Rated
PG (Sequences of Action and Scary Images, and Brief Mild Language)
Running
Time: 2 Hours & 10 Minutes
Cast-
James
Franco-Oscar 'Oz' Diggs
Mila
Kunis-Theodora
Rachel
Weisz-Evanora
Michelle
Williams-Glinda the Good Witch/Annie
Zach
Braff-Finley the Flying Monkey (voice)/Frank
Joey
King-China Girl (voice)/Girl in Wheelchair
Bill
Cobbs-Master Tinker
Tony
Cox-Knuck
Abigail
Spencer-May
Stephen
R. Hart-Winkie General
Bruce
Campbell-Winkie Gate Keeper
Ted
Raimi-Skeptic in Audience
Directed
by Sam Raimi
 |
| Director Sam Raimi revisits the world of Oz in his latest film, "Oz: The Great and Powerful." |
Note: Screened on Wednesday, March 6, 2013 at AMC Empire 25.
'Toto,
I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.' Released in 1939 and loosely based
on L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The
Wonderful Wizard of Oz, director Victor Fleming's "The Wizard of
Oz" (starring a then-sixteen year old Judy Garland) is a classic in every
sense of the word and to even consider remaking it would be blasphemy. So how
did Disney get around this? Why, by making a prequel of course! With Tim
Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" earning a gargantuan $1 billion
worldwide in 2010, it's no surprise that the studio wanted to replicate that
success. Disney's interest in Baum's Oz
books stretched all the way back to 1937, shortly after "Snow White and
the Seven Dwarfs" became an unexpected critical box office success. The
Mickey Mouse creator wanted to produce an animated film based on the first book
in the Oz series (there are fourteen)
but the Baum estate had already sold the rights to Samuel Goldwyn, who then
re-sold it to Louis B. Mayer of MGM in 1938. This resulted in the Fleming
classic that we all know and love today. Disney did end up making their own
"Oz" film when they acquired the rights to the rest of Baum's novels
in 1954. Positioned as an 'unofficial' sequel to Fleming's film, 1985's
"Return to Oz" was both a critical and commercial flop, although it
has developed a cult following since its release. Disney eventually lost the
rights to the Oz books, which reverted
back to the public domain. The idea of a prequel to "The Wizard of
Oz" came about when writer Mitchell Kapner was pitching ideas to producer
Joe Roth, whose credits include the aforementioned "Alice in
Wonderland" and last summer's "Snow White and the Huntsman."
Kapner's pitches just weren't clicking with Roth and so out of curiosity, he
asked the writer what he was reading. It turns out that Kapner has been reading
Baum's Oz books to his children. This
kicked off a long discussion about the series but Roth suddenly stopped Kapner
once they got up to the sixth book, The
Emerald City of Oz, which explored the origins of the eponymous wizard.
Thus, a film was born! This was actually back in 2009, which means that
"Oz: The Great and Powerful" has been in development for over three
years. Making a prequel to such a timeless classic is a risky proposition but
apparently Disney believed in the film and with director Sam Raimi's vision
enough to justify spending $200 million, and that's not counting the marketing!
So the only question is whether the film is any good. Despite suffering from
some pacing issues and at times over-indulgent CG, "Oz: The Great and
Powerful" remains a wondrous film to behold, an entertaining visual feast
for the eyes that refreshingly harkens back to a simpler time.
Traveling with
the Baum Brothers Circus in Kansas, 1905, Oscar 'Oz' Diggs (James Franco) is a
small-time magician who dreams of becoming a 'great man' one day despite his
meager earnings and womanizing ways. After a particularly disastrous show, he
is visited by a young woman named Annie (Michelle Williams), who clearly has
feelings for Oz. She reveals that a John Gale has proposed to her and she
wanted to share the news with him first. Oz tells her to go through with the
marriage instead of waiting for him to commit but their meeting is cut short
when the husband of one of his many paramours comes looking to tear him a new
one. Making a quick escape on a hot air balloon, Oz is swept up in a vicious
tornado that transports him to the colorful world of Oz. Welcomed by the
beautiful witch Theodora (Mila Kunis), Oz learns that he is supposedly the
prophesized 'wizard' that will free the land from the evil grip of the Wicked
Witch. The two travel to the Emerald City, where Theodora's sister Evanora
(Rachel Weisz) has been watching over the throne and awaiting the wizard's
return. Seduced by the promise of so many riches, Oz sets out on his mission to
defeat the Wicked Witch despite the enormity of such a task. Helping him on his
quest are good witch Glinda (also Michelle Williams), a flying monkey named
Finley (voice of Zach Braff), and a little girl made of china (voice of Joey
King). However, they soon realize that the Wicked Witch has been hiding among
them in plain sight all along.
