Browse Tag: fairy tale

RECAP: Maleficent

Maleficent (2014): Robert Stromberg

Angelina Jolie fell in love with Sleeping Beauty from a young age, especially Maleficent. How convenient, then, that a movie about the evil queen was in development starting in 2010. And how even more convenient that Jolie was one of the world’s biggest movie stars. A match made in (Disney) heaven.

Despite middling expectations, Maleficent cruised to nearly a quarter billion dollars at the US box office, beating an X-Men and Spider-Man sequel. Jolie’s cheekbones must have accounted for 40 or 50 million of that.

ONE SENTENCE PLOT SUMMARY: A powerful fairy falls in love with a man, is betrayed, takes revenge, and falls for his child.  Continue Reading

RECAP: The Huntsman: Winter’s War

The Huntsman: Winter’s War (2016): Cedric Nicolas-Troyan

Following the 2012 release of Snow White and the Huntsman, Universal chose to expand on this fairy tale. They cut out Snow White and kept The Huntsman.

Like the 2012 source material, Chris Hemsworth plays the titular huntsman, and like the 2012 source material, he supports a cast of warrior queens and princesses. Charlize Theron is back, joined by Emily Blunt and Jessica Chastain, making Winter’s War one of 2016’s sexiest casts.

ONE SENTENCE PLOT SUMMARY: A queen betrayed by a lover turns her entire world to ice, kidnaps its children, and raises them into an army  Continue Reading