REVIEW: Maleficent's Magnificence Held Back By Movie's Lack Of Nuance

Giving a new twist on an old tale can help breathe life into a property long after its release. Giving a new perspective to a character you once thought you knew can help a sleeping beauty awaken from its slumber.

It's clear that was the goal with Disney's "Maleficent," the story behind the life of one of Disney's most heralded villains. They even managed to get Angelina Jolie on board to play the title character.

I just wish they had actually finished making the movie.

"Maleficent" clocks in at a brisk 97 minutes. I'm not one to complain about runtime, as sometimes Oscar contenders can swallow an eighth of a day, leaving viewers with the task of blocking a chunk of their day to take it all in. But it seems like the movie strained too hard to keep things simple, whereas a little more time may have given it a chance to expand on its ideas.

Jolie turns in a magnificent performance as the "Sleeping Beauty" villain. She has the right amount of elegance and poise to bring Maleficent from the drawing board to real life. But somehow in the process of bringing her to life, this movie abandons a lot of what made Maleficent the classic Disney villain that's heralded to this day.

There is no nuance in the world of "Maleficent." The movie makes it abundantly clear that any action taken by its title character that could be construed as evil was somehow provoked and can be justified. The curse on Aurora only comes because King Stefan had sold her out years earlier and stolen her majestic fairy wings. His ultimate demise only comes after he attacks her after she concedes and tries to let him leave with his life.

Instead of playing up the justifiable rage she has over the loss of her wings, the film has her raising Aurora surreptitiously when the three fairies in charge of raising the child just aren't up to the task. When Aurora finds out where the curse came from, she forgives it far too easily.

But if you set the plot aside, the movie itself is beautifully shot, and the effects are fantastic. Perhaps its because of Jolie's earlier roles, but she looks perfectly at ease with the special effects at work. That comfort comes out strongly in the behind-the-scenes featurettes included on the Blu-Ray, where you'll learn that Jolie's costume was so scary to children, only her daughter could play the role of young Aurora.

If you're looking for a deep examination of a beloved Disney villain, this movie probably won't satisfy that urge. There's too much effort to make her likable, much to the movie's detriment. However, Jolie's performance is quite captivating, which makes this worth at least a curiosity rental.