Oz the Great and Powerful is the new fantasy film directed by Sam Raimi and inspired by L. Frank Baum’s Oz series.
The first thing to be noted about the film is that it is, by far, not The Wizard of Oz. Aside from the setting and some characters, this film misses on giving one the same feeling the original Wizard of Oz did. I do not know if the film was trying to or not, but if one goes to this film expecting to see The Wizard of Oz, then they will be sorely disappointed. However, if one goes to this film expecting to see a new, standalone story set in the same universe as The Wizard of Oz, then they will be in for a treat.
Let me take a moment to make a few comments about 3-D: I hate it. But, I saw Oz the Great and Powerful in 3-D, and thought it worked very well. The opening title sequence of the film was beautiful and brilliant on its own but was made more engaging and alluring by the awesome use of 3-D. There are many circumstances in the film that are made better because of the 3-D element incorporated. (I think this is due to the film being shot in that format instead of post-converted to 3D.)
As I mentioned before, it’s best not to go into this movie with expectations of reliving all the great things about The Wizard of Oz. The new film follows a wily, cunning magician named Oscar “Oz” Diggs (James Franco) as he finds himself in more trouble than he asks for by telling fibs in the Land of Oz.
At the same time, the film follows the tale of three witches – Glinda, Evanora, and Theodora (Michelle Williams, Rachel Wiesz, Mila Kunis) and the deception involved between the three of them, which leads to one becoming awfully wicked.
Oz the Great and Powerful absolutely nails it on two accounts.
First, the film presents you with a wonderful cast of unforgettable characters, much like The Wizard of Oz did. Secondly, the casting of those characters was flawless. James Franco is absolutely charming as the quick-witted, smooth-talking Oz. Zach Braff and Joey King also give hilariously charming performances as Finley the bellhop monkey and the adorable china girl. Michelle Williams, Rachael Weisz and Mila Kunis play their respective roles well, with Williams being the standout of the three. I prefer to not elaborate on these three as to not give away any spoilers. James Franco giving tenderness, cleverness and hilarity to his character carries much of the weight of the movie. Zach Braff is also very memorable with his comedic performance.
The film does have its faults, though. The movie is driven by the most basic of plot devices, which is fine because the characters are so memorable. However, the biggest problem is that this film does not seem to know if it wants to be a children’s film or appeal to a more adult audience. On more than one occasion, I found myself wondering if this was appropriate for younger audiences. At the same time, there were many instances of overly cheesy lines or scenes. I will say that often, there was charm to be found in the goofiness of some of these scenes. Also, flying baboons are still terrifying.
The funny and charming Oz the Great and Powerful hosts memorable characters with a fantastic cast. Although, the film’s lacks a sense of identity and can often be cheesy. I will say that I think the pros outweigh the cons making this a film worth seeing as an afternoon matinee. The film will best be remembered for being an enjoyable, fantastical expansion to a universe we’ve grown to love and adore.