Maleficent

Disney's 2014 re-telling of he classc fairytale known as "Sleeping Beauty", titled Maleficent was released in May 2014. Not long after the film's release, a group of friends and I went to see it in theaters. Even then, I was struck by how well-done the film was.

I was skeptical at first, I must admit. I wasn't sure if re-telling a classic fairy tale was such a good idea, to be honest. Plus, I'm not Angelina Jolie's biggest fan, as I feel she gets more time on magazines in line at Wal-Mart than she does quality screen time. (Sorry, not sorry.) 

However, we went to see the movie and I found it to be absolutely wonderful. Upon farther reflection, I came to atribute its success to the fact that it wasn't just a remake of Sleeping Beauty. They took a story that everyone knows, and twisted it around by telling it from a different point of view. 

Warning: Reading farher will result in spoilers. 

Another thing I loved about Maleficent was the way the story ends. When Aurora (played by Elle Fanning, Dakota Fanning's little sister) is in her deep sleep, the fairies find a prince to kiss her. However, his "true love's kiss" isn't effective in awakening Auror. The prospects seem bleak, but then Maleficent came over to speak to Aurora. Maleficent had come to love Aurora, and regreted cursing the baby. She apologizes to the sleeping princess, and kisses her forehead.
Then she wakes up.
Disney seems to be catching up. Between Frozen's sisterly love theme and Maleficent's motherly love theme, I'm starting to think maybe Disney is realizing that romantic love isn't exactly everything, and that every princesss doesn't need a man to save her.
It makes me like Disney even more.
Always, Cassie