Oz is a land that many of us consider ourselves fairly familiar with. We’ve gone over the rainbow with Judy Garland and defied gravity with the Wicked Witch of the West. Some of us may have even read L. Frank Baum’s original books.
In this latest trip to the merry old land of Oz, we find out how the wonderful Wizard came to Oz.
“Oz the Great and Powerful,” (directed by Sam Raimi) may be lacking in some ways, but it is a beautiful film.
When Oscar “Oz” Diggs (James Franco), a magician/con artist from Kansas gets hurled into Oz, he seems to have hit the jackpot. Discovered by Theodora (Mila Kunis), he is believed to be the savior who will take down the Wicked Witch and return peace to the land of Oz.
Unfortunately, Evanora (Rachel Weisz), Theodora’s sister, is not so quick to hand over power to this stranger from Kansas. She sends Oscar on a quest to take down the Wicked Witch, and the future Wizard of Oz finds out that all may not be as it appeared.
It may not be the perfect film. The story (written by David Lindsay-Abaire and Mitchell Kapner) assumes a great deal of prior knowledge from its audience. But chances are good that you’ve seen “The Wizard of Oz” at least a few times.
Still, it would be nice to have a little more backstory, particularly in Oz. Much like Oscar, we’re dropped into this unfamiliar place without much direction.
James Franco fits the part of Oscar Diggs / the Wizard. Or it might be more accurate to say the part fits him. Franco may not have a wide range, but he plays the likable con man very well.
Rachel Weisz, Mila Kunis and Michelle Williams (Glinda the Good) as the trio of witches do a fairly good job considering their characters are barely established. Despite the fact that these women are obviously the main political forces in this land they’re still simplified to good, evil and love interest.
Gender stereotypes aside, it’s a fun film and worth seeing in 3D if you have the opportunity.
This Oz is much grander and imaginative, as it should be with a bigger budget and advancements in technology. The transition from Kansas to Oz is spectacular.
There are some clever references to the original film. This is a very different Oz from the one that Dorothy dropped into, but it’s still worth a visit.
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…just for fun:
