Double Feature: The 'Maleficent' Films

It's time for another Double Feature.

2014's Maleficent and it's sequel 2019's Maleficent: Mistress of Evil are part of a wave of Disney live-action/photo-realistic adaptations based on their classic animated films. While many of these movies are basically one-to-one remakes with maybe a new song or a few extra scenes added to pad the runtime, the Maleficent films are different. Different doesn't necessarily mean they're better but, I think they are more interesting.

The first of the two films, Maleficent, takes the approach of looking at the 'Sleeping Beauty' story but from the villain's point-of-view. Who is Maleficent as a character? Why does she curse the princess? Is she really all that bad? The film is predictable and some of the special effects less than spectacular but, I think it is a decently made and entertaining movie. Plus, I think Angelina Jolie perfectly cast as the title character. 

The sequel on the other hand, is a not as good. The story picks up a few years after the events of the first film and splits the focus between the upcoming marriage of Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip, and a plot about Maleficent meeting a whole race of fairies that are like her (except she's the only one who possesses the powers of the phoenix... It's a bit of a mess). The two movies came out five years apart, so Disney didn't exactly rush out the sequel but, it feels like the script for this one needed more time. 

I don't think either one of these movies will rise to that "Disney Classic" status. Both films did make money but, were also met with mixed reviews. Maleficent has enough that I like about it and I think it is worth watching. However, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil falls just on the other side of that recommendation line for me.  
I'm going to give Maleficent a 3 out of 5 and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil a 2 out of 5.

Double Feature

It's been awhile since my last post and, while I may have needed a break from writing the regular blog entries, I kept on watching and thinking about movies. Two of the films that I rewatched, having not seen either one in a few years, are the subject of today's post. Those films are 1973's American Graffiti and 1986's Stand By Me. These two have a couple similarities that I think make them a good paring. Firstly, they both take place on the west coast and around the same time period (with Stand By Me set in Oregon in 1959 and American Graffiti set in California in 1962). Both are also coming-of-age movies that focus a small story, with all of the events taking place in a short period of time. 

Oh, and Richard Dreyfuss is in both films.

As for an overview of the films, I'll start with American Graffiti. Right from the get-go we're introduced to Curt and Steve (played by Richard Dreyfuss and Ron Howard respectively), two friends who have graduated high school and are set to leave for college the next day. Steve is ready to leave their hometown and move on to the next phase of his life, while Curt is having second thoughts. The film goes on to follow how this last night on the town unfolds not only for Curt and Steve but also two of their friends. One of those friends is John Milner (played by Paul Le Mat) who is the town's drag-racing king that finds himself challenged to a race by Bob Falfa (played by Harrison Ford). The other is Terry (played by Charles Martin Smith), a stereotypical nerdy character at the start but who ends up having the wildest night of them all by the end. It's a fun light-hearted movie, full of great music and likeable characters.

Next up, Stand By Me. The setup is pretty simple; a group of four friends (played by Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, and Jerry O'Connell) hear that there is a dead body that hasn't been discovered by police yet. They figure that if they can find it and alert the authorities then they'll be local heroes... and that's the premise. The interactions between the four kids is really what makes the film worth watching. Some of the heart-felt moments feel a little forced and phony, and a few of the comedic beats miss the mark in my opinion but it's still a good movie.

Overall, I like both of these films and, honestly, you can't go wrong with either one. Both films were box-office successes, feature some strong performances, and were nominated for several awards. I personally like American Graffiti a bit more but, I think both are solid movies that I recommend checking out if you've never seen them. 

I give American Graffiti a 4.5 out of 5 and Stand By Me a 3.5 out of 5