“Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” Review

The good news is that the sequel to 2014’s Maleficent has some notable improvements. It’s more colorful, magical, features a more solid story and a significant reduction in rape allegories. In its place, however, is a more milquetoast fantasy of familiar elements that comes off as Ferngully meets Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.

The story is at least interesting enough to have some chemistry before settling into its tiresome epic nature. A division between the Moores and a kingdom is soon to be...