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Maleficent

Play trailer 1:31 Poster for Maleficent PG 2014 1h 38m Fantasy Adventure Action Play Trailer Watchlist
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54% Tomatometer 273 Reviews 70% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
As a beautiful young woman of pure heart, Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) has an idyllic life in a forest kingdom. When an invading army threatens the land, Maleficent rises up to become its fiercest protector. However, a terrible betrayal hardens her heart and twists her into a creature bent on revenge. She engages in an epic battle with the invading king's successor, then curses his newborn daughter, Aurora -- realizing only later that the child holds the key to peace in the kingdom.
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Maleficent

Maleficent

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Critics Consensus

Angelina Jolie's magnetic performance outshines Maleficent's dazzling special effects; unfortunately, the movie around them fails to justify all that impressive effort.

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Critics Reviews

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Suzette Smith Bitch Media As the sum of all its parts, Maleficent is a downright fun film. Jan 21, 2021 Full Review Chris Stuckmann ChrisStuckmann.com Angelina Jolie is good in the film, and I do think kids will dig this movie. Rated: B- Dec 14, 2018 Full Review Philippa Hawker The Age (Australia) It's a splendid-looking film. The effects are striking throughout, whether they are dramatic battle confrontations between humans and the forces of the natural world, or small moments of delicate detail. Rated: 3/5 Dec 14, 2018 Full Review Sean Axmaker Stream on Demand It is a righteous revenge film, but with a feminist twist and a redemptive journey. Oct 9, 2022 Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review By the end, one cannot help but wish that Disney had left Maleficent a fascinating villain instead of a dull protagonist. Rated: 1/4 Aug 15, 2022 Full Review Robert Sims Lights Camera Austin This isn't Sleeping Beauty as seen through the eyes of the wickedest of Disney villains. Instead, it's a Mouse House live-action revisionist fairy tale that inexplicably transforms the malevolent Maleficent into a misunderstood anti-hero. Jan 22, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Abdón C Maleficent delivers a story aimed primarily at children, mixing formal and simple language. While the style is engaging, it feels uneven for both adults and young audiences, with the narrative occasionally lacking depth. The script is sometimes weak, and the dialogues are predictable and overly simplistic. Extending some of Maleficent’s lines could have added a more philosophical dimension, but as it stands, the dialogue seems primarily targeted at children. The performances across the board are impressive. All the fairies deliver excellent acting, expressions, and voicing. Angelina Jolie as Maleficent is remarkable: her resemblance, her smile, and her depiction of suffering are outstanding. In many ways, Maleficent embodies aspects reminiscent of The Morrigan. However, certain hand movements and the pitch of her screams could be improved, and her fight costume seems unsuitable. Supporting performances are strong as well. The Princess acts brilliantly and realistically, and thanks to her exceptional acting and the beauty of her appearance, many imperfections in the film are nearly completely overshadowed. Her presence significantly enhances the visual and emotional impact of the story. Some scene transitions and cuts feel rushed. For example, at 5:52, the switch between slides is abrupt and slightly controversial. At 10:40, adding echo or demonic effects to the voice could have enhanced the character. In fight scenes, certain reactions could be more aggressive, such as at 13:30 when Maleficent could confront the king more directly. Additionally, some visual details, like the delayed appearance of wings or unclear dialogue from Diaval at 26:40, could be refined. The CGI is generally effective but not flawless. Backgrounds at 58:01 and 1:27 hr appear slightly blurred and artificial, which detracts from immersion in these moments. Overall, Maleficent succeeds in presenting strong performances and an intriguing main character, but it is held back by uneven narrative pacing, simplistic dialogue, rushed scene transitions, and minor CGI shortcomings. Despite these issues, the film remains highly enjoyable, with memorable acting, particularly from the Princess, whose performance elevates the movie and conceals many of its flaws. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/26/25 Full Review Alexander S Maleficent casts a decent spell with its stunning effects and visuals, but it misses the mark when it comes to exploring the darker side of the character. I think if it probed the depths of Maleficent's evil nature, it would've been a real showstopper and stayed true to the character's terrifying persona from the original Disney film. Grading: C+ Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/20/25 Full Review MJ B. Loved it. Stefan sucks Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/17/25 Full Review Tauhid E the switched the roles sooo bad. why did they make the witches incompetent?? WTH!!! Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/13/25 Full Review Kelly M Great because Maleficent put a curse on a baby girl called Aurora and the only way to break the curse is with a true love’s kiss. And Maleficent has to defeat this evil king called King Stefan and Aurora has true love called Prince Philip and everyone is happy in the end great movie. 8/10 And we get to see what Maleficent was like when she was little girl and she met this little boy and they became friends and the fairies have to protect Aurora from Maleficent because she put the curse on her. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 08/29/25 Full Review Pedro Henrique C Maleficent (2014) has a good start with great visuals and great cinematography, but its script is quite weak and uninteresting. Angelina Jolie gives a very good performance. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 08/25/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Maleficent

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Movie Info

Synopsis As a beautiful young woman of pure heart, Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) has an idyllic life in a forest kingdom. When an invading army threatens the land, Maleficent rises up to become its fiercest protector. However, a terrible betrayal hardens her heart and twists her into a creature bent on revenge. She engages in an epic battle with the invading king's successor, then curses his newborn daughter, Aurora -- realizing only later that the child holds the key to peace in the kingdom.
Director
Robert Stromberg
Producer
Joe Roth
Screenwriter
Linda Woolverton
Distributor
Walt Disney
Production Co
Walt Disney Pictures, Roth Films
Rating
PG (Sequences of Fantasy Action|Frightening Images|Sequences of Fantasy Violence)
Genre
Fantasy, Adventure, Action
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 30, 2014, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 4, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$241.4M
Runtime
1h 38m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital, Dolby Atmos, Datasat
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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