Fantasy/ Action Directed by Joachim Rønning Written by Linda Woolverton, Micah Fitzerman-Blue, and Noah Harpster. A sequel to Maleficent (2014). Both movies are based on the story of Sleeping Beauty, focusing on the evil witch. LOTS OF SPOILERS FOR BOTH MOVIES (sorry, I couldn’t help it) If you haven’t watched the first one, stop right here and go watch it. It’s amazing. People laugh, but I’m serious about watching and reading stuff in order! I think it matters. I loved this movie, and as soon as it ended I thought I was ready to write a review. But, it’s taken me a while to finish it because I haven’t quite figured out how to explain why I love both Maleficent movies so much. I wanted to do them justice. IThey are fun, action-packed movie that ended up holding a deeper message than I was able to explore all at one. The sequel did not disappoint. SummariesMalificent (2014) The first movie shows a cheerful, kind young woman with big, powerful, and beautiful wings and magical powers. She was a fae named Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) who lived among a other fae in the Moors, a magical forest. One day, a human man named Stefan (Sharlto Copley) discovered the forest and met Maleficent. They fell in love. Then, humans begin attacking Maleficent and the Moors. She doesn’t want to hurt anyone, but must protect her kingdom and the fae. Humans see her self-defense as an act of war, as aggressive. The king offers his throne and the hand of his daughter to anyone who could cut off the wings of Maleficent and bring them to him. Stefan was a poor peasant and his greed and stupidity were stronger than his love and humanity. He visited Maleficent as though everything was normal and lovely. He cut off her wings in her sleep and took them.
Malifacent: the Mistress of Evil (2019) In the second movie, Aurora , Princess of the Moors,-who grew to become like a daughter to Maleficent in the first movie- is marrying Prince Phillip (Brenton Thwaites in first movie, then Harris Dickinson) and they hope to reign over both the human kingdom and the Moors. Of course, things do not go as planned. The story paints a vivid picture of how dangerous lies can be and how easily they can spread. My ThoughtsThis was a great sequel and a great movie. It followed the story appropriately, i.e. it made sense both chronologically and the characters were consistent, but it still stood on its own. It felt different from the first movie in the best way. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. Visual Effects The visual effects were breathtaking. All of it: the costumes, the set design, the CGIs, the stunts and the world-building overall were all incredible. I felt like I was there. Characters I have a range of opinions about the characters. I was impressed by the villain, Queen Ingris (Michelle Pfeiffer). She had a backstory (mentioned briefly, but solid) and a strong motive to do what she did. Also? She was smart. She didn’t get so far with her plan by sheer luck (that drives me crazy). She started a real, full-on war all by herself without anyone realizing that she was doing it. Talk about manipulative. Not only was she smart and manipulative, she was crazy evil. She hurt people in her own kingdom and fae alike without regret or empathy and proved to be ruthless. All of that is why I hated the ending she got. I feel like the writers failed her. When they could have done anything with the ending, they tried to make it funny. I’m not saying she should have been killed, but there’s a moment when she falls facedown in the dirt and looks up like a pissy girl at a party in a comedy (or something) when she stood up. It was an injustice to her character and diluted her power. Overall, the ending was pretty great, but there were parts specific to her ending that were flat out unsatisfying. Aurora and her hubby, Prince Philip’s, characters served their purpose but were very bland. It wasn’t until after I got home from the theater that I realized there was not a ton of interesting dialogue or many lines at all (definitely not from those two). It still worked. There was so much to look at that I didn’t care. But, these characters were not the draw. Maleficent was spectacular. Angelina Jolie performed this role with incredible talent and grace. The character was complex and broken and beautiful. And she managed to capture all of that. Deeper Insight - Maleficent's Important Connection In one scene, Maleficent is shot down from the sky (by orders of the evil queen) and would have died if not saved by Conall (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a fae. He was the same kind of fae as Maleficent. Remember: before this, she had never met another fae like her. So, he brings her, unconscious and dying, to a hidden nest that opens into a large cave filled with faes just like her and patches her up. She wakes up and meets them. She watches them move, flying like she does with beautiful wings. She sees them walking and talking. One thing that caught her attention came as a surprise to my mom, but makes perfect sense to me: she was mesmerized by the young children learning to fly. In the first movie, Maleficent falls in love with the young Aurora she cursed. She definitely has a soft spot for kids. Another thing from the first movie concerns the very first scenes. She grew up alone, but happy and playful, just like thee kids she saw in the cave. One night, they had a party. Some fae drummed and played music while others danced and yet others simply sat around and talked. Happily. This was the emotional turning point for Maleficent. No one can fight without having something to fight for. All of a sudden, she wasn’t alone. She wasn’t a monster to them like she spent years being told she was by humans. I love that she found her people and culture. That is what gave the movie a punch, for me. I connected to it and I think anyone who has ever felt outcasted, especially those who have been lucky enough to later find a community that accepted them, can relate with Maleficent in these scenes. Conall believes in peace. He wants to co-exist with humans so that his people can live free. She agrees fully until she meets also Borra (Ed Skrein) who has another idea. He wants to go to war with the humans that almost wiped out their species and forced the rest into hiding. It’s a hard pitch for Maleficent to ignore after she had tried to make peace only for humans to still hate her and try to kill her. She chooses peace. The question is whether she can convince others to do the same. ConclusionWatch. The. Movies. If I haven’t convinced you already, here’s my last try: The main character is played by ANGELINA JOLIE. Have you seen her jawbones? She plays a gorgeous and regal Maleficent.
