About The Movie:
Oz the Great and Powerful explores
the origins of several characters that play key parts in The Wizard of Oz - as
well as other Oz adventures – but the film’s primary focus is on non-wizard
Oscar (Franco). A womanizing sideshow magician, Oscar “Oz” Diggs wears out his
welcome in the traveling circus and, fleeing for his life by hot air balloon,
is sucked into a tornado – crash-landing in the magical world of Oz.
The people of Oz eagerly welcome
Oscar, believing his arrival is part of an age-old prophesy that suggests a
wizard from the sky will defeat the Wicked Witch and bring order to the land.
Tempted by the promise of unlimited wealth and armed with nothing but magic
tricks and a few faithful friends, Oscar sets out to kill the tyrannical witch.
The story is pretty straightforward,
especially for film fans who are already familiar with elements of the Oz
mythos – witches, Munchkins, flying monkeys and other magical inhabitants. The
movie serves as a dual origin story for both the Wizard of Oz and the Wicked
Witch of the West – though Oscar is the primary focus and his personal journey
from conman to great man sets all of the other characters in motion.
Aided by a likable performance from
James Franco, Oscar is surprisingly deep – especially since an older version of
the character once pleaded for Dorothy to “pay no mind to the man behind the
curtain.” As it turns out, that man has a story worth telling and, unlike many
films that attempt to explore the origins of a known Hollywood icon, Oz the
Great and Powerful actually has the potential to make the character’s presence
in the original Wizard of Oz more impactful.
What Is Good/Bad About The Movie:
I’ll be honest: I was expecting
another Alice in Wonderland disappointment. Fortunately, where Tim Burton
failed to create characters I could care about in his adaptation of Alice, Sam
Raimi’s Oz prequel is another story altogether. The porcelain girl, the flying
monkey bellhop, the munchkin herald—these are no replacements for the Scarecrow
or the Tin Man, but they’re still a lovable bunch.
James Franco is the perfect man to
carry this film and his performance as Oz is charming and playful. He doesn’t
take the role too seriously, handling the comedic aspects of the script with
ease, but also adding some earnestness when necessary. He has a childlike
nature that makes him feel like the protagonist in a fairy tale despite the
fact that he is a grown man. Robert Downey Jr. was originally attached to play
the lead role in this movie, and I don’t know that he would have been able to
pull it off.
I have to say that I love Theodora
(Mila Kunis) when she transformed from being a young, naive thing, susceptible
to love, bouts of fury, and her sister’s manipulations. She falls instantly and
unconvincingly in love with the wizard, Oz, who also happens to be a terrible
rake and lady’s man.
Then there’s Evanora, Theodora’s
older sister. Evanora (Rachel Weisz) is the manipulator, the real wicked witch,
and as far as I’m concerned easily one of the best character in the whole film.
Weisz plays the villain convincingly, with enough menace and restraint to pull
it off.
Finally, there’s Glinda the Good,
replete with her flying bubbles. Glinda (Michelle Williams) is first
encountered, in a dark and spooky graveyard at the back end of the dark forest.
Evanora has sent Oz and co. to kill her, claiming she’s the wicked witch
responsible for the death of the old king. But we soon know better as she saw
past Oz and his façade.
Equally impressive is the visual aesthetic
and design. CGI characters like Oscar’s sidekicks Frank, a friendly flying
monkey (voiced by Zach Braff) and China Girl, a living doll (voiced by Joey
King), are responsible for some of the most humorous and emotional scenes in
the entire movie. The characters are a major triumph in digital acting once
again raising the bar for what filmmakers can do with non-human roles.
There’s actually a great deal more
magic and a great deal more heart in Oz the Great and Powerful than I expected.
This story of a con-man carnival magician and his unlikely band of accomplices
out to save the land of Oz had many pleasant surprises, but none more so than
the way it managed to bring a smile to my face.
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