Episode 713 - Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil (2019)

Hi everyone!

Welcome back for the second review this month from Jon-David, aka the Mafia Hairdresser, who is picking up today’s review for Oscar nominee MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL as part of our cleanup week. Check social media to see if they took home the gold, as this episode was pre-produced before the ceremony. And regardless of whether it wins, Jon-David will be up in a minute with thoughts, along with a promo for his serial podcast The Mafia Hairdresser Chronicles. Don’t miss his previous two reviews for One Movie Punch, including RICHARD JEWELL (Episode #692) and last week’s review for THE CAVE (Episode #706).

Speaking of Takeover Tuesday, do you think you have what it takes to guest on One Movie Punch? Head over to onemoviepunch.com/takeover-tuesday and learn more about how you can guest here at One Movie Punch. We still have three (3) slots available this quarter for aspiring and established film critics to take the reins for an episode. We’ll run your promo before the review and will place it in regular rotation for the quarter. If it sounds like something interesting to you, reach out to us over social media.

Subscribe to stay current with the latest releases.

Contribute at Patreon for exclusive content.

Connect with us over social media to continue the conversation.

Here we go!

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<< MAFIA HAIRDRESSER PROMO >>

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JOSEPH: “And now, in Recording Room 26 at One Movie Punch Tower...”

JON-DAVID: “Hello, this Jon-David aka Mafia Hairdresser, the writer and performer of the podcast “The Mafia Hairdresser Chronicles”, a campy crime comedy based on my time as a celebrity hairdresser in Hollywood in the 1980s. But, enough about my fairy tale, let’s talk about the Disney Film, MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL.”

JOSEPH: “Sorry, Jon-David. It’s MALEFICENT. Let’s take it from the top.”

AMY: “He seems agitated today.”

JOSEPH: “Yeah, I know. Keeps looking at his phone, too.”

JON-DAVID: “Today’s movie review is the more sensationally titled sequel MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL. Released in 2019, this fantasy family action film was directed by Joachim Rønning, and written for the screen by Linda Woolverton, who also wrote MALEFICENT.”

JOSEPH: “Jon-David. MALEFICENT.”

AMY: “Should I go talk to him, or...?”

JOSEPH: “No, he seems fine...”

JOSEPH: “Wait, where did he go?”

AMY: “He was just there a minute ago!”

JOSEPH: “Wait a minute...”

AMY: “Is it a new sponsor?!”

JOSEPH: “No. A text from Jon-David.”

JOSEPH: “Dear Joseph. Sorry for bailing like that. I was hoping to finish recording, but some guy who paints houses needed me to cut some hair. Will be back as soon as I can. Jon-David.”

JOSEPH: “He put paint houses and cut some hair in quotes. Not sure what that’s all about.”

AMY: “Umm, don’t you remember in THE IRISHMAN...”

JOSEPH: “Why should I remember THE IRISHMAN? The Academy sure didn’t.”

JOSEPH: “Thank you, I’ll be here all night! Recording Jon-David’s review for him. Should have never agreed to the hair-cutting clause in our extensive contract. Can you get things set up to record?”

AMY: “Sure thing.”

AMY: “And, go!”

JOSEPH: “But, enough about his fairy tale, let’s talk about the Disney Film, MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL.”

AMY: “Joseph. MALEFICENT.”

JOSEPH: “Now he’s got me doing it... FROM THE TOP!”

/////

Quick Note: I’m Joseph Dobzynski, Jr., reading for Jon-David, who was actually pulled away at the last moment and couldn’t finish recording the review. He did send me the written review, though, for MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL and his dulcet tones will be back later in the month with a review for the Oscar-nominated PAIN AND GLORY.

Without further ado...

Today’s movie review is for MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL, the more sensationally titled sequel to 2014’s MALEFICENT. Released in 2019, this fantasy family action film was directed by Joachim Rønning, and written for the screen by Linda Woolverton, Micah Fitzerman-Blue, and Noah Harpster. All characters are based on Charles Perrault’s short story, “La Belle Au Bois Dormant”. That’s right, Sleeping Beauty, in 1903.

No spoilers.

Hopefully you’ve heard the tale of Sleeping Beauty, the story of Princess Aurora who pricked her finger on an enchanted spindle which put her entire kingdom to sleep - until a prince rescued her. Maybe you’ve seen the Walt Disney Pictures classic animated film? Agh, no matter.

Disney made a semi-reboot of this family friendly story starring Angelina Jolie as a powerful horned fairy, with spikey CGI wings and extreme cheekbones, and she’s the creature who actually created the sleeping curse and then bonded with the princess, which ultimately begot love and peace between humans and fairies, for a while. That film was 2014’s MALEFICENT. It had a decent box office of $758.5 million against its roughly $200 million budget. Disney’s MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL did not do nearly as well, box office-wise, as its predecessor, probably because it came out nearly five years after the original hit. When a studio waits that long to stoke the fire, the flames may have died down a bit.

MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL was a nice tale and a pretty film, and yet, I thought, it could have been a little bit darker. In this film, there were battles between fairies and humans, but they wrapped up very quickly, with no epic battles with the big visual wow we are used to seeing in other films. At least Disney’s latest STAR WARS release, THE RISE OF SKYWALKER (Episode #672), had that visual ocean battle to draw people in, but this film had no such scenes.

There was nothing particularly eerie, creepy, or spine-tingling about this film, unlike BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Episode #030). It stayed too light. In fact, I wish that they geeked out a little bit more on the fantasy stuff. Maleficent finds “her people”, so to speak, and where she might have originated from. That would have been an interesting storyline to pursue, if not base the entire film on. Instead, this plotline was relegated only to illuminate the man-versus-nature theme that ran throughout the film. This film glossed over Maleficent’s special powers, how she got them, and her special relationship with her own kind. And the film, in my opinion, threw away a great new charismatic fairy character, introduced as Conall, played by Academy Award winner Chiwetel Ejiofor.

I do love the casting of Elle Fanning as Aurora and Angelina Jolie as Maleficent. Opposites in every way and the scenes with these two have great tension in them due to Fanning’s unwavering hope and confidence that her mother, Jolie, will do the right thing when called to do so. Both actors fight each other hard and yet the love for each other is palpable and redeeming. Michelle Pfeiffer as Queen Ingrith is evilicious! I just wish this film could have been about the big battle between Queen Ingrith and Maleficent. That would have made me happier. Perhaps, having too many writers on this film and utilizing three or four good storylines watered down this film’s greatness potential for me

I do recommend this film because it’s a feel-good movie. And the special effects and CGI... they’re fine, just fine. Especially when applied to the scenes Jolie are in. It's an enjoyable film to watch. There’s the CGI kingdom and the CGI forest. I remember that MALEFICENT came out in 3D. And personally, I know the man who did that film’s 3D for Sony. (So, I know, “stuff.”) But I didn’t see MISTRESS OF EVIL in 3D, and I think it might have been a better film in 3D, because this film was brighter than the darker-colored 2014 predecessor, meaning, not gray tones, which seems to be better for 3D movie watching.

MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL is the story of Sleeping Beauty’s much maligned adoptive mother, a powerful fairy bent on seeking revenge on the humans who continually threaten the life and beauty of her forest realm. This is a fun family film. I enjoyed it. And so did many others, with a Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score of 95%. Just not so great with the critics.

Rotten Tomatoes: 40%

Metacritic: 43

One Movie Punch: 6.5/10

MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL (2019) is rated PG and is currently is available in limited theaters and on VOD.

Hi everyone!

Welcome back for the second review this month from Jon-David, aka the Mafia Hairdresser, who is picking up today’s review for Oscar nominee MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL as part of our cleanup week. Check social media to see if they took home the gold, as this episode was pre-produced before the ceremony. And regardless of whether it wins, Jon-David will be up in a minute with thoughts, along with a promo for his serial podcast The Mafia Hairdresser Chronicles. Don’t miss his previous two reviews for One Movie Punch, including RICHARD JEWELL (Episode #692) and last week’s review for THE CAVE (Episode #706).

Speaking of Takeover Tuesday, do you think you have what it takes to guest on One Movie Punch? Head over to onemoviepunch.com/takeover-tuesday and learn more about how you can guest here at One Movie Punch. We still have three (3) slots available this quarter for aspiring and established film critics to take the reins for an episode. We’ll run your promo before the review and will place it in regular rotation for the quarter. If it sounds like something interesting to you, reach out to us over social media.

Subscribe to stay current with the latest releases.

Contribute at Patreon for exclusive content.

Connect with us over social media to continue the conversation.

Here we go!

/////

>

/////

JOSEPH: “And now, in Recording Room 26 at One Movie Punch Tower...”

JON-DAVID: “Hello, this Jon-David aka Mafia Hairdresser, the writer and performer of the podcast “The Mafia Hairdresser Chronicles”, a campy crime comedy based on my time as a celebrity hairdresser in Hollywood in the 1980s. But, enough about my fairy tale, let’s talk about the Disney Film, MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL.”

JOSEPH: “Sorry, Jon-David. It’s MALEFICENT. Let’s take it from the top.”

AMY: “He seems agitated today.”

JOSEPH: “Yeah, I know. Keeps looking at his phone, too.”

JON-DAVID: “Today’s movie review is the more sensationally titled sequel MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL. Released in 2019, this fantasy family action film was directed by Joachim Rønning, and written for the screen by Linda Woolverton, who also wrote MALEFICENT.”

JOSEPH: “Jon-David. MALEFICENT.”

AMY: “Should I go talk to him, or...?”

JOSEPH: “No, he seems fine...”

JOSEPH: “Wait, where did he go?”

AMY: “He was just there a minute ago!”

JOSEPH: “Wait a minute...”

AMY: “Is it a new sponsor?!”

JOSEPH: “No. A text from Jon-David.”

JOSEPH: “Dear Joseph. Sorry for bailing like that. I was hoping to finish recording, but some guy who paints houses needed me to cut some hair. Will be back as soon as I can. Jon-David.”

