In the new film Maleficent, based on the character from Disney’s Sleeping Beauty, we see that the Mistress of All Evil has more of soft side than one might think for someone that casts a curse on an innocent baby. The hosts discuss the astounding visuals, the character’s motivations and the possible themes in the film.

iTunes – Twitter – Facebook – Tumblr – YouTube – Download This Episode

For a other superhero discussions, check out our episodes on Once Upon a Time Season 3, OUAT in Wonderland, Starkid’s Twisted, Frozen and Snow White.

SHOW NOTES:

Music: Once Upon a Dream by Lana Del Ray

Upcoming

22 Jump Street

-June 13 (US), June 6 (UK)

-Sequel to 2012 film

-Based on the 1987 TV series

How to Train Your Dragon 2

-June 13 (US), July 4 (UK)

-Sequel to 2010 film

-Based on the book series by Cressida Cowell

Pretty Little Liars Season 5

-Premieres June 10

-Based on the book series by Sara Shepard

Main Discussion

Maleficent (2014)

-Written by Linda Woolverton

-Directed by Robert Stromberg

-Starring Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, Imelda Staunton and Sam Riley

-Based on the Grimm fairytale, the fairytale by Charles Perrault and Disney’s Sleeping Beauty

Notes

Visuals

-Maleficent herself was amazing

-the curse scene, her robes

-the fairies CGI

-the creatures in the moor looked like nicer versions of the creatures in SB

-Diaval always looked crow-like

-Aurora and Philip meet by the water, like they dance in SB

Casting

-Angelina was on point

-Elle Fanning… eh

Format/narration

-the voiceover wasn’t out of place, very like the disney film

-but the narrator is Aurora?

Plot

-once again the queen has one line

-Maleficent doesn’t actually talk that much, her motivations in terms of thought aren’t really explained

-glad that they didn’t make her so stupid that she couldn’t find the baby

-love story beginning… Stefan seemed inconsistent

-the true love’s kiss being Maleficent… was sadly too reminiscent of OUAT

-it’s also debatable in the Grimm fairytale whether Philip’s kiss works, in the other he doesn’t kiss her

-in SB it’s just ‘love’s first kiss’

-in Maleficent’s curse she says that all that meet her will love her

-the fairies… can see bits of Flora and Fauna… but Merryweather is gone

-love Diaval, but the saving of him was weird

Themes

-Wing cutting as a rape metaphor (article)

-Nature and conservation in the Moors

Next episode: #91 on the film The Fault in Our Stars

Previous episode: #89 on the film X-Men: Days of Future Past