Maleficent 2: Mistress of Evil or Misunderstood?

Just in time for Halloween, one of my favorite villains is back in Maleficent 2:  Mistress of Evil!  Is she truly Mistress of Evil?  Or is she just misunderstood?  Find out when it’s released at a movie theater near you on October 18, 2019!  I attended a media screening for Maleficent 2:  Mistress of Evil in exchange for a review but as always, all opinions are my own.  Keep reading to find out what I thought about the movie, whether or not it’s kid friendly, and whether you need to watch the first movie in the series before watching Maleficent 2.

Maleficent 2:  Mistress of Evil or Misunderstood?

Our favorite dark fairy is baaack!  Except this time she has company.  Maleficent 2 is the much anticipated sequel to Maleficent, which put a different spin to the Sleeping Beauty fairytale.  But as Queen Ingrith (played by the fabulous Michelle Pfeiffer) says in Maleficent 2: “This isn’t a fairytale.”  When we last saw Maleficent, she raised Princess Aurora as though she was her own daughter and allowed her to be Queen of the Moors.  That’s important for Maleficent 2, since much of the movie is about the relationship between Maleficent and Princess Aurora.  That’s because Princess Aurora is engaged to Prince Philip and Maleficent is not happy about it.  If that wasn’t enough, add another Queen (as a soon-to-be-mother-in-law) and a battle between humans and fairies to the mix and you have a showdown of mythical proportions.

Besides Maleficent and Princess Aurora, several characters from the original movie return for the sequel.  Prince Phillip, Diaval (Maleficent’s shapeshifting assistant), and the flower pixies are some of the familiar faces that fans will recognize.  And as I mentioned above, we are introduced to new characters like Queen Ingrith and other dark fairies.

The movie itself is visually stunning and the acting is stellar.  Angelina Jolie IS Maleficent.  I can’t think of anyone else who could portray that character with such intensity.  And Elle Fanning as Princess Aurora is the perfect compliment to intense Maleficent.  Her facial expressions can range from loving, to distrust, to uncertainty, to anger, to sadness and we, as the audience, can feel it, too.

The movie has several themes – the relationship between mother and child, the importance of family, acceptance and forgiveness, and having to let go even though it’s so hard, especially as a parent.  It turns out that there’s a bit of Maleficent in all of us, especially when it comes to protecting our loved ones.

Is Maleficent 2:  Mistress of Evil Kid Friendly?

Maleficent 2 is rated PG, which I think is very accurate.  Overall, the movie is kid friendly.  However, it can be difficult to say for certain what specific ages are appropriate for this movie (or other movies for that matter).  So much of it depends on the child’s personality.  For example, my son (who is almost 7 years old) attended the screening with me.  He enjoyed Maleficent 2 and didn’t find it to be scary.  He was also very engaged throughout the movie.  And as a parent, I was relieved that there aren’t any curse words, crude language, sexually suggestive scenes, or over the top violence.  There are a few scenes that may be disturbing to young children, though, like when some of the characters are placed in life threatening situations.  However, acceptance of others is one of the main themes of the movie, and this is a message that kids can learn from.

Do You Need to Watch Maleficent In Order to Appreciate Maleficent 2?

If you haven’t seen the first Maleficent movie, you will still get enjoyment from Maleficent 2.  However, there are several references throughout to the first movie (like when Maleficent tells Princess Aurora “Love doesn’t always end well beastie”), so if you have the opportunity, I recommend watching the original movie first.  Since it’s been 5 years since the first Maleficent was released, I watched it again the day before I attended the media screening for Maleficent 2 to refresh my memory and I’m glad that I did.  My son also watched the original movie with me so he was better prepared to understand Maleficent 2.

I couldn’t wait to see this movie and I wasn’t disappointed!  It has great acting, a storyline that at its core, we can all relate to, and stunning visual effects.

Looking for more movie reviews?  Click here to read my review for The Jungle Book and Pete’s Dragon.