Why I'm Not Going to See Maleficent
It seems like the only money Disney is making right now is from going back to their origins. Really the only movies funded or distributed by Disney that generated hype recently were Frozen, and Captain America 2, but there isn't much hype about it. I'm not saying that Disney is as down on their luck as... say... Nintendo, but I am saying that the only film they've made recently that has gotten people excited was essentially a music video for Let It Go.
But, Frozen, personal opinions aside, was using the old Disney formula of taking an old story and adapting it whilst changing everything, adding music, and taking all the credit. Let's face it, the only Disney movie people got interested in recently was a recycling of an old retired formula.
And that's why it's so perplexing to me why they're putting so many eggs in one basket with Maleficent. I don't think that anybody is excited about this movie. I'm not gonna see it, why is there a re-make of Sleeping Beauty focusing on the trials and tribulations of the bad guy? Forget that, why is Angelina Jolie playing a Disney villain?
Jolie is simply miscast in this! She isn't threatening, she's Angelina Jolie dressed as Maleficent, but not green. I guess she's a little off putting, but Maleficent is supposed to be a threatening presence right? I think? Maybe. I don't really know. Maybe I'm just biased because I find her to be a bad actress, but were they really thinking that casting Angelina Jolie as one of the best villains Disney has ever animated was actually a good idea?
Jolie isn't threatening, she's too artificial to be legitimately threatening. Keith Ledger is threatening, Jack Nicholson is threatening, Grey DeLisle is threatening, James Earl Jones is threatening, and despite the childishness of the character I'm citing, Jason Lee's performance in The Incredibles is threatening. Despite the sad lack of women on that list, It still stands as pretty significant proof that there's a certain subtlety needed to be scary without being unnecessarily disturbing or creepy. Angelina Jolie does not have that subtlety.
The real reason this film perplexes me though is that we just did this! It was called Snow White and the Huntsman, and it totally sucked! The dark direction, bad acting, and following of the antagonist are what put that film on my bad list, and this is the exact same thing.
In fact, we've been making this film pretty frequently. How about I, Frankenstein? Or maybe The Mortal Instruments movie. The point is, we keep making this film over and over and fricking over again, and every time it's a flop that makes the company that made it lose a crap load of money. That's why this is a perplexing film to me. I suppose it's focus group fueled, but what director is stupid enough to make this film this way. Hell, why is Disney making this film if they want to make money? Hell, what people did they put into this focus group?
Why is this a movie?
But, Frozen, personal opinions aside, was using the old Disney formula of taking an old story and adapting it whilst changing everything, adding music, and taking all the credit. Let's face it, the only Disney movie people got interested in recently was a recycling of an old retired formula.
And that's why it's so perplexing to me why they're putting so many eggs in one basket with Maleficent. I don't think that anybody is excited about this movie. I'm not gonna see it, why is there a re-make of Sleeping Beauty focusing on the trials and tribulations of the bad guy? Forget that, why is Angelina Jolie playing a Disney villain?
Jolie is simply miscast in this! She isn't threatening, she's Angelina Jolie dressed as Maleficent, but not green. I guess she's a little off putting, but Maleficent is supposed to be a threatening presence right? I think? Maybe. I don't really know. Maybe I'm just biased because I find her to be a bad actress, but were they really thinking that casting Angelina Jolie as one of the best villains Disney has ever animated was actually a good idea?
Jolie isn't threatening, she's too artificial to be legitimately threatening. Keith Ledger is threatening, Jack Nicholson is threatening, Grey DeLisle is threatening, James Earl Jones is threatening, and despite the childishness of the character I'm citing, Jason Lee's performance in The Incredibles is threatening. Despite the sad lack of women on that list, It still stands as pretty significant proof that there's a certain subtlety needed to be scary without being unnecessarily disturbing or creepy. Angelina Jolie does not have that subtlety.
The real reason this film perplexes me though is that we just did this! It was called Snow White and the Huntsman, and it totally sucked! The dark direction, bad acting, and following of the antagonist are what put that film on my bad list, and this is the exact same thing.
In fact, we've been making this film pretty frequently. How about I, Frankenstein? Or maybe The Mortal Instruments movie. The point is, we keep making this film over and over and fricking over again, and every time it's a flop that makes the company that made it lose a crap load of money. That's why this is a perplexing film to me. I suppose it's focus group fueled, but what director is stupid enough to make this film this way. Hell, why is Disney making this film if they want to make money? Hell, what people did they put into this focus group?
Why is this a movie?