Review: Oz: The Great And Powerful

Review: Oz: The Great And Powerful

You'll be hard pressed to find a more dazzlingly beautiful and captivating cinematic journey this year than director Sam Raimi's The Wizard of Oz prequel. Serving as the origin story of both the famed wizard himself and the Wicked Witch of the West, Oz: The Great And Powerful suffers from some tonal inconsistencies and some surprisingly wooden acting, but on the whole this is a real treat for the senses that's not to be missed.

It's always a challenge when movies tread on familiar ground. Despite the 1939 Wizard Of Oz movie written as a screen adaptation of L.Frank Baum's imaginative novel, Oz: The Great And Powerful is an entirely new narrative, albeit with plenty of inspiration to draw from. Luckily though, thanks to its witty script and interesting characters, this prequel should manage to entertain both fans of the original work and newcomers to the land of Oz. 

The only disappointing aspect is that the latter half of the movie feels more like a pantomime than a cinematic experience with the dialogue and acting clearly aiming to impress nobody over six years old.

Oz himself is a greedy, conning circus magician in Kansas who dreams of having more influence on the world, citing his ambitions as becoming a cross between Thomas Edison and Harry Houdini. Before long, he is on the run from his fellow carnies and (in true fantasy world style) whisked away in a fierce storm to the magical land of Oz. 

There, he is told that his destiny is to become the wizard who will save the vibrant land from the evil Wicked Witch threatening its inhabitants - but how can an illusionist convince the world that he is a real wizard? And how can he defeat a witch who poses a very real threat? Along the way, Oz discovers not just how to be a better magician but also how to be a better man.

The story stands strong enough to ensure that Oz The Great And Powerful manages to entertain in its own right rather than make us long for the original, and while James Franco's Oz isn't particularly likeable at first (he's selfish, self-obsessed and treats the only man willing to be his friend like dirt) as the movie progresses, he becomes an enjoyable hero and Franco's effortless charisma enables us to route for him. 

The three witches fare less well, however. Of the siblings, only Mila Kunis succeeds in giving her character some emotional weight - Michelle Williams' "Good Witch" is so angelically one-dimensional that she becomes boring within the first five minutes of her arrival, and Rachel Weisz is simply an over the top theatre villain. 

Luckily, we have Zach Braff's humorously written flying monkey Finley to provide some well-needed comic relief ("I think I saw a yellow brick pothole back there"), and Braff is a welcome addition to a cast of competitively over-acting buffoonery. 

The genius of Oz The Great And Powerful lies not in the narrative or cast however - usually I champion the idea that effects are nothing without a story, but with a sight so wonderfully bright and bold as the land of Oz, it's hard not to feel as though the environment itself is a character. 

Crystal flowers, coloured clouds and floating bubbles give a real sense of magic to the screen - but the best part is where Franco travels into Oz for the first time. For the first ten minutes or so as he attempts to make ends meet as a small-time magician, our star is shown in a black and white traditional 4:3 ratio. Yet that all ends as soon as we enter the new world, and the silver screen opens up to the now conventional 16:9, adding ever more impact to the colourful land. It's an excellent idea and one that works brilliantly, so the special effects team can applaud themselves for a technique that may start a trend.

Summary

As family entertainment, Oz The Great And Powerful can do no wrong. It's vibrant, it's humorous and most importantly it has a hero who changes immensely from beginning to end. Older audiences may find themselves becoming bored however, as the second act dissolves from an exciting study of heroism into pantomime incredulity ("I'll get you next time, Wizard!" is just one of the cheesy lines offered) mainly due to the over the top performances from the central cast. Still, with a sequel on the way already and a whole new generation introduced to the world of the Wizard of Oz, Sam Raimi's prequel to one of the world's most beloved stories is an undeniable success. Magic.

8/10 - Great

See it if you liked: The Wizard of Oz (1939), Alice In Wonderland (2010), The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)