The Film
The age-old story, told from another perspective. This is sure to enthrall the little ones time and again throughout the holiday season.
Maleficent holds up to repeat viewings, with stunning visuals that come alive thanks to the HD benefit of Blu-Ray. The visuals and creatures are sure to astound children of all ages. A good, wholesome story, although the PG rating is one parents should take heed of, as some scenes with Maleficent showing rage might not be suitable for a small percentage of younger children. This is, however a Disney family film, so parents can rest assured that good values triumph in the end, and they are getting a film that will be enjoyed by the whole family.
Read the full SAMDB review of Maleficent.
Disc And Bonus Features
The disc is encoded at a high bitrate, as is to be expected of a large release such as this, and with the vast storage of the Blu-Ray disc. Sound is is an all engulfing 7.1 soundtrack, which totally immerses you in the on-screen action, expanding the world so that the viewer is engulfed, making great use of the surround channels.
The Maleficent Blu-Ray has a bunch of extra features, aimed more at the younger viewer than the older generation, or those looking to pick up tips and tricks from the filmmakers.
From Fairy Tale To Feature Film – a featurette talking about how the age old story was reimagined and brought to life on screen for yet another generation. The images here are likely to prompt nostolgia, and perhaps it’s time to dig out that old copy of Sleeping Beauty.
Building An Epic Battle – The big battle between the King and Maleficent on the borders of their two kingdoms.
Classic Couture – One that is bound to excite the young girls, talking about Maleficent’s head piece and costumes.
Maleficent Revealed – One for the boys, and that would interest filmmakers. Althought not too technical, this is a look at the various special effects, green screen and virtual worlds created for the film.
Aurora: Becoming A Beauty – A chat with the ever talented Elle Fanning, about her love for the original Sleeping Beauty, and her character in Maleficent. This is definitely a young actress to watch, as she goes from strength to strength in her various roles, garnering fame, yet presenting herself as a wholesome role model, true to the vision of Disney.
Deleted Scenes – These include a handful of scenes that did not make the final cut of the film. Although these are great scenes, it is understandable for story and pacing reasons, why they were not included in the final product.
Unfortunately, there are no audio commentaries on the disc, which are sure not to be missed by the younger audiences, but filmmakers, and aficionados of film will likely be disappointed in this omission.
Maleficent is available now in South Africa to purchase on DVD and Blu-Ray.
