Oz : The Great & Powerful

OZ : THE GREAT & POWERFUL



Director : Sam Raimi

Year : 2013

Genre : Fantasy

Rating : ***

I would imagine that it is widely acknowledged that 'The Wizard Of Oz' is a timeless classic and one of the greatest movies ever made. Starring the late great Judy Garland and featuring some of the most iconic music in motion picture history, 'The Wizard Of Oz' has been a firm favourite since it's release 74 years ago. Now we have a long awaited prequel directed by the brilliant Sam Raimi and while he must be praised for not treading on the toes of it's predecessor, 'Oz : The Great & Powerful' doesn't add anything to the mythology, legend or mystery to the land somewhere over the rainbow. Reuniting Raimi with James Franco and featuring a star-studded supporting cast which includes Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams, Rachel Weisz, Zach Braff and a bizarre cameo from Raimi favourite Bruce Campbell, 'Oz : The Great & Powerful' is a well acted, beautifully shot but sadly, empty venture that could have been so much more.

20 years before Dorothy Gale lands in Oz, the womanising, tricksy and selfish magician Oscar Diggs is caught in a devastating tornado is catapulted into the magical land. Upon his arrival, he is told that it has long been prophesised that a noble wizard would fall from the sky and rid Oz of it's overruling and evil witches, earning him the title of wizard and King. Blinded by the potential power and wealth, Diggs agrees to fight the wicked witches and bring peace back to Oz. On his travels he meets a flying monkey servant, a delicate china girl and a good witch who endeavours to help him with his quest.

It is amazing to think that the director of this light hearted, special effects filled visual feast is the same man who created the low budget, sleazy and exploitative 'Evil Dead' trilogy and the sorely underrated 'Drag Me To Hell'. While I am more of a fan of his horror movies, Sam Raimi has shown over the past decade that he can direct computer generated spectacles and enormously budgeted films such as the monstrously successful 'Spider-man' franchise with vigour and ease. However, while 'Oz : The Great & Powerful' is a well made and extraordinary vision, it doesn't contain any of the usual elements that constitute a Sam Raimi film such a dark sense of humour or subversive characterisations. If anything, the reason why 'Oz : The Great & Powerful' is not so 'great' is due to it's remarkable similarities to Tim Burton's 2010 re-imagining of 'Alice In Wonderland' in both aesthetics and plot. In both films, we have a protagonist who has to defeat a seemingly undefeatable villain in a mystical and magical fantasy world with the help of an assortment of computer animated companions who do their best to contribute to their success. Not only are the narratives similar, but the overall look of both 'Alice In Wonderland' and 'Oz : The Great & Powerful' are the same pastel, artful and multi-coloured landscapes that are clearly designed for the effects of the retrofitted 3D. This is a shame because while the movie looks good, I couldn't help but feel that Disney pressured Raimi to make 'Oz : The Great & Powerful' aesthetically identical to Burton's mega success.

At heart of 'The Wizard Of Oz' was a lovable and memorable character in the form of Dorothy Gale played mesmerically by Judy Garland. Unfortunately, at the heart of it's predecessor is an essentially mean-spirited, selfish and hugely dislikeable character in the form of Oscar Diggs played by James Franco. Franco is best known for his roles in Danny Boyle's heart stopping '127 Hours' and of course for his supporting role as Harry Osborn in Sam Raimi's 'Spider-man' trilogy and he is well cast as the egotistical, womanising and self centred magician. However, it is hard to warm to a movie when it's lead role is so unlikable and this makes 'Oz : The Great & Powerful' a strange and sometimes frustrating watch. For the most part of the film. I didn't like the character at all and I wished that another cyclone would come along and carry him off to a remote island where he could never upset another woman again.

For many people, 'The Wizard Of Oz' is not only one of the greatest family films ever made but it is also one of the scariest movies ever made too, mostly due to Margaret Hamilton's brilliant performance as the cackling Wicked Witch Of The West. While 'Oz : The Great & Powerful' cannot profess to have such a memorable antagonist, Rachel Weisz and Mila Kunis are well cast as the two evil witchy sisters and they clearly have fun with their roles; despite falling into typical family film witch conventions reminiscent of Charlize Theron in 'Snow White & The Huntsman'. Michelle Williams is also impressive as Glinda, the one good witch in Oz and whose eternal hope for peace and universal love is clearly a precedent to the same characters values in the original 'The Wizard Of Oz'.

The main majority of the supporting cast is made up of various computer generated creatures. Zach Braff voices Finlay, a loyal winged monkey servant who pledges a life debt to Oz when he saves him from a ferocious lion. He has some of the funniest moments in the movie and delivers a few good one liners; clearly helped by Braff's inbuilt humour. However, towering above all of the human cast and computer generated characters is a tiny, fragile china girl voiced by Joey King who is best known for her Disney Channel roles (as well as a small role as a young Talia Al Ghul in 'The Dark Knight Rises'). Orphaned during a devastating attack on her ceramic filled city, this little porcelain figure finds solace and safety in the arms of Oscar Digss and the way in which she is animated and voiced is instantly touching and heart - melting. To me. she is the best character in the entire film and the creature itself is one of the most intricate and realistic in recent animation history.

Being a former magician. Raimi completely understands the world of illusion and intrigue and it is clear that his history in magic helped with the characterisation of Oscar Diggs. While many of the effects in 'Oz : The Great & Powerful' are CGI, the main conjuring's are practical and to me, these are a lot more impressive than the admittedly brilliant, but 'seen it already' graphics. In fact, the entire first act of the film (filmed in black and white as an homage to the 1939 original) which shows Diggs as a showman, visionary and trickster is actually my favourite part of the entire film. It is when the setting changes from Kansas to Oz that the film becomes much more conventional and generic.

With a few references to 'The Wizard Of Oz' as well as good acting, well done special effects and a satisfying climax, 'Oz : The Great & Powerful' is a beautiful looking vision that should enthrall children and entertain fans of the original 1939 movie. It is just a shame that Raimi was constrained by the limits of its source because there are moments in the film which feel repetitive and sluggish. At 130 minutes, 'Oz : The Great & Powerful' is nearly half an hour longer than it's predecessor and to me, 'The Wizard Of Oz' explored more in it's running time than it's prequel did. It is a no-brainer to say that 'The Wizard Of Oz' is better, but try to do the impossible and put the original out of your mind. Then you can enjoy the visual splendour that is 'Oz : The Great & Powerful'.