tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656921634940224775.post2869209814113959906..comments2024-02-11T15:29:31.409-05:00Comments on Richard's Pretension: BeneficentRichard Bellushhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10108081864942272619noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656921634940224775.post-80620534291852432742014-06-15T12:25:24.383-04:002014-06-15T12:25:24.383-04:00Hollywood studios routinely copy winning formulas ...Hollywood studios routinely copy winning formulas from each other, so you are probably right about the inspiration from "Wicked." Disney lately has been releasing movies under its own name that they once would have released under Touchstone Pictures (the brand Disney puts on its films aimed at mature audiences). They haven't abandoned the distinction between the two brands, but they do seem to have shifted the boundary. Richard Bellushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10108081864942272619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656921634940224775.post-38477720365436522822014-06-15T11:38:15.840-04:002014-06-15T11:38:15.840-04:00Good review. I wondered how this compared to Wick...Good review. I wondered how this compared to Wicked the book or play. I thought perhaps they may have gotten the idea for this film from that. It's one of those movies that I put on my wait and see list as I'm not a huge Jolie fan either. It's a bit odd that Disney would make it, but maybe not, as they also did the Pirates of the Caribbean series, and other films with a dark tone. This might be a film that I might just watch off Netflix. Thanks for the insights. El Voxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05985563041511492981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656921634940224775.post-46429697134003065892014-06-10T11:53:45.371-04:002014-06-10T11:53:45.371-04:00I suspect your familiarity with the original could...I suspect your familiarity with the original could enhance the fun of Maleficent. Some negative reviewers are clearly a bit baffled precisely because they long since have forgotten Sleeping Beauty – if they ever saw it at all. More than one complained about the three fairies, for example, but they are so central to the plot of the original, they couldn’t possibly have been left out of this one. Another complained about the timeline of the movie (he apparently was thinking of the 100 years sleep in the Grimm tale), but it precisely matches that of Disney’s Sleeping Beauty. Without having seen the original, one is bound to miss some of the deliberate turnabouts. <br /><br />In Sleeping Beauty, the only explanation for Maleficent’s behavior is a fairy’s comment, “I don’t think she’s a very happy person.” Actually, there is some insight in this little remark; lots of toxic people make the lives of others miserable for no better reason: “If I must suffer, you will, too.” However, giving her and Stefan a bitter personal history in the new movie is cleverly wicked – in a good way. If any characters’ motivation is odd, it is that of the three fairies. Let us know how it strikes you.<br />Richard Bellushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10108081864942272619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656921634940224775.post-53626533132998020532014-06-10T11:02:16.651-04:002014-06-10T11:02:16.651-04:00I'm really intrigued with this movie. I like t...I'm really intrigued with this movie. I like the concept behind it. I think Disney's "Sleeping Beauty" is one of the last best visual explosions of Disney animation while Walt was still alive. As such it is one of my favorites. I love the whole feel of that one, and the style is pretty unique in the Disney filmography. Of course Maleficent nearly steals the show, but there's plenty of other great stuff in it too.<br /><br />At the same time, I'm a little nervous that my familiarity with the original will hurt my view of this film. I find that if I'm too attached to the original, I don't give something like this a fair shake. Also Jolie can be hit or miss for me. I think she's a good pick in this case, but I've been wrong before. ;)<br /><br />Anyway, your review has helped convince me to give it a shot at some point. I've run into a few folks I trust who like it. As you said, the score is really good. One of the best fantasy adventure scores of the last few years. JNH (as us film score nerds refer to him as) has been hit and miss the last few years. But this reminds me strongly of his really great stuff from the late 90s, like "Atlantis: The Lost Empire" or even "Waterworld".Roman J. Martelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09545497713474664555noreply@blogger.com