Shhh. Do you hear it? The heavy silence is buzzing in the chamber as all eyes settle upon the beautiful, yet scarred fairy before them. She raises her arms slowly, green mist surrounding her as she cries out, "Before the sun sets on her sixteenth birthday, she will prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and fall into a sleep like death!" We've all heard of "Sleeping Beauty," of the princess Aurora who was cursed by a vengeful fairy. But like all others, there are two sides to the story. "Maleficent" is the twisted, invigorating tale of the fairy Maleficent, one that makes us question our beliefs of our childhood.

Directed by Robert Stromberg, this engaging 2014 film follows the life of Maleficent (Angelina Jolie), the fairy warrior of the Glades, the land in which the supernatural reside. Growing up with pride for her mighty wings, she is cast into grief when she is betrayed by the human she loves in his greed for power. Out for revenge, she curses the daughter, Aurora (Elle Fanning), of King Stefan (Sharlto Copley) to fall into an everlasting sleep on her sixteenth birthday. The only way to break the curse is true love's kiss. "Maleficent" is the dangerously alluring tale of how a spiteful fairy's descent into darkness comes to a stop when she is bestowed with the most powerful gift of all from Aurora: love. Maleficent is soon faced with remorse, pain, sorrow, and despair- the feelings that sprouted from her now quenched thirst for revenge.

In just the first 15 minutes of "Maleficent," the characters and their experiences were able to tug at my heartstrings. Their personalities were well-developed, and they successfully drew out empathy from me. Maleficent is a prime example. She is portrayed as a strong, proud, and confident fairy in the beginning with her powerful wings. When her trueu love deceives her, she cries out in a desperate wail. This scene was truly heart-breaking and moving, one that was able to conjure anguish within me for Maleficent. She is no longer just a character; Maleficent is a friend. A movie that has the strength to evoke such passionate emotions from its audience is certainly one worth watching.

Some films make the costumes and effects so evidently fake that spectators cringe. But "Maleficent is different. This movie definitely deserves an award for best movie costume design of the year. Jane Clive, costume designer for Maleficent, did an outstanding job in bringing the fairy to life. The dark clothing clung to her like a second skin, and the long, threatening curved horns seemed to emerge straight from her head. The wings were a light russet shade of brown, and looked like they were an actual part of her. All in all, the realistic costume played a major role in Maleficent radiating power and danger throughout the movie. This is why costume designers Anna Sheppard and John Norster also deserve recognition. They did a marvelous job in recreating the setting accurately. The vintage costumes for King Stefan and the Queen made it believable that they truly were royalty. "Maleficent" did an exceptional job in designing its actors' and actresses' costumes and bringing the movie to life before its viewers.

 The performers are worthy of a cheer for being able to capture each scene flawlessly. When Maleficent cursed Aurora, the audience could see the raging storm in her eyes: fury, resent, revenge, and ultimately, satisfaction. King Stefan, meanwhile, perfectly portrayed the image of a king who was stuck between showing weakness in front of his subjects, or to surrender to Maleficent early in the movie. His quiet, somber voice, as well as the suspicious, reluctant look in his eyes combined with Maleficent's spectacular performance, gave me the chills.

"Maleficent" is the other side of "Sleeping Beauty" that many of us have never touched upon. Packed with darkness, adventures, humor, and fantasy, it won the Golden Trailer Award for the best fantasy adventure. It was also nominated for the People's Choice Awards as a favorite family movie, and for the Teen Choice Awards as a choice movie of action and adventure. Blending together family, love, human nature, revenge, friendship, and a dash of maleficence, this astounding movie will present the perfect vision of reality and life.