There’s one thing I love in all my films and that’s FANTASY. Imagination (& Budget) is the only limitation when it comes to Fantasy but when dealing with The Land of Oz there’s a wealth of referenced material to go back to and in order to win over fans who have grown up with the books of Frank L Baum and the movies that came after.
From The Wizard of Oz, Return to Oz right through the Wicked The New Musical, Oz has come to life on stage and screen in various guises; both musical and dramatic. Walt Disney pictures have set out in partnership with Sam Raimi to bring Oz back to audiences in an ambitious exercise that will see characters we know and love return alongside a whole host of new faces in a struggle against evil which could lead Oz into its darkest era ever.
When a small-time magician and con man finds himself in the Land of Oz, he finds his luck is about to turn as the people of this strange and colourful land offer him the keys to the kingdom if he can fulfil the prophecy and kill the evil that plagues the land.
Embarking on a journey beset by greed, perhaps this man will find something more than a pay day when the inhabitants of Oz tell him their tales.
Oz The Great and Powerful is a film I’ve waited a long time for, I’ve been an avid fan of The Wizard of Oz since childhood, I was terrified in my youth by Walt Disney’s Return to Oz which is still scary to this day and I fell in love with the stage musical going by the name of Wicked. Going in with these incarnations of Oz in mind is a mistake, although they are referenced, the main story arc in Oz the Great and Powerful conflicts with what has come before.
However Sam Raimi takes his directorial brain, looks at the books and art style of the films before and takes all that into account as he moulds and creates a world worthy of Frank L Baums universe. With striking greens, whites, yellows, reds and a whole spectrum of colours, the Land of Oz is uniquely crafted so that the audience longs to be part of the picture on screen. It’s a truly immersive feat made all the more enriching by a 3D transfer that WORKS!
Sam Raimi has always been my idol for the horror he’s created, for the fantasy he brought to the Spider-Man trilogy and now he has my heart for the wonder and passion he brought to the creation of Oz The Great and Powerful, including a superb audio track that will make visual jump scares seem like a picnic compared to Mila Kunis’ exclamation’s on certain dialogue with a steep rise in tone and volume. I leapt out of my seat and you will too!
The cast here are truly magical under the watchful eye of Raimi. Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams play the sister witches at war over the throne to Oz and all may not be as it seems as this new wizard played by James Franco comes into their world. Weisz being the most notable talent of the three as her first scenes require her to switch and shift in tone as she adapts to the people around her, it was a striking moment that really made Weisz stand head and shoulders above everyone else.
Mila Kunis was surprisingly wonderful as she found her stride in ‘both’ her roles in Oz The Great and Powerful but the minor disappointment came in the form of Michelle Williams who really didn’t offer up her best as she usually does, her chemistry with Franco was so far removed from the chemistry she had with Ryan Gosling in Blue Valentine. Two very different films and relationships but the one where she needed the least effort resulted in a very lack lustre attraction and the least success.
I love Williams but the lack of chemistry was a big barrier to her character, Glinda the Good. It didn’t however prevent her being excellent the rest of the time she was on screen.
The real winner was Zach Braff and Joey King, one plays a flying monkey and another plays a china doll who help James Franco’s character on his mission which at first is steeped in greed. Braff is superb as the wise cracking Monkey and the effects team who created him on screen did a fantastic job in creating something loveable and wonderfully charming to go along with that cheeky voice.
Oz the Great and Powerful is a more than worthy addition in a long line of entries into the Oz franchise; it has a beautiful land to explore, characters for kids and adults alike to fall in love with.
With classic Disney Magic, this fantastic tale of adventure is one not to be missed. Offering up Adventure, personality and above all entertainment, Oz The Great and Powerful is a magical experience that is certainly a must see when it comes to UK Cinemas on March 8th 2013.