Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Has the iconic villainess of Sleeping Beauty gotten a bum rap all these years? In this grand live-action reimagining of the classic tale, we learn of the longstanding hatred between a human kingdom and a nearby realm of magical beings. Maleficent, the most powerful fairy and their de facto leader, begins life full of wonder, but after she is bitterly betrayed by the only human she ever cared for, she becomes the angry, formidable opponent we thought we knew.

She does indeed curse the newborn royal baby Aurora to fall into a deep sleep on her 16th birthday; however, after getting to know the princess as a young woman, Maleficent repents her evil ways… but is she too late? Is the woman in black destined to be a force of darkness, or can she be saved? Angelina Jolie is alternately fierce, funny, and fragile in the title role, and even if you don’t like the idea of rooting for the bad gal, you’ll definitely want to stick around to see how it all plays out.

This movie gives us something amazing to look at every moment, typically in stunning clarity—razor-sharp blades of grass, dizzyingly elaborate CGI creatures, exquisite shadow detail in the many dark scenes—with only the slightest harsh video edges. There is, however, evidence of dreaded motion-streaking that compromises an otherwise clean, filmic 2.4:1 image. A converted 3D version was a big part of Maleficent’s huge worldwide success, but there are currently no plans to release it on Blu-ray 3D.

With the many soaring fairies, we’re treated to smooth directionality across the 7.1-channel soundfield as well as discrete surrounds: faint off-camera cues as well as howls and forest sounds behind us. When Princess Aurora’s trio of guardian fairies speaks at once, the chatter is rendered with a pleasing spread across the three front channels. Bass is powerful when it needs to be but also tight and precise. James Newton Howard’s musical score is utilized extensively to expand the drama, and it displays appreciable depth in high-resolution DTS-HD Master Audio.

The film is supplemented with a collection of brief featurettes ranging from lighthearted smile-fests to genuinely revealing glimpses of the production. Highlights include substantive studies of the special effects, stunt work, and costume design. Some of the five deleted scenes contain final-quality visual effects, and each begins with a bit of text to explain where it falls within the story. A DVD plus a “Disney Movies Anywhere” Digital Copy are also included.

Blu-Ray
Studio: Disney, 2014
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Audio Format: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
Length: 97 mins.
MPAA Rating: PG
Director: Robert Stromberg
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley