Maleficent Arrives On Blu-Ray On November 4th

***Disclosure: I received complimentary samples to facilitate my review. No other compensation was provided, and all opinions are 100% honest and have not been influenced in any way.***

Okay, so I have to admit, I have seen "Maleficent" 3 times in the past 24 hours. Not even kidding. Normally, seeing the same movie over and over and over again with little break in-between showings drives me nuts. Sadly, it's also a reality here, since preschool-aged kids tend to like seeing the same program 3,489 times in a row before moving on to the next big thing. However, seeing "Maleficent" over and over has been a pleasure. 

You see, this movie has totally blown my mind. We're all familiar with the classic fairy tale, "Sleeping Beauty", right? Well, you might think so...It's a timeless tale that everyone seems to know like the back of their hand. Beautiful baby princess is cursed by an evil villain, whisked away to live in the woods with 3 fairies, pricks her finger on a spinning wheel, which causes her to fall into a death-like sleep, ultimately to be awoken by Prince Phillip's kiss, right? Right?  

Wrong. 

In Disney's hit film, "Maleficent", you will find a completely different take on this much-loved story. Yes, many of the details remain the same. Princess Aurora does in fact get cursed. She does end up in the woods, raised by 3 fairies disguised as peasant women. Yes, she does end up falling victim to said curse and falling into a death-like sleep. But there are details in this film that were somehow lost in this classic fairy tale, ready to be revealed. Details that will change the way you view one of Disney's most hated villains. 

You see, this story tells a very different tale than you might recall. In the beginning of the film, we meet a young fairy named Maleficent. She lives in the Magical Moors, a mysterious place that no man dares to travel. Until one day, when a young orphan boy named Stephan wanders in....

Maleficent and Stephan become friends, and as the years pass, they fall in love. He even gives Maleficent a special gift on her 16th birthday: True Love's Kiss. 

Of course this budding romance is doomed from the start. Maleficent is a fairy, and Stephan is a human, with his eyes fixed firmly on the throne. He wants to become king one day, and he will stop at nothing to achieve this goal. Even if it means breaking Maleficent's heart and violently stealing her wings so that he could claim the throne and become none other than King Stephan. Princess Aurora's father. 

I have to admit, the scene where Maleficent's wings were stolen had me shaken up. Badly. As a survivor of domestic violence, I could completely relate and feel Maleficent's pain during this scene. As she wailed at the loss of her wings, I actually cried. Sobbed, really. It reminded me of all the things I had lost, at the hands of a man who was supposed to love me. Youth...Innocence...Self-esteem...A sense of identity and worth. So as Maleficent screamed in anguish at the loss of her wings, I felt her pain. Literally. 

Many people have compared this scene to rape. I can definitely see this. Maleficent trusted Stephan, and made herself vulnerable to him, out of love. She forgave him for deserting her, and allowed him back into her heart. Only to have her wings, her strength and identity, robbed from her. 

I  can completely understand why Maleficent then sought revenge. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned". This is very, very true. So when Maleficent put her infamous curse on King Stephan's daughter, Aurora, she was doing so out of pain. Out of heartache. Out of the anger that only a woman who has been completely betrayed can feel.  She had been betrayed by the one person she had ever truly loved. She wanted him to feel the same pain that he inflicted on HER. Hence, the curse. 

As the movie progresses, Maleficent is never far away from Princess Aurora. She watches her grow, and even has a few unexpected encounters with the girl. Her hatred and bitterness begin to melt away as she begins to love the princess. Soon, she regrets placing this curse on Aurora. She feels love for this child, and knows that she has made a mistake in wishing harm on her, out of anger towards the King. 

Can the curse be lifted? Can Maleficent reverse the inevitable pain she will cause Aurora and all who love her? And, will she ever be able to forgive herself for her actions?

Well, I don't want to give away too much....To find out, you will have to see the movie! Angelina Jolie is absolutely BRILLIANT in this film, and she captures the spirit of her character perfectly. If you'd like to see how a villain and a hero can be one and the same, definitely see this film. It will turn everything you thought you know upside-down and inside-out in the best kind of way. 


"Maleficent"  is coming to Disney Blu-Ray and DVD on November 4th, 2014. 

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