Hurt People, Hurt People: Disney’s Maleficent
For Day 7 of my Spooktober: 31 Days of Halloween movies I watched Maleficent. I’m not sure this is really a Halloween movie but it’s listed under Halloween movies on the Disney+ streaming sight so I’m rolling with it.
Maleficent is the first of Disney’s live-action retellings of its most beloved animated classics but it is also the first time they decided to humanize a villain. The plot of Maleficent, in a nutshell, is “ if you knew the real story you would be on my side.” Disney asks the moviegoers to decide who is telling the truth in the he said/ she said battle.
In the summer of 2021, Disney also released Cruella where her back story is revealed giving the root cause of her evil which was not her fault. Disney is now telling us that there are no longer unredeemable villains who torment kind princesses or good people for sport but they are people so hurt by life that they have no other option but to hurt others.
Staying in that same thought I’m ranking the top 5 Disney villains I would love to see get the justice to tell us what really happened.
5. Mother Gothel from Tangled. This mother of a villain has a bee in her bonnet with the king but she never hurts the child and in some way comes to really love Rapunzel in the same way as Maleficent.
4. Anastasia and Drizella from Cinderella, need their own story to finally get the truth out there. These two sisters are victims of an abusive, controlling, and manipulative mother, Lady Tremaine, in the same way as Cinderella. Forced to bind or cut off their toes in pursuit of a rich man. Even their name, as ugly stepsisters, is hurtful and would cause anyone to lash out at those around them.
3. Hades from Hercules would make a great villain story. Selfishly, I just want to go back to the Hercules universe because it is one of my favorites. Who doesn’t love the songs and the cartoon style is amazing. But even without all that, Greek mythology is full of good stories especially with a character like Hades. Disney with little work can tell the story of Hades and Persephone. He wouldn’t have to be “good” or redeemable and can stay as nasty as in Hercules. We would also get another powerful female character in Persephone. Plus, the comedy would be fire🔥!
2. My number two may cause some raised eyebrows but hear me out. While we’re in Hercules’ universe, I want Meg to get her turn. You might argue that she’s not a villain and you would be right, still, she needs her story told. She’s one of a few princesses who don’t have a full-length film. No more of this in the shadows crap. Meg is tough and capable and when we met her, her soul was in debt to Hades for an ex-boyfriend. She clearly has some issues and we need to know where they come from.
1. Drum roll please, my number 1 is no surprise and is probably in the number one spot for most people, Ursula from The Little Mermaid is the top villain movie Disney needs to make. Ursula is the top villain because no one does bad like her. Disney kinda agrees because a live-action Little Mermaid movie is headed to theaters in 2023. According to actress Melissa McCarthy, who will play Ursula, the movie is scheduled to start filming in January. Although I’m excited to see what they do with Ariel and her friends, Ursula needs her day in the sun with a prequel where we find out exactly what King Tritan did to set her off!