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It’s one of those books that I can’t stop thinking about. I listened to this Rosamund Hodge fantasy novel on audiobook (narrated by Elizabeth Knowelden) and the character’s voice still sings in my head, weeks later. I keep stumbling around in my mind trying to remember the plot over and over because it gets more interesting every time. I didn’t think much of the book when I started it, I just needed something. The review that popped up under the book’s synopsis that I didn’t read, said that it fell along the archetypes of Beauty and the Beast. And while I see that resemblance, I think it does the book a terrible injustice. Arcadia is led by the demon king. They call him the Gentle Lord. Those foolish enough can make deals with him, as one does the devil in other stories, but he always requires a heavy price. Nyx’s father made a deal with him before she was born. He and his wife weren’t able to bear children, so he went asking for a son to carry on his name. Instead the Gentle Lord offered him twin girls, if and only if, he gave one of them up to marry him when they turned a certain age. Now, that “sacrifice” was Nyx. And so the story starts. Everything she has ever believed about her world will be turned upside down. Those moments are the kind that leave my mind whirring; the idea of good and evil, about ever being able to draw the lines. Times that show the power of truth and how missing even one piece of it can skew your whole understanding. Nyx was born and raised to marry a monster, given the weight of being the only one who could save the world. She thought that made her callous, but it didn’t, not like it could have. She still felt compassion and saw beauty in horrible things. She knew true forgiveness. This was a tale laced with hints of Greco-Roman mythology and new ideas of what lies in the darkness. To say it is merely a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, is to ignore deeper messages inside the pages. Nyx comes face to face with a demon, the thing humans get told horror stories about, the thing she has trained to kill, and doesn’t flinch. She tries to learn all that she can about him and his mysterious castle, and doesn’t stop even when those truths don’t match what she has been told all of her life. I would put this book on the shelf of fantasy/ romance/ fiction for older YA readers. It is dark and, at times, disturbing to the point of feeling trippy, but not horror or all depressing. Powerful shifts between character voices and fascinating setting that I’ve never heard before, very much descriptive enough to visualize. There is so much more I could say on this book. I could go on about how it's funny and surprisingly sweet, but I guess you'll have to read it yourself to find out. I don’t often reread a book without reason. It is not unheard of, but I usually have too many new stories I’m excited to read next. I remember reading this Tahereh Mafi novel back in December 2016. I know the date because I was in a hammock on my cousin’s porch in Panama. The breeze was in my hair and I could smell plantains being fried in the kitchen. She didn’t mean to. Juliette doesn’t want this curse. Whoever she touches dies- painfully. She was alone in a cell for 264 days, until one day a boy is shoved in there as well. She knows him from grade school, before she was locked up, but doesn’t think he remembers her. Where is the truth? It seems many people have different pieces of it. This is a dystopian where morals are questioned and power plays are made. Something about how the author writes; the prose is scrambled to justify all that goes on in this girl’s mind. I give it a high recommendation or, at the very least, a read to have some new things to think about. I’m on a roll with good books lately, aren’t I? The original came out 2004 and made up most of my childhood. I watched it again and again. Violet Parr continues to be my role model- scratch that- a goddess- scratch: everything I aspire to be. Okay, maybe not really, but her character development throughout the movie was impressive. I liked most of the women in this film. Ellen/ Elastigirl was saving the day, Velma was jaw dropping as always, and Frozone's wife even got a line! I enjoyed the fact that the most notable government official in the movie was "The Ambassador," a woman who stood strong even as her life and job were in peril. Don't get me started on Void, a newly introduced superhero who was adorable! She fangirled over Elastigirl, and anyone in any fandom could completely relate to the giddiness. My favorite scenes were the one about baby Jack-Jack because the mom is away saving the day nowadays, and dad is kind of overwhelmed. Hm hmm... who's the real super hero now Mr. Incredible? One sequel I'd say may just live up to it's original. My favorite scenes that sounds very odd out of context: baby Jack-Jack fighting a raccoon. It is crazy cute! They may have added one since I saw it in theaters, but strobe, flashing lights are in multiple scenes (where the characters are hypnotized), so, just a warning I wish I'd had! Caroline B. CooneyI am a century changer, she thought. I have visited both sides of time. People think they own time. They have watches and clocks