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Post by Briar Rose's Dark Knight on Jan 31, 2010 2:30:41 GMT -5
Silver, your point about Maleficent is right on the money. Aurora herself did nothing to Maleficent. She was just an infant, and yet Maleficent cursed her to die because she wasn't invited to a party. And then she calls on "all the powers of hell" to stop the good guy from rescuing the innocent girl. If Disney tries to make that sympathetic, it's a very bad idea.
If Disney is so determined to make money off Maleficent's popularity, than re-release Sleeping Beauty on the big screen again. Let people see her in all her evilness just as the people who created and worked on the character realized her. In short, Eleanor Audley is the voice of Maleficent. The animators are the ones who drew from Audley's performance and brought Maleficent to life. And anyone at the Walt Disney Company stupid enough to think that they can top what these Disney Legends already did needs to be dismissed from the company before they do real damage.
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Spud
Disney Newbie
Avi Theme: Villain Side-kicks!
Posts: 19
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Post by Spud on Jan 31, 2010 21:45:05 GMT -5
I like the idea, I'd love to see it, being a big Maleficent fan <3, but I don't want it to be live action.
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Post by quazie89 on Mar 6, 2010 18:26:01 GMT -5
When I first learned about the Maleficent movie from another site, I was under the impression that it was going to take place during the Sleeping Beauty movie but it was going to be told from Maleficent's point of view, yet she would still be evil. I thought that was a pretty cool idea. But then I read this thread and it seems like this movie is going to go in a different direction that I don't like. I agree with the rest of you on this one: I want to see Maleficent stay evil!
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Post by Skeleton Grin on Mar 25, 2010 9:43:28 GMT -5
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Post by Silver on Mar 25, 2010 15:58:41 GMT -5
They're making a terrible mistake! (See my last post reasoning) But what do I know, I'm just a moviegoer apperently.  |
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Post by Skeleton Grin on Mar 29, 2010 8:11:42 GMT -5
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Post by SpellWovenNight on Mar 29, 2010 13:44:54 GMT -5
Oh Lord, please no. Anyone else. I'm not a huge Angelina Jolie fan at all, she's decent but I'm so sick of seeing her in just about everything. I'm not too excited to hear the same writer for Alice in Wonderland is working on the script for this movie either. Alice in Wonderland was good, but I think the script was lacking that something extra special.
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Post by Silver on Apr 1, 2010 21:29:05 GMT -5
This just keeps getting worse. As if the idea itself wasn't terrible enough. Now they're going to hire a medicore actor for an iconic character. In my opinion, Angelina Jolie is one of the most overrated actors working today! I have seen her in the projects critics loved (Girl Interrupted, The Good Sheperd, A Mighty Heart, and The Changling) and I still tought she lacked a great deal of emotional honesty and charisma. I just can't believe her performances would recieve critical acclaim as none of the above speak volumes to every day people. I think she's more of a se* symbol then anything. She should stick to silly action movies with a lot of romance. As that seems to be the only role I believe she truly embodies her life.
But I do love Linda Woolverton! This is afterall the screen-writer who brought us the beautiful Disney classic Beauty and the Beast. Perhaps with her steering the wheel I feel more comfortable. However, I firmly believe she could be producing so much more quality material considering what she's capable of.
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Post by SpellWovenNight on Apr 2, 2010 16:23:35 GMT -5
I didn't realize that she also wrote the script for Beauty and the Beast. That's a little more reassuring, but I still wasn't incredibly impressed by her Alice work.
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Post by Briar Rose's Dark Knight on Apr 3, 2010 1:43:03 GMT -5
The creative team behind The Hobbit has already stated that Smaug is heavily influenced by Maleficent. If Disney does this project, it may well look like they stole the idea from The Hobbit.
Hey Disney, if you want to put Maleficent on the big screen, just release Sleeping Beauty in theaters again. Let the public see the original Maleficent in all her badness. Or as Walt Disney himself said, "You can't top pigs with pigs."
