Are you ready to shake your perception of reality to its very core? Good, because the newest trailer for Disney’s Maleficent will take you all the way to the heart of the Uncanny Valley, a magical land populated with CGI fairy godmothers, shadowy encounters in wooded groves, and some pretty impressive spellcasting. Angelina Jolie is icy, sultry, and generally brooding in her portrayal of one of Disney’s most iconic villains —  at least from what we can see in this trailer. Aesthetically, it evokes Disney’s most recent live action fantasy foray, Oz the Great and Powerful, but here’s hoping that director Robert Stromberg’s interpretation of Disney’s horned hellraiser is a more cohesive vision.
Okay, okay, so that looked pretty visually exciting (to use perfectly Netflixian terms). In case you’re confused as to what it’s about, here’s the official film description:
The untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the 1959 classic “Sleeping Beauty.” A beautiful, pure-hearted young woman with stunning black wings, Maleficent has an idyllic life growing up in a peaceable forest kingdom, until one day when an invading army of humans threatens the harmony of the land. Maleficent rises to be the land’s fiercest protector,but she ultimately suffers a ruthless betrayal – an act that begins to turn her pure heart to stone. Bent on revenge, Maleficent faces an epic battle with the king of the humans and, as a result, places a curse upon his newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Maleficent realizes that Aurora holds the key to peace in the kingdom – and to Maleficent’s true happiness as well.
Sounds like a real feel-good romp, huh? This should pave the way nicely for Jafar, the heartwarming tale of a Royal Vizier who realized sometimes the genie he’s always wished for has been in his heart all along.
What do you think? Are you excited for Maleficent? Let us know in the comments below.
I dunno, maybe it’s just me, but I can’t seem to mentally get past the dissonance of having a “pure-hearted young woman” named Maleficent. I mean, her name literally means “Harmful or evil in intent or effect”. It’s a real word, in English. I mean, in Wicked, at least the witch was named Elphaba, and only gained the “Wicked” moniker after the wizard sullied her reputation, but the idea that this girl was named Maleficent, as if her parents said, “Well, she’ll probably turn evil at some point, might as well give her the name now, get it over with”… it strains credulity a lot more than fairies and magic spindles.
Is anyone else annoyed that the trailer guy is saying her name wrong?
Hmmm, a traditional story told from the wicked witch’s point of view? Now where have I heard of that before…
Oh yeah, Wicked.
I am actually excited. As a kid I always enjoyed disney movies and these new takes on them are to my liking. Although they don’t always work out as good as you expect them to, but I think I will go to the movies for this one.
The Jafar thing already exists as a parody of this stupid villains were good guys all along crap that keeps happening. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-77cUxba-aA
Its actually super funny and clever