Maleficent
The DH and I went to see "Maleficent" tonight. The two diet Cokes and the popcorn cost $15.50. Our two tickets together cost only $9.00. There's something a little warped about that. (Yes, I know that's been the trend for years, but I still find it rant-worthy in a minor way.)
I had sort of mixed feelings about the movie going in. The Disney version of Sleeping Beauty was by far my favorite Disney animated fairy tale, much more so than Snow White or Cinderella. (Speaking of the latter, looks like a new Cinderella will be coming out next year, going by the trailer.) I was afraid I wouldn't like it.
Non-spoilery reaction: I really enjoyed it; it was quite a fun evening, and I will probably go looking for some Maleficent fanfic to read.
Spoilery reactions behind the cut, and using the "spoiler feature". I hope it works.
[Spoiler (click to open)]I have to say, the themes from Once Upon a Time found full play in this movie. A backstory and motivation for the villain which makes her a sympathetic villain, the subverting of the "true love" theme and the emphasis on parent/child or even surrogate parent/child relationships. I'm beginning to wonder about the new direction of recent Disney movies--they are certainly anything but the ordinary "Hero Prince rescuing the Princess" trope. It's an interesting change, with an emphasis more on family dynamics, rather than "boy meets girl" plots. However, I hope they don't get too hung up on that, or it will get just as predictable as the traditional fairy tale.
Still, knowing how things played out with OUaT, I saw the curse-lifting coming a mile away. Not that I minded. Jolie played her reluctant fascination with Aurora gradually transforming to something more maternal perfectly--you could see her regret for her hasty curse just grow in her with each interaction. At first it seemed that she was just rescuing the child so she'd live long enough to succumb to the curse, but soon it was more.
Also, I just loved the Raven character, Diaval. Y'all know I am not a 'shipper, but I think I could possibly 'ship Maleficent/Diaval if it were done well.
BTW, ff.net already has 127 Maleficent fanfics.
I had sort of mixed feelings about the movie going in. The Disney version of Sleeping Beauty was by far my favorite Disney animated fairy tale, much more so than Snow White or Cinderella. (Speaking of the latter, looks like a new Cinderella will be coming out next year, going by the trailer.) I was afraid I wouldn't like it.
Non-spoilery reaction: I really enjoyed it; it was quite a fun evening, and I will probably go looking for some Maleficent fanfic to read.
Spoilery reactions behind the cut, and using the "spoiler feature". I hope it works.
[Spoiler (click to open)]I have to say, the themes from Once Upon a Time found full play in this movie. A backstory and motivation for the villain which makes her a sympathetic villain, the subverting of the "true love" theme and the emphasis on parent/child or even surrogate parent/child relationships. I'm beginning to wonder about the new direction of recent Disney movies--they are certainly anything but the ordinary "Hero Prince rescuing the Princess" trope. It's an interesting change, with an emphasis more on family dynamics, rather than "boy meets girl" plots. However, I hope they don't get too hung up on that, or it will get just as predictable as the traditional fairy tale.
Still, knowing how things played out with OUaT, I saw the curse-lifting coming a mile away. Not that I minded. Jolie played her reluctant fascination with Aurora gradually transforming to something more maternal perfectly--you could see her regret for her hasty curse just grow in her with each interaction. At first it seemed that she was just rescuing the child so she'd live long enough to succumb to the curse, but soon it was more.
Also, I just loved the Raven character, Diaval. Y'all know I am not a 'shipper, but I think I could possibly 'ship Maleficent/Diaval if it were done well.
BTW, ff.net already has 127 Maleficent fanfics.