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Post by Skeleton Grin on Apr 6, 2010 6:53:16 GMT -5
Article examining 8 other actresses whom could play Maleficent other than than Jolie (none of whom are really suitable): io9.com/5504799/8-other-witches-wed-rather-see-in-tim-burtons-maleficent-movie-over-angelinaI gotta tell you, the prospect of this film is absolutely terrifying me. It seems like such a blatant ripoff of Wicked (aren't Maleficent and the Wicked Witch of West essentially the same?) and the idea of Linda Woolverton (who I didn't realise was onboard with this) was a promising one at first until I also realised she'd done the shoddy work on Burton's Alice in Wonderland. Very troubling :/ |
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Post by Silver on Apr 6, 2010 16:02:20 GMT -5
Elliot- If you look back at page one on my last post I give my insight as to what the differences are between character dimension with Maleficent and the Wicked Witch of the West. In reality they were written with drastic different texture which is why I believe the story of Wicked found success and this movie to-be is being frowned down upon.
As far as lierature terms of expanding a story and a different perspective on an iconic character is difficult. But it can be done as long it's apprpriate to begin with. Granted there will always be critical standpoints when a character is changed. However if the project is used to give a plausible explantaion based on the material shown before and fusing the fresh portrayal so it will relate better with the audience. My belief on why it was possible to transform the Wicked Witch into a sympathetic victim of Elphaba is as follows.
In the original film very little is explored for the Wicked Witch. She also comes across as campy and comedic. I never had the perspective of her being 100% evil who was he** bent on destroying the main characters. I saw her as an antagonist who was reletivley grumpy and spoiled. I never could take her seriously as a true villian who desired to harm all she could. I felt there were gaps missing. (This was before I even heard of Wicked) So when the writers of Wicked came along they saw an oppertunity to explore a modern perspective on her character because she was incomplete and wasn't very poinant. Elphaba transforms as woman who is bullied, neglected, and lonely. She doesn't actually become evil despite her painful journey. But she does become cold-hearted and fixates on being so to the rest of the world. Even if she does wish for redemption. This is why I think audiences have connected this remake story. It's far more believable because the original was rather bland and comedic. It wasn't as honest or passionate.
With the script for Sleeping Beauty we have a very different case. It is directly stated that Maleficent enjoys her evil deeds and proudly claims herself to be so. Unlike the Wicked Witch of the West who has this over-the-top personality that was meant to be more entertaining, Maleficent is determined to rule the world and destroy all who stand in her way. The tone of the film makes a big difference as well as this is much darker and serious. She strikes terror into the audience as well as the characters because she would gladly prounce physical and mental torment on those who are innocent. The Wicked Witch comes acorss as a more of a filler character who is underdelveoped while Maleficent has her purpose directly stated.
As far as the actresses also of interest for this new portrayal of Maleficent. I'm not sure anybody will work because as I've said. This film has a poor idea to begin with. Yet based simply on my opinion that Ms. Jolie doesn't have nearly as much talent or relatable charisma. I think almost any of the other actresses would be a better option.
I haven't seen Tim Burtons' Alice in Wonderland yet so I can't form an opinion on Linda Woolverton through that film. As I've said, Disney's Beauty and the Beast was beautifully crafted piece that she transported into a league of it's own. So I have to believe she has tremendous skill. If only she chose projects that would push her artistic value and quality that I know she is capable of. Actually she co-wrote The Lion King as well, but she hates her association with that film and no longer acknowledges it.
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Post by Briar Rose's Dark Knight on Apr 7, 2010 0:29:00 GMT -5
What caused Woolverton to wish to be disassociated from The Lion King?!?
I think we can also draw parallels to this Maleficent movie with the Star Wars prequels telling the backstory of Darth Vader, but again there were clear references in the classic Star Wars films to Vader having once been a good guy, and we see him turn back to the light side at the end of Return of the Jedi. It simply won't work for Maleficent. Throughout the film, she is constantly evil, and indeed quite proud of it.
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Post by SpellWovenNight on Apr 7, 2010 16:42:41 GMT -5
Darth Vader is also human (a jedi human but still a form of human) where as Maleficent is a mystical being and with that comes the stereotyping of brains categorizing them as good or evil. In Wicked McGuire turned the evil witch into a human - just one with special powers and from two different worlds - which made her easier to captivate. In our reality full of humans we realize that everything is not black and white. There are gray areas everywhere, but it's in fairy tales and other stories that the right and wrong normally stay true.
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Post by Briar Rose's Dark Knight on Apr 8, 2010 0:06:45 GMT -5
The thing that I really dislike about this idea is that it seems that Disney is now copying other studios. Retelling Sleeping Beauty from Maleficent's point of view is hardly new or original. And the audience already knows how this movie is going to end. It becomes very, very tricky to tell a story where you already know the ending. The other danger with this project is that you're going to be second guessed by the fans from the very beginning. There's not much room for "maybe I'll see it."
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