Cast – Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sam Riley, Ed Skrein, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, Lesley Manville & Michelle Pfeiffer

Director – Joachim Rønning

Genre – Fantasy/Action

Running Time – 118 minutes

In this one we find Maleficent and her goddaughter Aurora begin to question the complex family ties that bind them as they are pulled in different directions by impending nuptials, unexpected allies and dark new forces at play. The years have been kind to Maleficent and Aurora. Their relationship, born of heartbreak, revenge and ultimately love, has flourished. Yet the hatred between man and the fairies still exists.

Aurora’s impending marriage to Prince Phillip is cause for celebration in the kingdom of Ulstead and the neighboring Moors, as the wedding serves to unite the two worlds. When an unexpected encounter introduces a powerful new alliance, Maleficent and Aurora are pulled apart to opposing sides in a Great War, testing their loyalties and causing them to question whether they can truly be family.

We admit, the above sounds all airy fairy, taken straight from a fairy tale and you wouldn’t be incorrect in that assumption but then again coming from Disney, what do you expect? Perfect for the entire family, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is indeed a great visual watch with every element presented in a crisp and quality manner. The story line is predictable but, like with most things, it’s not always about the destination but more about the journey and that’s probably the best way to describe this movie. The journey is a great one and makes it worth every minute of watching.

A great reintroduction for Jolie back into the movieverse, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil will lend itself well to many especially the female crowd, kids as well as anyone who enjoys general Disney movies. A typical movie it is from the studio but a formula that has worked well for them over the years and its evident that its business as usual with this one. Its cute and charming, we like it and that’s why it gets a 7 out of 10 from us. Definitely would make for a good excuse for a family outing this week, it’s officially in cinemas from today.

Our thanks to MNet Movies (in partnership with Ster-Kinekor) for the lovely screening.