* SPOILER ALERT! This
review might contain spoilers. *
"Maleficent" rewrites the classic Disney animated
film "Sleeping Beauty" entirely! It is rewritten to a character whose story
has not been told yet and by that way, it gives you a whole new perspective to
an old well-known tale. The story mainly tells you about Maleficent but also
things about Aurora you didn't see in the animated film. It tells many thing about Maleficent you didn’t know, for example
that once she had wings and how she lost them, why she is so angry, bitter and
sad among other things you have always wanted to know but never knew how to
ask! You even learn the origins of Maleficent's raven.
I went to see "Maleficent" in the movie theater twice – the place where you should see it for the first time, even in 2D if you don’t
have the chance to see it in 3D. I remember when I got Disney's "Sleeping
Beauty" in my hands when I was a small child and I turned it over and
thinking how cool it was, needing to ask my parents to read the back cover for
me for I didn't know how to read myself yet. But for the first time I saw the
animated film I loved it! And Maleficent has always been one of my favorite
Disney villains... So, those are only a few reason why I was beyond excited
in March when I first heard that "Maleficent" was coming to the theaters – the
only problem was to wait for over two months for its premiere. One of the
reasons were that there was Angelina Jolie playing Maleficent – I think no one
would have done a better job!
The characters contrary roles, comparing to
Disney's animated film "Sleeping Beauty" from 1959, made the movie a
whole more exciting to watch because nothing seemed to be like what you have
gotten to know from the animated film when you saw it as a child (or adult, no
matter)! Some of the main characters in the animated film were now in side roles and
some of the good characters seemed to turn out the main villains of the movie
and the originally evil characters to be the good ones. It all really explains
why Maleficent casted the spell upon Princess Aurora and basically everything
evil she did. It was a pleasant surprise to see what kind of relationship Maleficent
and Aurora created with each other from Aurora’s childhood to her teens,
something the animated film never, ever showed you! I was surprised by how
relatively small part the three faeries had raising Aurora or doing anything in
the end unlike what it was in the animated film. But it wasn’t bad at all, it all
just fit together so well!
“Maleficent” changed my view of the story entirely!
While I still love the animated film, I liked this version of the story even more!
Especially when, in the end, you will find out who was telling the story... It
made the story feel more real and believable, like this was the tale Disney
should have told us decades ago! The narrator isn't too much involved and
leaves the person watching the movie enough “space” to think of her own without
one feeling she is watching a movie made for children.
The movie felt longer than only about an hour
and a half but it wouldn't have hurt to make it a two hour film for I believe it would
have done good for the story– but maybe the youngest
children would not have the patience to watch the movie if it would have been
longer... There was no dull moment when I was
watching this film and to me, that's also a sign for a great movie above all
else. I recommend this film to all from adults to children... But maybe not for
the youngest ones for it is PG rated movie. Even still, I think it was great that the film
teaches children (and why not older ones too) that evil is not always black and
white...
I must say that "Maleficent" is one of
my favorite movies of all time and I only needed to see it once to know this.
It was just so good! It made me laugh, it made me cry, just like a good movie should... And Angelina Jolie's performance was amazing! She wasn't just
acting Maleficent, she actually became Maleficent – that's one of the things
that makes this movie so great! One of the other thing was the visual effects.
Right from the start you see that the movie is made to be 3D – especially, the
flying scenes are incredible immersive to watch! Maleficent's wings looked so
real, even I started to think what it would be to have wings... There was a lot
of CGI animation but it was so well done it didn’t start to bug you. Also the
ending was quite different than in the animated film, but let’s just say it
won’t let a frowny face to anyone...
"Maleficent" also has amazing music! The soundtrack is composed by James Newton Howard and all the tracks on it just fit into the movie like a right piece of a jigsaw puzzle and was so part of the story and the happenings that it kind of "blended" in to the movie itself but not in a bad way – it didn't steal the attention of watching the movie itself but intensified it even better experience! I had to go listen to the whole album right away I got back home from the movie theater and it brought back the movie into my head which is always a good sign of a well-made soundtrack to me.
First time I went to see
"Maleficent" it was in 2D (like a “regular” movie) but today I went
to watch it again in 3D, because I think it was that good – it was so much
better than in 2D version! I don’t know which movie would not be better in 3D,
but it worked incredibly well for this one. I was “disappointed” I didn’t go
watch it in 3D right on the first time, after seeing the scenes which clearly
are meant to be seen in 3D. I checked from the internet that it won’t be
shown in 3D anymore after this weekend (at least in Finland), so I was damn lucky to be able to see
it also in 3D.
Director: Robert Stromberg Actors: Angelina Jolie, Elle
Fanning, Sharlto Copley, Sam Riley, Lesley Manville, Imelda Staunton, Juno
Temple, Brenton Thwaites Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Action,
Family Premiere:28 May 2014 (USA) / 28 May 2014
(Finland) Length:97 min
PG Trailer:
* SPOILER ALERT! This
review may contain spoilers. *
I finally watched the movie “Now You See Me” a month ago...
