“In this way, Maleficent brings together the storytelling artistry of old Disney and the contemporary humor of a more cutthroat, broadly entertaining Disney fairy tale update. None of the action reeks of the tightly clenched seriousness of Snow White and the Huntsman or the unchecked absurdity of Tim Burton’s Alice. Often, Maleficent is raw beauty, celebrating the silhouetted form as a sign of unnerving danger and the splendor of daydreaming colors in fields teeming with life to celebrate good.”