More a spiritual prequel than a direct one,
"Oz: The Great and Powerful" pays homage to Fleming's timeless
classic but wisely doesn't get bogged down in constantly reminding viewers of
that film. Director Sami Raimi (and the audience) knows that it would be
impossible to try to surpass the original and instead concentrates on making a
film that honors the world that L. Frank Baum created while forging its own
path. The script from Mitchell Kapner and David Lindsay-Abaire is rather straightforward,
cherry-picking elements from Baum's books to create an origin story of sorts
for both the Wizard and the Wicked Witch of the West. Evoking a sense of
nostalgia, "Oz: The Great and Powerful" opens in black-and-white
(with a 1.375:1 'Academy' aspect ratio) when Oz is in Kansas but expands to
full widescreen once he reaches the HD, Technicolor world of Oz. What follows
is a story that doesn't offer much in the way of surprises, with our hapless
'wizard' gathering a motley crew of allies to battle the Wicked Witch in much
the same way that Dorothy did close to seventy-four years ago.
At 2 hours and
10 minutes, the thin plot feels a tad over-stretched with the abundant CG
threatening to overwhelm the characters at times but Raimi manages to keep a
tight rein on the proceedings, dazzling the audience with sumptuous visuals
while making an emotion connection. That connection surprisingly comes from
Joey King's China Girl and one of the most heartwarming scenes is when she asks
Oz to bring her family back to life. This is obviously something he cannot do
but when recounting the story of how Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, Oz
instills within her a sense of hope, that belief and faith can make the
impossible…possible. That's the gist of "Oz: The Great and Powerful,"
where being great is not about wielding a golden scepter or swimming in riches;
it's about taking responsibility and inspiring others to have the confidence to
fight their own battles. It's not a complex theme but it fits in with the
film's playful and earnest tone, which harkens back to a simpler time. While
it's made with children in mind, Raimi does put his own stamp on the material,
utilizing extreme close-ups and jump cuts from his "Evil Dead" days.
The only contentious aspect of the film is the back-story given to the Wicked
Witch of the West. Her fall from grace is meant to represent how jealousy can
twist the kindest of hearts but her transformation feels forced and never
entirely organic. As for the visuals, every penny of its $200 million
production budget has been put to use in bringing Oz to life. While the CG can
be too obvious at times, Raimi at least had the good sense to build physical
sets, preventing Oz from turning into a throwaway green-screen effect. Shot in
native 3D, the extra dimension gives a nice sense of depth to the world,
although there's some jarring motion blur when the camera pans too quickly. Still,
this is definitely one of the better 3D films I've seen.
The performances of
the film range from earnestly sincere to completely over-the-top. James Franco
does a fine job as Oz, although it's hard not to feel that he's slightly
miscast. He excels in conveying the character's sense of vulnerability but
can't quite pull off the overconfident swagger. Mila Kunis exhibits an innocent
naivety as Theodora while Rachel Weisz's Evanora is deliciously evil. I won't
reveal which of the two becomes the Wicked Witch but similar to Franco, the
performer never feels entirely right for the role. Having the most fun is
Michelle Williams as the heavenly Glinda. With her wide eyes and beaming smile,
Williams is absolutely delightful. However, Zach Braff and Joey King steal the
film as flying monkey Finley and the delicate China Girl. Despite their
characters being nothing more than a pile of pixels, Braff and King manage to
bring them to life with only their voice, inspiring both laughs and sympathy
within the audience.
Released on March 8, 2013, "Oz: The Great and
Powerful" has received mixed to positive reviews with 60% on Rotten
Tomatoes. Critics admitted that 'it [suffered] from some tonal inconsistency
and a deflated sense of wonder, but [the film] still packs enough visual dazzle
and clever wit to be entertaining in its own right. Audience reaction during
the advance screening on Wednesday was positive, although not quite as
enthusiastic as I was expecting. Still, this is the first film of 2013 to have
a chance at breaking the current box office slump and it's already poised to
open with at least $80 million. Whether it becomes the worldwide success that
"Alice in Wonderland" was remains to be seen. "Oz: The Great and
Powerful" doesn't hold a candle to the 1939 original yet Raimi has managed
to craft a film that not only entertains but will also inspire those to seek
out Fleming's classic. Against all odds, it works and that's quite an
achievement when most prequels today don't even bother to hide the fact that
they're mere cash-ins.
Final
Rating: 4 out of 5
"I don't want to be a good man... I want to be a great one!"
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