Some catch up thoughts: I'm still horribly torn on "Maleficent". I was sort of against it from the get go, especially one Joli was on board (not like I can think of anyone that can approach Audley). Hearing the keynote on it and seeing the footage has me more conflicted than against it. On one hand, Joli isn't bad in the footage they showed, and a lot of the sets and art mimic Earl's visionary art. That pleased me. What I didn't like was that they went on and on about wanting to be counterpoint to the 59 classic, not a re-imagining, and yet they completely changed the curse. She no longer curses her to die at sixteen with Merryweather softening it to slumber awoken be true love's kiss but instead has her make it "a sleep-like death to be broken by true love's kiss". It's ridiculous. One doesn't sit there claiming this is just the other side and then go make a change that so drastically alters what the character does. They also make it clear that they want her to be sympathetic, stating that a king (Stefen no doubt) betrays her to set her on the dark path, that the fairies might not be the best parents, that she grows infatuated with Aurora, and that they hope when the fight with Philip comes you might just be rooting for the other side. This, to me, sounds like there's no way this film is going to be counterpoint but instead a complete revision of the 59 Sleeping Beauty with Maleficent as the tragic, misunderstood heroine that cursed that child of the guy that betrayed her but somehow finds redemption through her instead of being "the Mistress of All Evil" we all know and love. The only thing left is the general story structure and art style and I'd be fine with that if they weren't pulling this whole counterpoint bs instead of saying it was merely "inspired by". For crying out loud, they even switched Fauna and Merryweather.
Merryweather was my favorite of the fairies too, even if it was technically her fault by telling Maleficent, "You weren't wanted" (now it's Stefen saying, "you're not supposed to be here"). Now they have a blue fairy being interrupted when she comes in but she's uttered most I'd not all of her gift. So I'm not sure if they just interrupt MW later, had her go second so it's Fauna that still has one out they changed the colors.
It's just crazy because so much is verbatim. The castle is spot on, Joli's costume is relatively close enough and she's playing close to Audley. The words of the curse are exactly the same except the ending. It's really odd that they go so far to excite the fan in me and then dash it on the rocks by making massive changes to key aspects of the lore and motivations. I expect changes and expansions, but make up your mind if it's to be faithful or new .