The story begins when a mysterious person
recruits four magicians, all gifted in their own way, together. There's an
arrogant showman J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), a hypnotist Merritt
McKinney (Woody Harrelson), Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher) and Jack Wilder (Dave
Franco). From their very first appearance it becomes clear that this is no
ordinary magic show. All of their tricks have a purpose.
A year later they have teamed up with a stage
name "The Four Horsemen" when they take the stage in Las Vegas for
the first time and leaves the audience breathless by robbing a bank on stage. They
start to perform magic shows where they rob money and gives it to the audience.
FBI is furious and soon they’ve got a bunch of agents, especially FBI agent Dylan
Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) and French police Alma Dray (Mélanie Laurent) from
Interpol, after them. They also got a mysterious man (played by Morgan Freeman)
behind them, who reveals the magicians tricks and tries to reveal the secrets
behind "The Four Horsemen" shows. But the whole plot is much more
complicated and bigger than what is let to believe at first. The magicians are
always one step ahead of the agents, and there's unexpected surprise waiting in
the end. All of the characters have their own interests and you can never be
too sure of what they are.
The magicians mock the official authority and plays with them - I enjoyed
watching the picking between Jesse Eisenberg's and Mark Ruffalo's characters. Even the movie’s genre is mystery there is also
humor involved which makes the movie even more entertaining. There's also a bit of
romance-thing going on between the two main agents (played by Mark Ruffalo and Mélanie
Laurent).
This
movie is not what it seems - at all! It brings surprises after surprise and
spins your head. It gives you false leads all the way until the end.
It
gave me chills, especially at the beginning and the end. Wow, I haven't seen such
a great film in a long time! And goes without saying that the music is awesome!
There’s
also breathtaking chasing and driving scenes which every movie needs. I did not
see what was coming in the end of the movie. Always when you thought you'll
guess the ending you did not.
Not all of the magic tricks in the movie seem like possible at first, bending
and twisting the logic and the mind but as some of the secrets behind them are
opened they will leave you asking; can the tricks be done? And even there is
let to believe that there can be a logical explanation to everything, the movie
will leave you ask: Is there really magic? Not everything is possible, of
course, and to some it might feel like “it’s just a movie magic” but at least I
was like “wow!” – just watch the movie and decide yourself.
These
are the movies which I'm supposed to go watch in a movie theater but because I
have not I'm now pissed because this must have been seen in a big screen. But I
did the next best thing; I bought it on Blu-Ray... Director: Louis Leterrier Actors: Jesse Eisenberg, Isla
Fisher, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Mark Ruffalo, Mélanie Laurent, Michael
Caine, Morgan Freeman Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller Premiere:31 May 2013 (USA) / 19 July 2013 (Finland) Length:115 min
PG-13 Trailer:
This was a movie I had been prolonged for so
long to watch to – but I do not know why. And I was supposed to review this movie last year, but it delayed until now...
Dylan
(Justin Timberlake) is an art
director in Los Angeles and his girlfriend breaks up with him – at the same
time in New York Jamie (Mila Kunis),
gets to hear that she is emotionally damaged while her boyfriend breaks up with
her. Jamie is a headhunter and gets talented Dylan to New York so she can
persuade him to take the job as an AD for a major magazine and she gets Dylan
to take the job. They both are disappointed in the field of love and they start
to have a warm friendship with each other. So they end up having a deal that
they would just have sex as friends with no emotions or relationships – just
friends. But it turns out not to be so simple...
Even
the plot isn’t that original, the movie cleverly manages to avoid the typical clichés
common to romantic comedies and it’s actually funny with not being overly
cheesy but stays being cute. Instead it’s honest comedy and because of it, it
stands out from the usual romantic comedies which you know you have seen before
once you’ve started watching them. The movie stays interesting with all the
interesting characters. They are really likeable and funny, which isn’t the
case in every romantic comedy you’ll see. Unfortunately, the chemistry between
the two main characters don’t always show through the movie, but it shows
enough... The movie goes very well for the friends of romantic comedies, for
this doesn’t seem to be a comedy from the dullest end, but you pretty much have
to like romantic comedies to get everything out of this.
As
side characters there’s Dylan’s dad (Richard Jenkins)
who has Alzheimer's disease, his big sister (Jenna
Elfman), Jamie’s wild and free mom (Patricia Clarkson) and
Dylan’s gay co-worker (Woody Harrelson) who all brings their own spice to the story. Even
though you can guess what the ending will be, the story is quite catching so
you will not get bored – partially thanks to the interesting side characters.
This was such a
cheerful movie! It made me laugh and it made me smile. A perfect movie for a
night when you need some romance and comedy in the same package... If you like
romantic comedies, I recommend this movie to you!
Director: Will Gluck Actors: Justin Timberlake, Mila
Kunis, Patricia Clarkson, Jenna Elfman, Richard Jenkins and Woody Harrelson Genre: Comedy, Romance Release Date:30
September 2011 (Finland) Length:109 min
Rated R Trailer:
