Oz the Great and Powerful
Director: Sam Raimi
Cast: James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, and Zach Braff.
Rated PG for sequences of action and scary images, and brief mild language.
Only Disney would have the stones to take a beloved classic and try to capitalize on its fan base. The gamble may pay off financially, but perhaps the only return to Oz should have been an adaptation of the already widely popular musical, Wicked. I am hoping that this Oz does not keep studios from wanting to produce the musical version. If you are a fan of the musical and are expecting to see some similarities between that prequel and this one then you may find yourself disappointed. The two could not be more different.
There are some good qualities to be found in Oz. The effects and visuals are great to see on the big screen. Director Sam Raimi is known for his visual style and he does not disappoint in translating the wonder of Oz to the big screen for modern audiences. James Franco plays the titular character who is a struggling magician known more for his con artist ways than his talent. After an unsuccessful show, he flees from a dangerous situation and hops aboard a hot air balloon only to be caught up in a tornado that, of course, whisks him away to the magical land of Oz. There he meets Theodora (Mila Kunis) who claims to be a good witch. She tells him of a prophesy that a man named after the land will come to reclaim the throne to rule as a wizard only after he defeats the Wicked Witch. Theodora takes Oz to the Emerald City where he meets her sister, Evanora (Rachel Weisz). He then embarks on a quest to defeat the Wicked Witch. The trailers for this film can be confusing if you're trying to figure out which of these sisters turns out to be the green Wicked Witch of the West. If you do not wish to know beforehand then I suggest you stop reading here.
As Oz embarks on his quest accompanied by a flying monkey, Finley (voiced by Zach Braff), he meets Glinda the Good (Michelle Williams). Back in the Emerald City, Evanora and Theodora watch on the crystal ball as Oz becomes enchanted with Glinda. Theodora, believing she would be Oz's queen, becomes a woman scorned and, with some help from her sister, transforms into the Wicked Witch of the West. From there, Oz and Glinda must conceive of a plan to retake the Emerald City from the two wicked sisters.
The movie really has great potential, but only remains mediocre with hints of greatness. The story is a little dull in a lot of places. James Franco is adequate as Oz, but struggles to give the audience someone they can really root for. Michelle Williams fits the role of Glinda the Good just fine. Rachel Weisz is the strongest of the actors and does a fine job as the wicked witch, Evanora. Mila Kunis tries hard, but ultimately fails as the Wicked Witch of the West. In recent years we've had some memorable villains in fantasy adventures with some terrific actors portraying them (Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Charlize Theron as the Evil Queen, ect.); and yet all Mila Kunis can do to express her wickedness is yell. She might as well have the line, "I'M EVIL!! CAN'T YOU TELL BY MY LOUD SCREAMING AND YELLING!" It really is too bad. Here was a great opportunity to reinvent a classic villain the way Heath Ledger did with the Joker or something at least moderately close to that. It's hard to cast the blame solely on Mila Kunis. Some of the blame must also rest on the shoulders of director Sam Raimi. Is this really the performance he wanted from Mila? Were there better alternate takes that he ignored in this final cut? Hard to say.
The film does have a fun ending that sets the stage for The Wizard of Oz. I've read, however, that Disney is already planning a sequel that would still prelude the original classic. Here's hoping that the story is a bit more exciting and that Mila Kunis can dial it down in her performance as the Wicked Witch of the West. It was fun to see the visuals of Oz on the big screen, but you might be better off waiting for Redbox.
RATING: C+
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