We all know the classic that is 'The
Wizard of Oz', the 1939 masterpiece starring Judy Garland as Dorothy
Gale, a young farm girl who is whisked away to the magical world of
Oz by way of a tornado. There have actually been multiple adaptations
of author L. Frank Baum's 'Wizard of Oz' series. In fact, there were
10 other adaptations that came out before the one we all know and
love and there were many more after that. In 1985, Disney made a
'sequel', 'Return to Oz'. While the film was neither a critical or
box office hit, it has since gotten a cult following due to its much
darker tone. Now, Disney is back with another 'Oz' film, 'Oz: The
Great and Powerful', a prequel focusing on the Wizard of Oz and
directed by Sam Raimi. Does Raimi's take on the story succeed? Yes,
it does. Not to sound cliché here, but 'Oz the Great and Powerful'
is really a great movie, with terrific visuals, a superb cast, and a
well-written story.
In Kansas, a magician in a traveling
circus named Oscar Diggs (James Franco) dreams of becoming a great
man like Thomas Edison or Harry Houdini, even though he's really
nothing more than a womanizing con-man. One day, as Oscar escapes
from an angry circus performer via hot air balloon, he is caught in a
tornado and winds up in the magical land of Oz. There, he learns that
the people of Oz have been waiting for a 'Great and Powerful' wizard
who will save them from the evil of the Wicked Witch. Oscar takes up
the job, despite the fact that he's not exactly the Wizard Oz has
been waiting for, and soon gets caught up in a conflict amongst the
three witches of the land; Glinda (Michelle Williams), Theodora (Mila
Kunis), and Evanora (Rachel Weisz). Not only must Oscar prove to them
that he truly is 'the Wizard', but he must also prove it to himself
as well.
In terms of visuals, 'Oz The Great and
Powerful' is one of the best looking films I've ever seen. Out of all
of Disney's recent $200 million March releases, this is miles better
above the rather dark and grim lands in 'Alice in Wonderland' and the
bland Mars landscapes in 'John Carter'. This is also one of those
rare instances where it is worth it to see the film in 3-D, as the
world of Oz is a visual treat for the eyes. But visuals aren't
everything; what about the story? Well, the writing is actually
really solid, most notable in the portrayal of 'the Wizard'. He has a
solid story arc, as he changes from the womanizing con-man, who's
also kind of a jerk, that he was at the beginning of the film to the
kind and noble 'Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz'. Even by prequel
standards, Raimi doesn't go the cheap route and instead makes subtle
nods to the original film which work out much better than some other
prequels.
There's also not a single bad
performance from anyone in this film. Even those who some were saying
gave the movie a 'high-school' vibe, namely James Franco and Mila
Kunis, did really good jobs. Admittedly, Kunis probably is the
weakest link out of the whole cast, but that's more when her
character Theodora transforms into a certain character (one that the
internet already spoiled but I won't do the same here) but she still
does a great job. Franco also does a great job as 'the Wizard' and
does bring the right attitude for the role of Oscar. The two
standouts here would have to be Rachel Weisz, who's clearly having a
lot of fun in the role of bad girl Evanora, and Michelle Williams,
who perfectly captures the sweet and kind personality of Glinda.
Finally, we also have solid performances from two of the side
characters; Zach Braff as Finley the flying monkey, who gets some of
the best lines, and Joey King as the China Girl, who's just cute as a
button.
So, in the end, is 'Oz the Great and
Powerful' as great as the original 1939 film? Probably not, but do I
even need to explain how much of a classic that film was because I'm
pretty sure we all know that by now. For what it's worth, Sam Raimi
delivers what is easily the best Oz film since that film. Even amidst
the breathtaking visuals, the story is still solid, the cast is
terrific, and Raimi doesn't cop out when it comes to the film being a
'prequel' to the original film. It's also one of those rare films
where it is worth the extra money to see it in 3-D because Raimi
utilizes it much greater than most films that are just converted to
3-D in post-production just because studios want to make more money.
Critics have been rather split on this film, but as for me, this is
the first film this year that I highly recommend because in all
aspects, it is a well-made film.
Rating: 5/5!
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