quote:
I'm a sucker for fiction that tells traditional stories through different characters. One of my favorite books is Grendel, a retelling of Beowulf from the monster's POV (Beowulf is such a dick). So I'm inherently predisposed to like this kind of movie.

These retellings could be interesting except that they inevitably go like this: "What if [person you assumed was the villain] is actually a hero -- and [person you assumed was a hero] is actually a villain!?!" Grendel, Maleficient, this retelling of the Tempest I once read where Caliban was the main character. Shock value is a thin narrative reed to rest on, and it's kind of cheap because it gets all its emotional oomph from subverting the original source material (ie, if you don't already know the original story it doesn't make sense). Calling it "derivative" might sound silly because it is literally, expressly derivative, but I think it's still a valid criticism.

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Posted by Baloo

Formerly MDGeaux

Member since Sep 2003

49645 posts

Posted on 6/27/14 at 4:46 pm to Cold Cous Cous

There's nothing I'm less interested in than art that tries to be "shocking". That plays for the college set, but we adults normally see that for the cheap bullshite that it is. I don't think this tries to play as shocking at all. If anything, quite the opposite. Its shows how when you damn an innocent soul, it has a corrupting influence on your own soul, even as you try to escape the fate. I thought Maleficent was at its best when it was being sweet, and how she called Aurora "Beastie", but eventually in a loving way.

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Posted by bulldog95

North Louisiana

Member since Jan 2011

20729 posts

Posted on 6/28/14 at 12:09 am to Baloo

Spoilers:

I took it that out of her hate and malice towards Stefan she cursed aurora to hurt him but them as she watched over aurora she started to slowly warm towards the child until she eventually felt like she was her child after all those years of protecting aurora.

Granted I don't know much about the original but my kids loved it and I though Jolie did a good job, she was badass when she kicked the kings armies arse at the beginning.