Movie review
October 16, 2019 · 119 min · PG
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
This 2019 Disney fantasy sequel follows Maleficent and her goddaughter Aurora five years after the first film as they navigate family tensions during Aurora's engagement to Prince Philip. A human queen's deep prejudice against fairies sparks conflict and war between the Moors and the kingdom of Ulstead. The story highlights maternal bonds, loyalty, and reconciliation through powerful female leads who drive the action and resolution in a classic good-versus-evil fantasy framework.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.
Woke representation / casting
Visible diversity appears in supporting Dark Fey and fae roles with actors like Chiwetel Ejiofor and David Gyasi fitting the fantasy world's varied cultures; main leads follow traditional European fantasy casting without swaps or mismatches.
Woke political dialogue
Occasional lines about fear of the other and the need for unity, delivered naturally in fantasy context with no modern activist speeches or jargon.
Identity-driven story themes
Prejudice against a magical "other" race and strong independent women in central mother-daughter roles form the core; presented as timeless fantasy conflict and family drama rather than contemporary identity politics.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Human prejudice and warmongering get portrayed as destructive and fear-based, but the story offers no specific attacks on patriarchy, traditional gender roles, capitalism, or Western institutions; the villain is a power-hungry queen.
Woke character or canon changes
Builds directly on the first film's reimagined Maleficent as complex protector and adds original Dark Fey lore and war plot; changes expand the sequel story without heavy ideological reframing of the original Sleeping Beauty source.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Minimal specific complaints exist; audience and critic focus stayed on story quality and visuals rather than accusations of DEI messaging or identity-driven agendas.
Creator track record context
Linda Woolverton's feminist heroine work and Angelina Jolie's humanitarian advocacy provide mild context for the strong-female and tolerance elements; other key creatives show little activist history.
Production
