In fact, this was definitely better than the 4DX theater where some of the effects in the room were distracting from an audio standpoint. The film has a good mix of sound effects to accompany what is going on in the individual moments. They don’t overpower the speaking roles as well. The soundtrack is also solid and classic and worth paying attention. Overall, the audio quality I think edges out the video quality. This is mainly due to some digital effects.
Extras
There are several bonus features included with the home entertainment release of Maleficent: Mistress of Evil. While none of them would be considered lengthy, they get to the point quickly. This was a good thing as it got to what people care about right away without a lot of fluff (or feathers in the case of Maleficent?). While it isn’t the largest collection of extras ever released with a movie, the extras that are released are there for a reason.
Bonus Features include:
DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE:
- Lickspittle – Fantasy-film veteran Warwick Davis considers how every aspect of the film’s design inspired his tragic character.
BLU-RAY & DIGITAL BONUS:
- Extended Scenes
- The Queen Comforts Aurora – Queen Ingrith takes advantage of Aurora’s fragile state to gain her confidence and accelerate the wedding plans.
- Philip and Aurora Dance – Aurora struggles to gain Queen Ingrith’s approval when she realizes how she is viewed among aristocracy.
- Featurettes
- Origins of the Fey – Angelina Jolie discusses Maleficent’s lore, her newly discovered origins, and the diversity of the cast who portray the Fey.
- Aurora’s Wedding – Elle Fanning gushes over Aurora’s fairytale wedding; plus, hear from some special guests as they give their best to the bride and groom.
- If You Had Wings – Get a glimpse of the elaborate visual effects that allow the Fey to take to the skies.
- “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” VFX Reel – Discover how a perfect blend of practical and visual effects were used to create the stunning landscapes in “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.”
- Outtakes – Uncooperative cats, a serious case of the giggles and even the “floss dance” found their way into Ulstead.
- “You Can’t Stop The Girl” – Music video performed by Bebe Rexha
The extras included with this release are all worth watching. I find myself surprised to say that I actually enjoyed the outtakes that were included with this film. They were actually fun and weren’t just goofy and pointless. Really, the only extra I could probably have done without was the music video. All in all, this is a collection of bonus features that do the job they need to do. Yes, they leave you wondering if they could have done more but on the flip side, you don’t find yourself looking at your watch. I think the right choice was made.
Final Thoughts
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil turned out to be a more enjoyable film than I was expecting. I found myself genuinely enjoying it more than I enjoyed the first one. It is a balanced film that for the most part moves forward at a good pace. It is interesting to see how the stories moved forward for the different characters. To my pleasant surprise, good choices were made throughout the movie. Because of that, I found myself enjoying watching it a second time as I reviewed it in my home theater this time. While this may not go down as a Disney classic, it does fit in the category of solid family friendly Disney films. It also has several good life lessons to be absorbed along the way. While this isn’t my favorite film, I definitely am not worse off for watching it. I also would not mind watching it again with friends or family. It’s a good movie to have in the collection for a Friday night movie night with the family. It gets a hat nod. Enjoy it but don’t expect TOO much from it. It will give you the Disney experience and make for a lovely movie viewing experience.
