Although I really wasn't a fan of the revisionism of Maleficent, the strengths in that movie were still strong enough to ensure that I would watch a sequel (well . . . the strengths in the movie and the fact that I have to try and watch every film ever in a never-ending quest for completionism). From the very start of the film, Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil sets itself out as superior to the film it follows. The groundwork has been laid, the characters put in place, and this quickly turns into an entertaining mix of dark comedy and fairytale characters at war.
Angelina Jolie is, once again, the main character, and once again she's a villain allowed to prove that she doesn't have to remain in that box. Elle Fanning returns as Aurora, the young woman who happens to now have Maleficent as her guardian/godmother, and everything starts to move along at a rapid pace when Aurora accepts a proposal from Prince Philip (Harris Dickinson). What could lead to peace between humans and non-humans instead leads to a confrontation, and it's one that was planned by Queen Ingrith (Michelle Pfeiffer).
The main returning name behind the camera here is writer Linda Woolverton, now working with Noah Harpster and Micah Fitzerman-Blue, and she seems to enjoy being freed from the obvious constraints of the twisted familiarity required for the first film. The character of Maleficent gets to enjoy her powers while also, in a few amusing moments, wrestling with more civil interactions with people she would have previously avoided at all costs.
Director Joachim Rønning has a relatively easy life, considering the cast and crew at his disposal. That transfers to the screen, with every fun performance taking place in a fantasy land realised by top-notch, and often beautiful, CGI.
Jolie is still perfect in her lead role, whether she's fighting back against scheming humans or practicing a polite smile that hopefully won't terrify anyone she is trying to be nice to. Pfeiffer is equally perfect in her role, the Queen with the scheme, and she proves to be a worthy opponent to Maleficent, happy to make many sacrifices on her way to a greater good. Fanning is very sweet and likeable, Dickinson is as you'd expect a Prince to be (meaning he's not given all that much to do), and Sam Riley once again tries to steal a couple of scenes as Diaval, a "sidekick" to Maleficent. Chiwetel Ejiofor and Ed Skrein work quite well under a lot of make-up, Robert Lindsay is a King who is put out of action quite early on in the proceedings, and there are enjoyable little turns from Jenn Murray, Juno Temple, Lesley Manville, Imelda Staunton, David Gyasi, and Warwick Davis. (of course . . . is there a big-budget fantasy film that doesn't decide to use Davis?)
It's not up there with the best of these movies, and still has an air of predictability about it, but Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil is surprisingly enjoyable from start to finish. And it's easily much better than the first film.
7/10
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