James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, and Zach Braff co-star in Disney’s fantastical adventure “Oz The Great and Powerful.” SIDEWALKS’ J.P. gives his thoughts on the prequel story.
OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL
Disney
Rating: PG
Running Time: 127 min
Director: Sam Raimi
Producer: Joe Roth
Cast: James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, Zach Braff
Studio Synopsis:
Disney’s fantastical adventure “Oz The Great and Powerful,” directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum’s beloved wizard character. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot—fame and fortune are his for the taking—that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity—and even a bit of wizardry—Oscar transforms himself not only into the great wizard but into a better man as well.
J.P.’s Take
“Oz the Great and Powerful” is possibly the most anticipated prequel for fans of the original “The Wizard of Oz” have been waiting for. 74 years in the making we finally have our questions answered, as to whom Oscar “Oz” Diggs (James Franco) is and how he came to make his name sake his new home.
I remember as a kid watching “The Wizard of Oz” for the first time and recall the impact it had on me. The mystery, the ominous undertones, the loveable characters, the fantastic old fashion effects, is what really stoked my imagination (my feelings were mutual when I saw “Star Wars” for the first time as well]. But imagine what it must have been like for the children of the 1900’s, when the novel was first released. The buzz surrounding Lyman Frank Baum’s book, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” would be equivalent to the critical success generated around books like “Twilight” or “Hunger Games” of today.
Thirty plus years later as film production techniques developed, a theatrical adaptation was released in 1939 and I’m sure it too captured the imagination of all walks of life then. This is the kind of atmosphere director Sam Raimi (“Evil Dead,” “Spider Man”) and writers David Lindsay-Abaire (“Robots,” “Rise of the Guardians”) with Mitchell Kapner (“The Whole Nine Yards,” “Romeo Must Die”) has sought out to reclaim with this update.
Reigniting the nostalgia for early era films, Raimi pays tribute by presenting the first act of “Oz” in black and white. Further treatments are taken with the changing screen formats, as the first half is shown in 4:3; the second half then expands to Cinemascope 16:9. Something you may have experienced in theaters during the 30’s through 50’s and that was considered hi-tech then. To enhance viewing pleasure even more, “Oz” 2013 is filmed in 3D. These are just a few of the highlights of “Oz,” however, it isn’t just a visual playground; there is a second half that warrants your attention. Being a fan of Raimi’s work I admire his approach in creating his worlds. “Evil Dead,” his feature film debut, created a dichotomy where horror with comedy walked hand and hand. Who knew you could laugh your butt off and still be frightened at the same time. He understood how these complete polar opposites can somehow coexist. His approach to the golden age of comic book heroes was spot on as well, when he signed onto “Spider-Man.” It boasted that glossy bright eyed wonder of the early days of comics, with a modern facelift. Fantasy is something he knows well and he injects his own style into shooting this seeming classic story. Yet with “Oz the Great,” his off kilter approach doesn’t quite hit all its marks.
The problem basically lies with the cast embodying their parts. Although “Oz” boasts an all-star cast — Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams, James Franco, Zach Braff, Rachel Weisz, and Tony Cox — unfortunately, they couldn’t quite pull these two dimensional characters from the pages of the script. Not to attack the actors for trying, it’s just that there are few issues that brought some of the performances down a notch.
I give kudos to Kunis for playing duel roles as Theodora and the wicked witch of the West. Kunis’ low key demeanor as Theodora is as it should be, however her transformation into the wicked one could have been far more brooding and sinister. I felt she played the witchy half of her character a bit too safe. She wasn’t quite dark or gritty enough to be considered frightening. A good point about Kunis’ performance, though, is she can cackle like the original wicked witch, and her make-up job was glamorous for such an eerie character.
Weisz co-stars as Evanora, a witch and the older sister of Theodora. I found she took her character to heart. She is the true definition of conniving and cunning in conjuring up her wicked schemes.
Franco as the Kansas City charlatan, Oscar “Oz” Diggs, feels slightly watered down. He outperforms himself playing the trickster, while trying to appear genuine about changing his ways as a con man. Franco is apt for playing sleazy, pot headed characters or even smart debonair types as well. Trying to combine the two personalities in his role as Diggs is a bit of a stretch this time around. But he does manage to add some charm to the great Wizard.
Along with Kunis, Michelle Williams and Zach Braff also play dual roles in the new film. Williams plays Annie and Glinda the good witch, whom feels like the same character in both roles. Annie/Glinda is good spirited; however, as Glinda her performance appears to be one note. Meanwhile, Braff plays Frank (best friends with Oscar in the real world) and as the voice of Finley, the flying monkey in the Land of Oz; I thought Braff was more enjoyable as the CGed winged monkey than as the best friend. The best friend role felt more like an extra instead of a main character.
One character I believe the audience would latch onto most of all would be the little china doll girl, voiced by Joey King, who also plays the girl in the wheel chair in the first act. There is a comical side, a sweet side and a vulnerable side to her ; all sides drawing you to her performance.
“Oz the Great and Powerful” is a multi-layered story involving Oscar’s metamorphosis from a narcissistic trickster to an honest but powerful figure. It also involves the genesis of the feud between the witches, with a back story of what transpired before Diggs landed in this fantasy land.
For what it’s worth this is a family friendly adventure. Down the line, kids of today’s generation may hold dear to this adaptation, but if they watch the original Judy Garland-starred film, they may find it more appealing. I still give it a mild recommendation, though just for those reasons I mentioned.