and digital pulses. But they are wrong. Time owns them. I am a property of Time, just as Harriet will be property of her husband. ^^ exterpt from Both Sides of Time (end of page 147 and beginning of 148) ^^^ 4 stars I've been reading a lot of good books lately, that's why I am putting all the 4 stars out there. It's hard to get a 5 from me, that demands a sort of perfection. This book was amazing on so many levels. It had the time traveling, which is just plain cool. And you got to see some history from two centuries (1995 and 1885). Also the fact that in mostly the past men can be awful. They think they own everything, especially the women, they are just property. Annie sees this with her own father in the "present". She thinks she's ruining peoples lives on both sides of time. And she does. But I think she ends up making it better too. She opens up some opportunities that were never opened before. I think this is a 5th-8th grade kind of book. It has an interesting point of view scheme. A bit difficult if you don't like skipping around to different people and third person. Also really interesting. You can always try reading it... if you don't like it... stop. It's not a life or death decision. Or is it? Jonathan StroudBartimaeus Trilogy (#1) Scary, sad, hilarious, infuriating, interesting, binding. This book was amazing. It was about a boy (your not suppose to know his name) who becomes a magician. He is completely underestimated by everyone, even his own master. He summons a djinni, a powerful demon, to steal something; revenge. There's Simon Lovelace who's evil. The boy beats him easily and saves the world. No, not really, but he is pretty awesome. I reccomend this book to 5th - 7th graders, but almost anyone could read it. I'd say this is fantasy fiction filled with action, mild violence, no romance and the best kind of humor. This book was so fun and can't wait to read the next two books! (5 stars) The giver is an amazing, touching story by Lois Lowery. It is about a boy living in a bland society. There are no feelings, no color, mostly just rules. It isn't until Jonas begins training to be the new reciver that he see this. The giver gives him memories and wisdom of color, snow, hills and love. He takes a little baby boy and escapes, leaving the city with his memories. I recommend this for middle school students and for people who don't mind thinking. If you see the movie for this please comment to tell me about it. How could it ever compete with Lois? Did it include the other books in this film too? (4 stars) (by Neil Gaiman) When the boy's parents get murdered and he (just barely) escapes, Nobody is taken in... by ghosts. He is raised in a graveyard by ghosts (lovely ones really). But what things happen when he goes out into the real world. And will he someday have to leave the graveyard? This is an amazing book! A little creepy but very well written.I could really feel his loneliness and sometimes sadness or happiness. I recommend this for 4th, 5th and 6th graders. ***** (5 stars!!) "Sea-weed brain!" "Holy gods..." "Ella likes books!" This is what I call action packed comedy! The Percey Jackson series (The Lightning Thief, Sea of Monsters, The Titan Curse,, Battle of the Labyrinth and the Last Olympian)is by Rick Riordan, by far the best writer of all time!!!!!!! It's about these demi gods (Percey and Annabeth with the help from Camp Half-Blood and the Hunters) who have to go on quests and finally defeat the all mighty Kronus, the god of time. Not even a god, titan, father of the titans. I recomend this book for 4th through 8th graders. But really it canbe for anyone! If you like fantasy, greek gods or awesome, descriptive writing. You love this! It's like modern, but theres the whole ancient gods thing. SO GOOD!!! PS. this is not a review or even a recommendation: THIS IS A MUST DO!!!! PPS. Above Rick Riordan's name is pink. It is a link to his awesome website! ****- (4 stars) A Wrinkle in TIme; the graphic novel is adapted and illustrated by Hope Larson.It is basicly the Wrinkle in Time in comic. It even has some of the same lines. But it is good. I like it. It's the same story: Meg, Cailin and Charles Wallace have to Meg and Charles father and defeat IT. I recomend it for 4th to 6th graders, depending on your reading level. If you've read the Wrinkle in Time it's really good. I think I read the Wrinkle in Time in 4th grade and reading this in 6th. Read it! It's a fast easy read but cool. It's only 392 pages. Emmy just thought they had defeated the evil Mrs. Barmy forever. But no, now's she's back... a rodent. Will Emmy get stuck a rat forever because Sissy is sick? Or will she win a beauty pageant, recuse five tiny girls and save all of rodent kind? ****- (4 stars) *Emmy And The Home For Troubled Girls is by Lynne Jonnell, fun artwork by Jonathan Bean. I would recommend this book for 3rd - 5th grade. It isn't a very hard read. It is the second book in it's trilogy (the first is Emmy and the Shrinking Rat, the third is Emmy and Rats in the Belfry). I recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure, magical-science (sort of..), secrets or the connection of not knowing what you want and trying to be "like every one else". |
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