 |
| Courtesy of Disney |
I
had a blast watching Oz the Great and Powerful, director Sam Raimi’s prequel to,
or reimagining of (whatever you want to call it), L. Frank Baum’s beloved stories.
That’s saying a lot, considering I was never a big fan of the 1939 classic The
Wizard of Oz as a kid. (Sacrilege, I know. I need to revisit the film since I
haven’t seen it in 20 years or more.)
However,
the love Raimi (who helmed the first three Spider-Man entries) has for the
source material is both palpable and contagious. Every scene is packed with clever
references, both obvious and hidden, playing on viewers’ nostalgia and
strengthening this new installment. I’m actually a little jealous of the kids
whose first experience in a theater will involve this movie.
James
Franco plays Oscar Diggs, a shady magician who makes his living in a run-down circus.
He travels across the Midwest, ripping off customers and breaking young women’s
hearts. That changes when a twister transports him from Kansas to the magical Land
of Oz
Almost
immediately, he runs into the beautiful witch Theodora (Mila Kunis), who
informs him that he fulfills the prophecy regarding Oz’s new ruler. This
entitles him to adoration and riches galore, which fuels his egotistical
nature. Of course, it’s not that simple. To claim the throne, Oscar has to
defeat the Wicked Witch who has brought fear and destruction to the land.
But
who is the real evil – Evanora (Rachel Weisz) or Glinda (Michelle Williams)? To
save Oz, he must figure out which side is the right one. Luckily, he’s got a
couple of friends to help him out, including a flying monkey named Finley (Zach
Braff) and a beautiful-yet-fragile China doll (Joey King).
Sadly,
the screenplay by Mitchell Kapner and David Lindsay-Abaire is a bit thin. Considering
the somewhat simple plot, the movie is about 20-30 minutes too long.
Fortunately, the performances keep things entertaining. Franco successfully conveys
Oscar’s transformation from sleazebag to hero, making the journey simultaneously
frustrating and funny.
Kunis’
displays a wide range of emotions as her character evolves from wide-eyed
innocent to heartbroken cynic. Weisz shows off a devilish mean streak and the
striking Williams exhibits an innate goodness that left me floored. I wish she
would appear in mainstream films more frequently so bigger audiences could discover
her talent.
Raimi
also strengthens the lightweight story with some astounding visuals. I rarely
recommend paying the extra money for 3D, but it’s a must here. The director understands
that the format is essentially a gimmick anyway, so he treats it as such.
Spears, flying baboons and hummingbirds leap from the screen, and viewers are treated
to an exciting trip down a raging river and a lovely snowfall.
I
don’t see Oz the Great and Powerful becoming as significant to pop culture as
the Judy Garland version, but it’s certainly the most entertaining movie
currently in theaters. As such, it’s probably going to make obscene amounts of
money.
Oz the Great and Powerful is rated
PG for sequences of action and scary images, and brief mild language.
Grade:
B+
Comments
Post a Comment