Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

Angelina Jolie returns as Maleficent, whose maternal bond with Aurora (Elle Fanning) is tested to its limits when the young queen becomes engaged to be married. Immersed in all the shimmery computer imagery you've come to expect from these movies, the film opens up the world of the first movie in a bombardment of spectacle. Michelle Pfeiffer is introduced as a queen and rival to Maleficent, and the star is a perfect foil to Jolie's theatrical protagonist. The brief chance to see two accomplished actors steal every scene they are in is the film's biggest selling point. The addition of a number of subplots leaves the film feeling slightly crowded, and distracts from the satisfying melodrama of the central conflict. Overall, Mistress of Evil expands just enough upon its predecessor to justify its existence, but fails to add anything memorable to the mythology.