JOSEPH: “He put paint houses and cut some hair in quotes. Not sure what that’s all about.”

AMY: “Umm, don’t you remember in THE IRISHMAN...”

JOSEPH: “Why should I remember THE IRISHMAN? The Academy sure didn’t.”

JOSEPH: “Thank you, I’ll be here all night! Recording Jon-David’s review for him. Should have never agreed to the hair-cutting clause in our extensive contract. Can you get things set up to record?”

AMY: “Sure thing.”

AMY: “And, go!”

JOSEPH: “But, enough about his fairy tale, let’s talk about the Disney Film, MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL.”

AMY: “Joseph. MALEFICENT.”

JOSEPH: “Now he’s got me doing it... FROM THE TOP!”

/////

Quick Note: I’m Joseph Dobzynski, Jr., reading for Jon-David, who was actually pulled away at the last moment and couldn’t finish recording the review. He did send me the written review, though, for MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL and his dulcet tones will be back later in the month with a review for the Oscar-nominated PAIN AND GLORY.

Without further ado...

Today’s movie review is for MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL, the more sensationally titled sequel to 2014’s MALEFICENT. Released in 2019, this fantasy family action film was directed by Joachim Rønning, and written for the screen by Linda Woolverton, Micah Fitzerman-Blue, and Noah Harpster. All characters are based on Charles Perrault’s short story, “La Belle Au Bois Dormant”. That’s right, Sleeping Beauty, in 1903.

No spoilers.

Hopefully you’ve heard the tale of Sleeping Beauty, the story of Princess Aurora who pricked her finger on an enchanted spindle which put her entire kingdom to sleep - until a prince rescued her. Maybe you’ve seen the Walt Disney Pictures classic animated film? Agh, no matter.

Disney made a semi-reboot of this family friendly story starring Angelina Jolie as a powerful horned fairy, with spikey CGI wings and extreme cheekbones, and she’s the creature who actually created the sleeping curse and then bonded with the princess, which ultimately begot love and peace between humans and fairies, for a while. That film was 2014’s MALEFICENT. It had a decent box office of $758.5 million against its roughly $200 million budget. Disney’s MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL did not do nearly as well, box office-wise, as its predecessor, probably because it came out nearly five years after the original hit. When a studio waits that long to stoke the fire, the flames may have died down a bit.

MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL was a nice tale and a pretty film, and yet, I thought, it could have been a little bit darker. In this film, there were battles between fairies and humans, but they wrapped up very quickly, with no epic battles with the big visual wow we are used to seeing in other films. At least Disney’s latest STAR WARS release, THE RISE OF SKYWALKER (Episode #672), had that visual ocean battle to draw people in, but this film had no such scenes.

There was nothing particularly eerie, creepy, or spine-tingling about this film, unlike BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Episode #030). It stayed too light. In fact, I wish that they geeked out a little bit more on the fantasy stuff. Maleficent finds “her people”, so to speak, and where she might have originated from. That would have been an interesting storyline to pursue, if not base the entire film on. Instead, this plotline was relegated only to illuminate the man-versus-nature theme that ran throughout the film. This film glossed over Maleficent’s special powers, how she got them, and her special relationship with her own kind. And the film, in my opinion, threw away a great new charismatic fairy character, introduced as Conall, played by Academy Award winner Chiwetel Ejiofor.

I do love the casting of Elle Fanning as Aurora and Angelina Jolie as Maleficent. Opposites in every way and the scenes with these two have great tension in them due to Fanning’s unwavering hope and confidence that her mother, Jolie, will do the right thing when called to do so. Both actors fight each other hard and yet the love for each other is palpable and redeeming. Michelle Pfeiffer as Queen Ingrith is evilicious! I just wish this film could have been about the big battle between Queen Ingrith and Maleficent. That would have made me happier. Perhaps, having too many writers on this film and utilizing three or four good storylines watered down this film’s greatness potential for me

I do recommend this film because it’s a feel-good movie. And the special effects and CGI... they’re fine, just fine. Especially when applied to the scenes Jolie are in. It's an enjoyable film to watch. There’s the CGI kingdom and the CGI forest. I remember that MALEFICENT came out in 3D. And personally, I know the man who did that film’s 3D for Sony. (So, I know, “stuff.”) But I didn’t see MISTRESS OF EVIL in 3D, and I think it might have been a better film in 3D, because this film was brighter than the darker-colored 2014 predecessor, meaning, not gray tones, which seems to be better for 3D movie watching.

MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL is the story of Sleeping Beauty’s much maligned adoptive mother, a powerful fairy bent on seeking revenge on the humans who continually threaten the life and beauty of her forest realm. This is a fun family film. I enjoyed it. And so did many others, with a Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score of 95%. Just not so great with the critics.

Rotten Tomatoes: 40%

Metacritic: 43

One Movie Punch: 6.5/10

MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL (2019) is rated PG and is currently is available in limited theaters and on VOD.