Review: 'Oz the Great and Powerful'

Review: 'Oz the Great and Powerful'

Knowing the history of L. Frank Baum, and how he has written more than a dozen 'Oz' books, it's surprising how there have never, or rarely, been any other adaptations of his books. I assume it's because of the success of the original movie that it was decided to leave it at that, so things wouldn't go down hill I suppose. With the actual story of how the wizard himself came to Oz though, I believe that part of the story was never even told. So when I first heard the idea behind this movie through promotions and previews, I became very interested. I've never read any of the books, so I have nothing to compare and contrast with them and this movie. This will mainly be with the original movie 'The Wizard of Oz' (1939) in mind. Come on, we've all seen it. It's the only one we know.

'Oz the Great and Powerful' was great to look at, with many things to admire from it. Director Sam Raimi, most well known for the 'Evil Dead' and 'Spider-Man' trilogies, has always had a real charm about him with his talent of camera work and techniques that many filmmakers have tried to copy to this day. Much of that is here along with a couple of new tricks. That's what this movie does best: Tricks. Haven't we all been fooled since the very beginning of films that what we were seeing is real? It's all smoke and mirrors, so to speak, we know it's not real, particularly for a genre like this one. So why do we keep coming back for more then? Well, it's the age old answer to the age old question: Enchantment and escape. We all want to believe that what's impossible is possible, and seeing it happen before our eyes, whether on screen or on stage, is all the more satisfying. It is all delivered both to characters in this movie, and to us the audience.

In early 20th century Kansas, a young illusionist who goes by the name of Oz (James Franco), is seeking more for his life than what he already has. Swept away by a fierce tornado, taking him to a magical land, he may yet find what it is he is looking for. Upon his arrival, he meets three witches, Theodora, Evanora and Glinda. All say that they are good witches, but we all know that one of them is lying. It becomes a whole 'which-witch-is-which' sort of deal. Everyone believes him to be the prophesied wizard that would save them from the evil in the land, but he may have some explaining to to do.

Many things about this movie are to be deeply admired. Like the homages to the original film and subject material. The way the film opens is great, with the 4:3 (4x3) aspect ratio and black and white picture. The references to things we already know I thought were handled wisely, like a brief inclusion of a 'cowardly lion', and how Oz uses his "magic" in the face of danger and desperation. I'd write more about what I liked about the film, but it would give away many of the things the movie has to offer. With that said, there are things in here that, of course, are not perfect. The tonal shifts from dark scenes to cheerful scenes are a little loosely paced, the cliched jump scares are there without offering anything new, and the predictability of many plot twists are very predictable of course. And I know this is a nit-pick, but I think it would have been a little cooler if they had the opening sequence in a more sepia toned look like 'Wizard of Oz' instead of just plain old black-and-white. But that's just me.

I mentioned earlier how it shifts to dark scenes. Well, sure, they can be. But only to the youngest of viewers. Honestly, the kids can handle it. They put up with a lot more scary stuff these days. And knowing both mine and your history with Disney movies growing up, I think it's only fair to say that their movies have left the deepest scars in our psyche. So really, why stop here Disney?

For Sam Raimi fans, you're going to love it. For 'Wizard of Oz' fans, I think you'll like it a lot. I myself am a fan of both, so I did like the film. Is it a great film? No. Is it even a very good film? Not even close. It has it's major flaws. But what it offers, it offers pleasantly, and that's more than enough for me to give this movie a good old recommendation.

My Rating: 3/4