Maleficent

Now we get to see "Sleeping Beauty" from the viewpoint of the fairy godmother who cursed Princess Aurora. I can't believe this is a PG-rated movie! The Computer Generated Imaging isn't a surprise, but the fangs (wolves, dragons and monsters), the fights (tree-like behemoths wipe out a human army) and the fury (Maleficent gets really, really mad!) are violent and scary. People are slapped, the king cuffs his soldiers around and netting made of chains engulfs several unfortunates. We see spears, swords and daggers thrust at a trapped Maleficent.

Disney just isn't the Disney I came to expect when I was a child!

The cast:

• Angelina Jolie ("The Tourist") is Maleficent, the vengeful fairy, disappointed in love and bitter because "Love's True Kiss" wasn't true after all. On the other hand, it's fun to watch her lurk and sometimes intercede...to our surprise, and HERS!
• Sam Riley ("On the Road") is Diavel, Maleficence's familiar: Sometimes he's a raven, sometimes a horse, or a wolf, or... whatever...
• Elle Fanning ("We Bought a Zoo") plays Aurora, the sweet princess who is cursed at birth by Maleficent. She is so consistently sunny and upbeat it wears a bit thin for Maleficent.
• Juno Temple is Thistletwit, Lesley Manville is Flittle, and Imelda Staunton is Knotgrass. Together these pixies make the world's most inept team of babysitters.
• Sharlto Copley ("The A-Team") is Stefan, the young love who isn't true to Maleficent after all, in fact he betrays her on the most basic level: he cost her those wonderful wings. Aurora is his daughter.
• Brenton Thwaites ("The Signal") is Prince Phillip, who comes to save the day...or not... You've gotta see what happens! (Decon- struction of a well-known fairy tale can have its moments!)

Parental Guidance is the key. Parents MUST know what to expect. Very few adults read anything about movies before they take their youngsters these days, so there may be some outrage and some traumatized kiddos. Oh well.... I tried.... And there IS a happy ending...eventually.

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Take a look:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2133895193/
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