Oz, The Great and Powerful, is an origin movie if there ever was one.
Die-hard fans of the Wizard of Oz and newbies alike can enjoy the sequel to L. Frank Baum’s classic story. Iconic elements of the original tale make their appearances: the treacherous poppy seed fields that play a crucial part in the final scenes of the movie, the yellow brick road before years of wear and tear and the Emerald City before the reign of the Wizard.
Audiences are first introduced to Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkel Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs, more commonly known as Oz, as an aspiring illusionist at a county fair.
True to the spirit of the original film, scenes of Oz that take place in Kansas are shot in black and white. Only when he travels to the land of Oz through a tornado does the vibrant Technicolor kick in.
Oz is fed up with the type of life that the men of Kansas who have gone before him have lived, opting instead for the pursuit of greatness. The life of a good man is too boring, and Oz would rather be great. Throughout the movie, he goes on a personal journey of discovering the true meaning of great and good.
James Franco delivers the charm and charisma necessary to pull off the character of a conflicted con man. He is convincing as an unscrupulous seducer of women.
Upon arriving in Oz, he is confronted with the task of saving the land from the control of the Wicked Witch. His initial interests are mercenary, as ruling Oz comes with a large salary.
Franco adeptly unravels the onion that is Oz the character, who is torn between personal interests and an innate desire to work for the public good that is unbeknownst to him. He is a believable character because of his moral faults.
Another important character to the development of the plot is Theodora, played by Mila Kunis. Despite having assembled an impressive career history, her acting falls short.
Theodora experiences a mélange of emotions as a naïve young witch who has turned into a slighted woman looking for revenge. The wickedness that bubbles beneath the surface of her beautiful exterior could have been explored with more complexity and emotion.
Instead, the audience is just told that Theodora is hurt and expected to look into Kunis’s large eyes and believe it.
Kunis carries the unique acting characteristics that defined Jackie Burkhart on her breakout role in That 70’s Show. However, these mannerisms do not translate well in the magical land of Oz.
Michelle Williams gives a satisfactory performance with the constrained character of Glinda the Good Witch. There is nothing particularly interesting about the character of Glinda in this movie. She is purely good, wise and beautiful. The script does not give her character room to develop, and Williams carries out the role to the best of her abilities with limited material.
Visually, the movie is an accomplishment.
Director Sam Raimi makes full use of the 3D technology at his disposal. Oz comes alive like never before in the midst of man-sized flowers blooming, riveting river rides and in the gleaming turrets of the Emerald City. Audiences feel as if they are being transported back to the enchanted land that they had envisioned in their childhood. There is never a visually dull moment in the movie.
Wizard of Oz aficionados will enjoy the exploration of the original characters’ backgrounds, and they will be swept away by the digitally upgraded representation of Oz. The movie is also completely accessible to anyone who has never seen the original movie or picked up the book.
Although this movie cannot claim to be the superlative film to see of the season, it is still definitely an enjoyable experience.
