Running Tim: 2hr 7min
2.5/5 stars
When audiences left Kansas in 1939, caught up in the howling winds of a twister, landing somewhere over the rainbow in a magical land called Oz, it was nothing if not sheer novelty. Everything that followed was permissible – from emerald cities to witches to flying monkeys. It had us at “and your little dog too.” And the experience of Oz, even generations later, was magnetic enough to draw together little congregations of children in living rooms across America to watch the annual airing of “The Wizard of Oz” on television.
So here we are, almost 75 years later, and we’re off to see the wizard again, if ever a wiz there was. This time James Franco tries to conjure his chance at greatness, taking an unexpectedly whirling sabbatical from his day job as a fraudulent circus magician. When he lands up in Oz (apparently the tornadoes of Kansas are quite a reliable form of transport) he finds himself lauded as the fulfillment of a prophesy – the wizard-king who will defeat the wicked witch and restore order and goodness to the merry land of Oz. But he soon finds himself playing the reluctant hero when it becomes obvious it’ll require more than a few parlor tricks to retake Oz from not just one, but two wicked witches, Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Theodora (Mila Kunis). Fortunately for our wandless wizard, he too has a witch – Glinda (Michelle Williams) – as well as a couple of faithful sidekicks, and a host of helpful munchkins.
Minding not to infringe upon copyright and with no intention of attempting another musical, Disney tackles the problems of a re-imagined Oz by predictably making it 3-D and CGI dominated. The end result is a fantastically recognizable landscape, full of cartoony colors and overblown effects, somewhere between the former Oz and a dozen other computer-generated worlds we’ve seen recently. Movies have become like the food we eat: pumped full of false flavor, additives and modified ingredients. Big businesses
are all the same. We’ve been fed it for so long, it goes down easily and with no lasting satisfaction. Add to the bag some continuity problems and a mixed assortment of mediocre performances, this tale finds large “potholes in the Yellow Brick Road” as Finley the winged monkey puts it.
But there is still a bit of magic to be found. Williams, whose face lends itself perfectly to almost any period or genre, is impossible to look away from. Franco’s broad, toothy grin adds just the right amount of sleaze and charm to be almost likable, despite the fact he appears frequently uncomfortable in his CGI acting shoes. Weisz can’t seem to fully commit, looking pretty but otherwise lacking the evil beauty of, say, Charlize Theron in Snow White and the Huntsman; Kunis is a fairly untalented actress and shouldn’t actually be in the film. Sam Raimi’s direction is at home in big, computerized spaces, and any feelings of cool-ness Oz the Great and Powerful impresses upon its audience is almost certainly due to some effective shot, angle or sequence. Still, we wait the whole film for the last half hour, which doesn’t disappoint. Other great moments: any which feature the fragile and heroic China Doll.
The all-important story – frequently lacking from big budget, green screen films – is still lacking, but there’s enough here to make for an entertaining experience. Don’t expect any surprises though. And don’t expect it to be like the 1939 original. Remember, this is genetically modified filmmaking, similar to the original in name only. There’s a lack of depth in both the story and in most of the key performances. Good is good and bad is bad without much subtlety. The effect is an even-keeled ride – a slightly blasé connection to most of the characters and events without particular highlight. In the beginning, Oz dreams of greatness but realizes by the end that it’s better to be good than great. Ironically, Oz the Great and Powerful suggests that by unceasing effects and digital prestidigitation, it’s best to be neither good nor great, but a spectacle.
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http://www.movieweb.com/movie/oz-the-great-and-powerful
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http://disney.go.com/thewizard/?cmp=wdsmp_ozg_url_thewizard
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1623205/combined
