The most recent Disney film, Maleficent, brought in $90 million its opening weekend. My husband and I contributed to that when we went to “preview” it before taking the kids. While my kids don’t spook easily, the trailers make the movie look very dark and intense, and when we read the story about how Brad and Angelina’s daughter had to play Aurora as a young child because no other child would come near “Maleficent,” we just wanted to take a look for ourselves. We took the kids the next day.
This is another clever film by Disney. I’m not going to include spoilers, but I will say it’s not as dark and intense as we expected, other than some battle scenes (no bloodshed) that could frighten younger children. Angelina plays the part beautifully (and I’m not a big fan of hers) and easily takes you right with her on her emotional journey. It’s not an epic film and won’t come close to the popularity of Pirates, but I personally think it is one of Disney’s best live-action films.
If your children are younger than 8 or are easily frightened, I’d still recommend previewing or waiting for the DVD (not as scary as the big screen), but this film is not what you expect in so many ways, it is worth a look! Oh, and don’t spend the extra money for 3D – it isn’t necessary. The visuals are just as impressive in 2D.
Thank you for the review! It’s helpful to hear about the watchability of the film from the parent’s perspective for older kids as well as its appropriateness for younger children.
Your description reminds me of the book and broadway show, Wicked, a retelling of the Wizard of Oz from the Wicked Witch of the West’s POV! Is it similar?
I’m not certain – I haven’t seen Wicked.