Ever since my childhood, I have been obsessed with all things Sleeping Beauty. I have definitely passed this love down to my children and there is nothing they love more than exploring Sleeping Beauty's castle in Disney Land, dressing up like Princess Aurora, or admiring my miniature model of the Wood Cutter's Cottage I've had since my teens.
How could you possibly resist the magic of the fairies, the beautiful scenery, and the amazing Sleeping Beauty castle? More importantly, how can you not love to hate Maleficent? I think we can all agree that she’s one of the best Disney villains of all time. Even though she made her debut decades ago, her role has proven to be timeless. So, isn't it time we learned her side of the story?
Surely she wasn't that distraught over not being invited to a baby shower…. right? So, why bestow such an awful gift on a helpless baby? Where does her hatred for Aurora come from? And why on Earth would she trust a crow to be her eyes and ears in going about her evil plans?
Clearly, there is a lot more to know about about this ruthless villain, which is why I love the new Disney movie Maleficent and cannot wait for the DVD and Blu-ray release next week.
If you didn't see Maleficent in the theaters, you likely saw at least a few previews of the movie when it was playing nationwide. So, you probably know that it is a darker film and very similar to the 50s classic in terms of imagery. But, if you think you can skip the movie because you have seen the original dozens of times, you're wrong.
The movie Maleficent tells the story of Disney’s most iconic villain and explores the reasons behind her betrayal of the crown. I'm not going to offer any spoilers about the movie, but I will tell you that her irrevocable curse she places upon the king’s newborn infant, Aurora, isn't as heartless as I had once believed. In fact, it might have even been justified given the heartache that Maleficent had endured for years.
But, beyond gaining some new background knowledge that enriches my experience of both the original and the new Maleficent movie, the film itself is also really amazing to watch. Somehow seeing my favorite characters in live action instead of animation makes everything seem even more amazing and magical and I was instantly transported to a time of valiant knights and dragons… oh, wait, maybe not dragons.
It should be said that the new movie does add in a touch more magic and quite a few more fanciful characters than the original film, which was one of the main complaints I heard about the film during its theater run. I will admit that I'm not normally a fan of new characters in redone movies, but in this case I think it makes sense and follows nicely from the original film. 
My son's Maleficent shield and sword were a huge hit in Disneyland.
Personally, I loved the added magic and it's part of the reason why I couldn't wait to own the film. There's so much amazing imagery and little details that I don't think you could possibly take it all in during one viewing, so I'm looking forward to having Maleficent as part of our collection to enjoy over and over again with the family. 
Bring home Maleficent on November 4th just in time for the holidays. Find out more about the movie on the Maleficent movie website and be sure to like MALEFICENT on Facebook, follow @MALEFICENT on Twitter, and YouTube.
Want even more Maleficent fun before the big release? Check out this awesome Maleficent horns headband tutorial on As the Bunny Hops. Add in a black dress and a cape and you're all ready to haunt this Halloween. Want some more Halloween fun? Check out these fun Maleficent printables below:
My daughter really, really wants to see this movie and we’ve been waiting until we can watch it at home in case she gets scared, so I’m so excited for this movie to FINALLY come out!
She’s 8, right? I think she will do just fine with the movie. It’s darker, but it’s not really a scary film.
She will be 8 next month, so I think she can handle it!