<Review by: Sailesh Ghelani>

Directed by Joachim Rønning. Starring Angelina Jolie, Ellie Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sam Riley, Ed Skrein, Harris Dickinson, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Robert Lindsay

Running time: 2 hours

It should probably be called Mistress of All Things Good, But With a Bad Temper Sometimes. The only evil in the film comes from Queen Ingrith, played mistress-fully by Michelle Pfeiffer. 

Back in 2014 after reviewing a battery of fairy tale movies like Snow White & the Huntsman, the first Maleficent was released and it confirmed what we’ve all known: the true witches and monsters are the humans that inhabit planet Earth. And so, as it is with all misunderstood witches and warlocks, Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent is the innocent creature who curses when she’s been betrayed or mistreated but really only wants to love her god daughter Aurora (Ellie Fanning) and protect her magical fairy folk in the Moors.

Aurora is to marry Price Phillip (Harris Dickinson) much to the delight of his father King John (Robert Lindsay) of Ulstead, but Queen Ingrith (Pfeiffer) has other plans. A stately dinner between the two sides results in the King becoming comatose and Maleficent being injured. War is coming…

What I love about these retellings is that they show us a different tale. They look at the story from another point of view and build characters that were otherwise one dimensional. They allow for empathy and the room to believe that sometimes the bad guys weren’t always bad, and maybe they aren’t as bad as we’re led to believe.

From the opening moments of Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, with my 3D glasses tilted slightly on my nose, I was transported in to this enchanting world like I was a passenger on the wings of some giant bird flying through the kingdoms of our characters. One of the few times that I have found 3D work so effectively; it gave me ‘air sickness’ but I loved it! It’s a beautiful feast for the eyes.

Jolie is regal, refined, restrained at points and full of rage when she needs to be. She doesn’t have to stretch her acting skills as much in this role, but really, only she can play it so resplendently.

In a time when hatred and division is plaguing the world, we need more such stories that may instill in our young the qualities of empathy, love, caring, inclusivity and generosity.