1/16/2020 - Maleficent: Mistress of Evil - 3+/10

I wanted to be higher for the good reasons. The costumes are nice, the fantasy world is interesting despite its irritating malaise, and it is original. But then I considered how devastatingly mediocre those rubrics are. With the money, the talent and the time, they could do better than this meandering and underdeveloped fantasy plop. I never saw the first one, but it seemed to have some verve and impetus. This was a dead behind the eyes, green glowy blandness. It was a dark witches magically brewed spell, but instead of using virgin’s blood they used almond milk.

Maley looks cool. The design is a top notch Halloween attire, and her make-up effects help with her uncanniness. The costumes for the queen are also nice...That is about it.

The story was aggravatingly obvious and insipid in its length and leisure while I strained to stay up for it. There were so many options to do something. Like the lingering characteristic of the queen’s need to stay in the darkness or her enslavement and brainwashing of a magical science servant. Neither is even lightly explored, leaving me rolling my eyes. And then I thought they might have some balls for a moment, but the deus ex originem that shouted its fiery feathered screech once revealed could not be denied. It petered away any of the excitement, intrigue, and interest; all were in short supply from the get go.