5 Great Reasons To See 'Maleficent 2' With Your Daughters And Sons

You have likely seen the plot of Maleficent 2. It begins with news of the upcoming nuptials between Princess Aurora (Elle Fanning) and Prince Phillip (Harris Dickinson). Amid preparations, Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) clashes with Queen Ingrith (Michelle Pfeiffer), as expected. But one probably wouldn’t think the Mistress of Evil would embark on a journey of self-discovery after she stormed off.

Yes, the premise is merely a jumping-off point to so much more, which we break down for you below.

1. The lead actresses show us that the future of fantasy is female!

Angelina Jolie and Michelle Pfeiffer served telenovela realness whenever they shared the screen together. The tension between their characters was so palpable that it gave us chills, and we could barely breathe. Queen Ingrith can definitely hold her own against the magical Maleficent, throwing back just as much sass during a verbal match. After all, the royal mom commands armies and has top-notch diplomatic know-how.

2. The mommy moments are very relatable!

The mother-daughter style bickering between Maleficent and Aurora is an all too familiar situation for parents. There’s a constant struggle as Maleficent enforces a protective parenting style upon the carefree and occasionally impulsive Aurora. You and your offspring will give each other sidelong glances along with the knowing elbow nudge. (Your kids can act like absolute “beasties” sometimes.) Meanwhile, Queen Ingrith is that highly competitive mom at school functions. She is always trying to upstage you and pretends to be helpful but secretly gossips about you to fellow mommies.

3. There is a whole new world waiting to be discovered.

The film’s artists generated a visually stunning universe, depicting the Dark Fae world and the Moors, using state-of-the-art technology. We’re sure the kids will appreciate the immersive experience. They may even start flapping imaginary wings pretending they’re part of the Dark Fae tribe or the Moorfolk. (Here’s hoping for a spin-off sequel!)

4. More women take on a proactive role in the sequel.

Elle Fanning’s Fanning’s Aurora was hardly a damsel in distress and bravely went on her own adventure without Prince Phillip’s assistance. There were also other fierce and fabulous females outside the main cast who owned it on the battlefield. If you have a daughter, it may prove to be a positive influence seeing such diverse female representation in the usually male-dominated fantasy action genre. They should just change the film’s title to “Women get things done!”

5. Maleficent Mistress of Evil depicts the best and worst of parental love.

Parents are not perfect. Being responsible and accountable for the upbringing and actions of another human being can take its toll. They can unconsciously impart the burden of their troubles on children. Maleficent was initially opposed to Aurora’s union because of her negative experience. As the godmother says in the trailer, “Love doesn’t always end well, beastie,” referencing her doomed romance in the first film. However, it resulted in prohibiting a grown-up Aurora from making her own choices. (Spoiler alert: Maleficent does eventually acknowledge her mistake later on.)

The actions of the parents in this film are motivated by their past grievances. The film shows their vulnerabilities and teaches us that recovering from trauma is an ongoing process that can’t be achieved by dragging the next generation into our own issues. The best thing you can do for your kids is to break the toxic cycle and give them a better childhood.