If you’re expecting Ruby Red Slippers, a few song and dance numbers and a bunch of winged monkeys then forget Oz The Great And Powerful. All down to copyright issues, as certain iconic imagery from The Wizard of Oz is owned by Warner Bros and not Disney. Anyway, history lesson over. But Oz fans, fear not, there’s more than enough here (at times some major homage) to keep you satisfied and the same goes for everybody else.
With a 1:33:1 (square) black and white opening, which arguably goes on for 5 minutes too long, Oz (James Franco) finds himself in the land of Oz, after deciding flying a hot air balloon during a tornado would be a good idea. It’s here that we jump to the full screen ratio of 2:35:1 and full, glorious colour. And what an impact this jump to all the colours of the rainbow has. As Franco and his balloon traverse the immense land of Oz, you can’t help but be blown away…just like Oz was. It’s not all plain sailing though, a trip down a waterfall provides a rollercoaster like ride as the 3D kicks in properly for the first time. It’s really a dizzying experience, but will have you smiling from ear to ear. A soaked Oz soon meets the first of 3 witches, he’ll encounter. Some good, some bad. Played by Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams and Mila Kunis, our 3 witches will keep you guessing which one is the bad one. And while the twist is a bit predictable, it’s still alot of fun. It seems like all our witches had a blast doing this movie. Essentially, Oz has to defeat the wicked witch and restore peace and prosperity to the land of Oz.
Visually, Oz The Great And Powerful is nothing short of jaw dropping. From the aforementioned waterfall sequence, to the many coloured flora and inhabitants, this is truly a sight to behold. The level of detail on offer is staggering. Especially in the background. There’s something always going on behind our main characters, be it a flag flapping in the breeze or characters strolling around. While these background elements take up 1/50th of the screen if not less,they could have been so easily left out and nobody would have noticed. But to his immense credit, Sam Raimi has left no yellow brick unturned here. All that said, watching the digital landscapes interact with our cast is a rather surreal experience. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, but more times than not, an homage to the original movie, which looked incredibly fake all those years ago. Either way, you’re going to have to go with it, as it seems intentional.
As well as striking visuals, we’ve a decent cast here as well, with Franco and Michelle Williams being rather impressive, although not exactly breaking a sweat. Tragically, as stunning as Mila Kunis is, everytime she opens her mouth, you’ll instantly be thinking “Shut up Meg”. But it’s our digital characters that steal the show. Firstly China Girl will have you smiling every time she’s on screen. She personifies sweet and cute with some serious attitude. And then, we have Finley, the flying monkey, voiced by Zach Braff. Finley is the real superstar here. With bundles of personality as well as providing some genuinely laugh out loud moments, you’ll wonder why he isn’t on screen for longer.
Unfortunately Oz is left down in the middle. The story grinds to a halt, gets a bit convoluted and incredibly boring. A good 20 minutes is lost to pointless scene after pointless scene. Thankfully, by the finale things get going again with a rather impressive and clever closing act.
With both 2D and 3D versions on offer, it’s safe to say the 3D version is well worth the extra few quid / bucks (delete where applicable). It’s one of the best uses of three dimensions in the last number of years. Unfortunately due to many cinemas having dire projection when it comes to 3D, many will not get to see Oz as intended. So ensure your local cinema has some top notch 3D projection.
Oz The Great And Powerful is something a bit different for Sam Raimi. Far removed from dead things and radioactive spiders it gives the director ample space to showcase his talents. But a Raimi movie wouldn’t be a Raimi movie without a few scares. And while not horrific, the flying baboons will terrify the very young kids, especially in one or two scenes that will have the adults jumping, let alone the little carpet crawlers.
Overall, Oz The Great And Powerful is left down by a long and dragged out 2nd act. It’s a shame as this could have been something brilliant. However, it’s still incredibly beautiful and magical, and definitely worth checking out!
