Oz the Great & Powerful (B+ or 3/4 stars)
74 years(!) after 'The Wizard of Oz' came roaring onto movie screens to the delight of millions, we now have a prequel of sorts in 'Oz the Great & Powerful' (a Disney production directed by Sam Raimi, Evil Dead, the Spider-Man movies). Raimi creates an Oz world of uber-vibrant colors, storybook sets, & beautiful CGI 3D imagery. The plot is an amalgamation of various Frank L. Baum stories but focuses on how the Land of Oz & its Emerald City came to get its man behind the curtain. It also tells the story of how 2 witches got so wicked in the 1st place. There are numerous references from the 1939 movie, despite MGM's (now Warner's) copyright infringement protocols. i.e., the opening 20 minute sequence is framed in conventional non-widescreen & in black-&-white.
Set in 1905 at a traveling circus in Kansas, we meet Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a disreputable small-time magician who takes flight (literally) in a hot air balloon to escape from some baddies. Recalling the '39 film once again, we get a tornado that whisks the top-hatted magician away. His balloon crashes in the same manner as Dorothy's house. And Oscar then steps out into a widescreen Technicolor land of unusual flaura & fauna amid a diverse population that longs for a wizard to fulfill a prophesy. In this new land, Oz meets & works his charms on the lovely, doe-eyed Theodora (Mila Kunis), a witch who mistakes him for the wizard who is expected to rule as King of Oz and prophesied to kill a "wicked witch". Yet, it is not clear which witch it could be: Theodora's sister, Evanora (Rachel Weisz), who temporarily oversees Emerald City or Glinda (Michelle Williams), who oversees the diverse pastoral sections of Oz.
He also meets a friendly flying monkey named Finley (voiced by Zach Braff) & an adorable porcelain china doll (voiced by Joey King); they accompany him on his adventures. Oscar's con-man persona sees an opportunity to grab the riches of the land & flee (dissing Theodora in the process). But Glinda tries desperately to keep him from leaving. And so, reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz, Oscar must transforms himself into a great wizard by using whatever magician skills are available to him, employing ingenious practical tricks to combat the powerful magical forces of the evil witch ...es.
As in 'The Wizard of Oz', actors perform as different characters in both settings. i.e., Joey King is both a girl in a wheelchair in Kansas during Oscar's magic act, & she's also the voice of the CGI china doll in Oz. The action sequences, 3D cinematography, production design, costumes, make-up, music, & interactions btwn. the live actors & digital images are top notch. I liked some whimsical touches; like the river faeries, a tea pot land, a song that the munchkins sing, the Tinkers, etc.. I also liked Evanora's flying squadron of menacing baboons. But best of all are Finley the flying monkey & the china doll. It's astonishing how many human characteristics & how much wonder is expressed in the lovely performances by these 2 visual effect characters.
James Franco may appear miscast, at first. But I actually enjoyed his brand of goofy, toothy charm that he brings to the wizard role. And because he is jerk-ish for a good part of the film, his redemption arc by the end felt all the more heroic and, even poignant. Michelle Williams gives a radiant but grounded turn as Glinda. Rachel Weisz & Mila Kunis have their moments to dazzle. One sister strategizes for the other to turn towards the darkness with her ... bad witch! You know, 'Oz the Great & Powerful' doesn't run wild with suspense or awe (a la Avatar). But it sure is pretty. I was highly entertained. There's some surprising ingenuity in how the climax unfolds. And not to get ridiculously mushy but, by the end, it also warmed my heart.
Set in 1905 at a traveling circus in Kansas, we meet Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a disreputable small-time magician who takes flight (literally) in a hot air balloon to escape from some baddies. Recalling the '39 film once again, we get a tornado that whisks the top-hatted magician away. His balloon crashes in the same manner as Dorothy's house. And Oscar then steps out into a widescreen Technicolor land of unusual flaura & fauna amid a diverse population that longs for a wizard to fulfill a prophesy. In this new land, Oz meets & works his charms on the lovely, doe-eyed Theodora (Mila Kunis), a witch who mistakes him for the wizard who is expected to rule as King of Oz and prophesied to kill a "wicked witch". Yet, it is not clear which witch it could be: Theodora's sister, Evanora (Rachel Weisz), who temporarily oversees Emerald City or Glinda (Michelle Williams), who oversees the diverse pastoral sections of Oz.
He also meets a friendly flying monkey named Finley (voiced by Zach Braff) & an adorable porcelain china doll (voiced by Joey King); they accompany him on his adventures. Oscar's con-man persona sees an opportunity to grab the riches of the land & flee (dissing Theodora in the process). But Glinda tries desperately to keep him from leaving. And so, reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz, Oscar must transforms himself into a great wizard by using whatever magician skills are available to him, employing ingenious practical tricks to combat the powerful magical forces of the evil witch ...es.
As in 'The Wizard of Oz', actors perform as different characters in both settings. i.e., Joey King is both a girl in a wheelchair in Kansas during Oscar's magic act, & she's also the voice of the CGI china doll in Oz. The action sequences, 3D cinematography, production design, costumes, make-up, music, & interactions btwn. the live actors & digital images are top notch. I liked some whimsical touches; like the river faeries, a tea pot land, a song that the munchkins sing, the Tinkers, etc.. I also liked Evanora's flying squadron of menacing baboons. But best of all are Finley the flying monkey & the china doll. It's astonishing how many human characteristics & how much wonder is expressed in the lovely performances by these 2 visual effect characters.
James Franco may appear miscast, at first. But I actually enjoyed his brand of goofy, toothy charm that he brings to the wizard role. And because he is jerk-ish for a good part of the film, his redemption arc by the end felt all the more heroic and, even poignant. Michelle Williams gives a radiant but grounded turn as Glinda. Rachel Weisz & Mila Kunis have their moments to dazzle. One sister strategizes for the other to turn towards the darkness with her ... bad witch! You know, 'Oz the Great & Powerful' doesn't run wild with suspense or awe (a la Avatar). But it sure is pretty. I was highly entertained. There's some surprising ingenuity in how the climax unfolds. And not to get ridiculously mushy but, by the end, it also warmed my heart.