Angelina Jolie as the adult Maleficent, with her sharp-etched high cheek bone is more plastic than toxic. As protector of the Moors, her wickedness is doused with her caring attitude and the evil just does not surface. In the beautifully orchestrated suspense and terror scene, where Maleficent attends the christening of King Stefan's child, Aurora, her cruelty is justified. It invokes the Disney's cutesy treatment that ruins it for her.
On the other hand as adult Stefan, Shartlo Copley's sudden conniving ambition seems to be tailor-made to fit the jigsaw puzzle. And then over a period of time, hounded by guilt and bogged by insanity, he suddenly gets into the confrontational spirit with Maleficent. That is far-fetched and unconvincing.
Humour is injected by the shape-shifting Sam Riley who plays Maleficent's Man Friday and the three bickering pixies; Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, and Lesley Manville who play foster aunt to the little princess.
