When I first heard that there was a film about "Maleficent" in the works, starring Angelina Jolie, I have to admit I freaked out a bit. Maleficent has always been my favorite Disney villainess, and is arguably the most iconic. However, what really thrilled me was that early reports said the film would be Maleficent's "Wicked", i.e. tell her side of the story. That's what really got me going; Wicked (the book or the musical, either or) is one of the best retellings of a classic tale, offering depth and a new side to a character (The Wicked Witch of the West) we had all been told to hate for so long, and the fact that Sleeping Beauty's queen of evil was going to get that treatment was thrilling me.
Unfortunately, as much as early trailers excited me, I could see where Maleficent was headed... in the same canon as recent Disney CGI crap fests such as "Alice in Wonderland" or "OZ the Great and Powerful". While both were fun and silly, family targeted films, they didn't offer anything beyond their shiny, sleek appearances. However, the reason why Maleficent fails so much more than those films, however, is because of how much promise it squandered in favor of following OZ and Alice, not mention, it wastes Angelina Jolie's obvious talent.
