10 Movies That Suffered Undeserved Fan Backlash

Maleficent was a divisive film when it came out, either garnering praise for its subversion of a classic Disney story, or vitriol for turning one of the great Disney baddies - in fact The great Disney baddie - into a misunderstood, misrepresented woman demonized by powerful men to further their own ends and cover up the horrible crimes they personally committed to her in particular.

Because that never happens in real life, right ladies?

While the Me too movement was bubbling under the surface of Hollywood at the time when this film came out, it hadn't really gotten going like it would a year afterwards, so this film's themes and message went unappreciated at the time. Or in some cases, people - mostly men - raged against this film for daring to recast the badass queen of all evil as a wronged underdog framed for crimes she didn't commit to cover up crimes committed against her.

And while some of the film is awkward - the treatment of the fairies, as well as Aurora still not having a lot of character to her, despite this film's otherwise dogged attempt at retelling this story through a more feminist lens - the scenes that do work, do so incredibly well (the scene where Maleficent wakes to find her wings forcibly removed in her sleep is the kind of haunting that stays with you) and overall, this film accomplishes what the other Disney live action remakes have ultimately failed to do: have a reason to exist.