Maleficent (2014) VS Cruella (2021)
Round One: Lead Performance
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This is going to be a tough category to parse out a victor, but we’ll do our best. To start with, “Maleficent” was essentially built on the back of Angelina Jolie’s star power and screen presence, and is without a doubt the primary contributor to its box office take. Though Disney deserves credit for this perfect casting, Jolie breathes new life into the iconic villain in ways we didn’t before think possible. Giving a performance that evokes the cadence of classic film actresses, Jolie finds an ideal bridge between 1959’s “Sleeping Beauty” and modern sensibilities. Not only that, but she provides enough nuance that we fully believe when she’s being wicked and when she’s displaying a great level of pathos. Also tasked with taking an otherwise despicable character and suffusing her with relatability, Emma Stone is similarly one of the best things about her film. Whereas Jolie’s character undergoes more of a straightforward transformation from bad to good, Stone’s is more of the opposite, as her Estella begins to adopt the titular persona. As expected, Stone has to ride a very fine line between nastiness and likability, and she pulls it off with aplomb. Putting the “cruel” in “Cruella,” she makes us buy the possibility that she may go down the dark path befitting of the source material. However, expertly layered is the amount of heart we need in a Disney protagonist. While both actors give tremendous performances, we can’t ignore the commanding work given by Angelina Jolie. In a movie that on the whole may not hold up for the rest of time, her turn feels timeless to us. WINNER: “Maleficent” 1 / “Cruella” 0
Round Two: Supporting Characters
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Even though “Maleficent” was the Angelina Jolie show, it wasn’t without some solid supporting players. Naturally, this being a live-action reimagining, we got to see more fully fleshed out versions of the characters introduced in “Sleeping Beauty.” Given a much greater role is that of Maleficent’s raven, this time named Diaval, whose human transformations allow a much more pronounced friendship to exist between the two. Since Maleficent eventually becomes the protagonist, King Stefan assumes the villain role, arguably becoming even more dastardly than the animated Maleficent. And of course, Elle Fanning is perfect as the updated Aurora, proving this Disney princess is more than just a pretty face. As good as Emma Stone is in “Cruella,” she’s not the only Emma giving a career highlight performance. Emma Thompson shines as the Baroness von Hellman, exuding a haughtiness and underlying menace that convinces us the role was written specifically for her. Similar to Stefan, the Baroness provides an arguably stronger antagonistic foil to our titular anti-hero. And though that interplay would be enough for a movie to hang its hat on, Cruella has a pair of friends-turned-reluctant-henchmen in Jasper and Horace as a foundation for her character. Played by Joel Fry and Paul Walter Hauser, the characters feel much more three-dimensional and provide oodles of sharp comedic relief. Though there are memorable side characters in both films, the ones in “Cruella” work better as an ensemble and have more agency, to the point that we feel like it could be all of their movie. WINNER: “Maleficent” 1 / “Cruella” 1
Round Three: Character Arc
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Taking classic Disney villains and turning them into heroes, you’ve gotta know that the movies would be devoting much of the runtime to those shifts in character. “Maleficent” features scenes that mirror some of the character’s dastardly deeds in “Sleeping Beauty,” but her emotional arc is much more nuanced. Specifically, they managed to make her a tragic character from the get-go, giving her a backstory that sees her betrayed by the person she loves and stripped of her defining feature: her wings. That would be enough to make anyone turn bad for good, but Maleficent sees the errors of her ways when she comes to love Aurora as if she were her own, and ultimately is the one to save her with true love’s kiss. Conversely, “Cruella” offers a more streamlined narrative for the infamous dognapper. Though she too has a traumatic childhood as she’s orphaned and takes to the streets, we get to learn more about what she wants as a person as she enters the cutthroat world of 1970s London fashion. We get a fun working girl story reminiscent of “The Devil Wears Prada,” but that soon shifts as Estella seeks revenge against the Baroness for the murder of her mother. Of course, there’s one more revelation that changes a few things, but from here the main source of conflict comes from the character’s dual nature, as the Cruella side of her starts to take over. Though we love that drive, it’s important for her to retain some of the good-hearted girl she’s always been. The character arcs in both films are paramount to their successes in the storytelling department. But we have to give the edge to the one in “Maleficent” for being the driving force and the soul of the whole thing. WINNER: “Maleficent” 2 / “Cruella” 1
Round Four: Visuals & Costumes
With a budget upwards of $250 million, you’ve gotta know that “Maleficent” was going to have some dazzling visuals. From the beginning, we get to see a land called the Moors, a mystical realm where the fairy Maleficent originates. CGI creatures abound as the movie gets to be a little creative with its world-building, presenting a lush, vibrant alternative to the human kingdom. There’s a little uncanny valley to be found, such as in the designs for Knotgrass, Thistlewit and Flittle, but otherwise the film is a visual feast befitting any other Disney remake. Matching the aesthetic came a series of costumes that would make jaws drop in real life. We mean, just look at those horns! All that said, you’ve gotta figure that a movie set in the world of fashion would come through with the costumes, and “Cruella” does just that, evoking the styles of ‘70s London but adding its own flair to boot. It seems in every scene we get a new, creative outfit to emulate, from Estella’s more reserved yet totally adorable workplace looks to every bold choice Cruella makes. Seriously, she managed to make literal garbage look fresh and appealing! Naturally, the film is going to use less CGI than the fantastical “Maleficent,” but where it does come in, it’s pretty seamless; namely, the design of the dogs as they perform stunts that you understandably couldn’t get real dogs to do. Honestly, if this category were only visuals, it would probably go to “Maleficent,” and if it were only costumes, “Cruella” would be our choice. But getting the two to complement one another can be a difficult task - one we think “Cruella” does just a teensy bit better. WINNER: “Maleficent” 2 / “Cruella” 2
Round Five: Story
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Falling in line with the basic plot structure of “Sleeping Beauty” and simply reorienting certain details to shift the focus to the title character, “Maleficent” does a pretty tremendous job at paying proper homage to the animated film while still feeling original enough to stand on its own. Bucking traditional Disney themes on the clear dichotomy of good and evil, the opening shows how a simple act of greed fissures the human and magical kingdoms, leading to Maleficent’s bitterness and using the innocent Aurora as a means to her revenge. However, love really can heal old wounds, as Maleficent’s caring for the princess prompts her to fix her mistake and unify the realms in peace. Acting as an origin story, “Cruella” dips its toes more so into the crime genre, as Estella and her family of followers seek retribution against the fashion mogul known as the Baroness for the murder of her mother. This leads to numerous jaunty heists and power plays, but the more Estella becomes Cruella, the more cruel and the more selfish she gets. Her identity crisis only becomes more complicated when she learns her true parentage. Now more than ever incensed by the bad hand life has dealt her, Cruella is nevertheless able to keep herself from stooping to the same level of depravity. Also finding that sweet spot between adaptation and reimagining, “Cruella” is a creative take on the character that we can definitely get behind. Both films do tremendous work with finding new stories for the characters to explore, but the sheer ingenuity and moving parts to “Cruella” was a real highlight. WINNER: “Maleficent” 2 / “Cruella” 3 Even though “Cruella” is the reigning queen of villain-oriented movies, the real winner is us for getting two solid adaptations. And Disney, really.
