Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019)

Great watch, would watch again, and can recommend.
This was a very impressive sequel to the original. I'm sure it had something to do with low expectations, "What are they going to do to follow THAT....ohhhh".
It's probably the first time I've registered a large scale battle like this movie has since....I guess "Infinity War", but "Lord of the Rings" seems more apt as it is a fantasy movie as well.
What's really odd is that this movie has too many story lines, but still manages to balance them acceptably. It also goes the extra mile to explore the angle of "it doesn't matter how different we are, but what we do with our potential" sort of thing. There are race traitors, and true examples of evil disregard for life. Michelle Pfieffer really owns her role as an evil queen, and sure they go into backstory to give a modicum of justification, but she gets into death in a very psychotic fashion, not to mention the page.
While the most charming part of the movie is the most boring, unity and peace, it is amazing at the great lengths people will go to prevent such a thing, and that's really the movie that you're watching here: someone going to every length to be a hero, and just being a jerk instead.
Well worth the watch, and I think most would enjoy even without having watched the first.

‘Maleficent: Mistress of Evil’ is not only a surprising follow-up to the original film, but also among 2019’s live-action Disney offerings is the only one that I actually sat through and enjoyed. It made me laugh, and the action is really engaging. Jolie and Pfeiffer are having so much fun that you can't help but join in. Yes, it’s filled with flaws, but it’s nice to leave a Disney film not wanting to cry in a ball and question if you really ever liked them.
- Chris dos Santos
Read Chris' full article...
https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-maleficent-mistress-of-evil-disney-still-have-some-magic-left-in-them