Based on the ‘Oz’
novel series by L. Frank Baum, the
long awaited ‘Oz The Great and Powerful’
hit the big screen on 8th March. Its set 20 years before the Judy Garland driven escapades we all
know and love from the MGM film ‘The Wizard of Oz’ (1939). This fanatical
adventure flick plays host to the likes of James
Franco (Oz/Oscar Diggs), Mila Kunis (Theodora) and ‘Scrubs’ own Zach Braff (Frank/Finley) and is essentially a prequel to the 1939
movie.
Taking
place way back in 1905, it tells the story of small-time circus magician Oscar
Diggs being transported from the bleak, dusty streets of Kansas to the magical
Land of Oz. He is prophesised to save the vibrant realm from the clutches of
the wicked witch, Evanora (Rachel Weisz),
but he’s not quite the wizard Oz’s inhabitants all been expecting. Sisters Evanora and Theodora send him
on a hazardous quest to save the land and earn fame and fortune and he struts
straight into the elegant arms of good witch Glinda (Michelle Williams). So our boisterous anti-hero, making use of his
limited magical skill, must discover the truth behind who is good and who is
evil before it’s too late, and (of course) become a better person in tandem.
Produced
by fantasy fanatic Joe Roth (‘Snow White and the Huntsman’ and ‘Alice in Wonderland’, ‘The Great and Powerful Oz’ is bursting with
Instagram worthy colour editing to form a retro wonderland. Beginning with a
mesmerising black and white prologue, which can’t help but echo Victor Fleming’s 1939 opening, the use
blend of monochrome and dazzling digital filters brings all the eerie elegance,
wizardry and detailed illusion you’d expect from a Disney fantasy. The attention to detail is impeccable and in
particular, brings classic Disney
villain Evanora to life in all her gleaming green glory and the all-powerful
yet passive Glinda.
The film’s
$150 million budget has not gone to waste as so far, it’s raked in revenue of
around $480 million, but it still manages to possess a kind of quaint charm.
Co-writers David Lindsay-Abaire and Mitchell Kapner have produced an ingenious,
engaging and emotive screenplay that exhibits the award-worthy flair of the
bewitching Mila Kunis specifically.
If there was ever a role that demonstrates your diversity as an actor it’s
Theodora, as she wavers seamlessly from romance and youthful delight when she
first encounters Oz, to heartbreak and ultimately obnoxious wickedness at the
hands of her sister.
Danny Elfman’s soundtrack provides
throws film-goers into the dizzying highs and lows of emotion and make-believe.
Having already brought films such as ‘Men
in Black’, Spiderman’ and ‘Batman’, it’s
no surprise Elfman was hired to breathe
life into the Emerald City. Having said that, the production design of ‘Oz the Great and Powerful’ is
impeccable and enchanting and will please long-term Oz lovers and new fans
alike. Visually, it’s on par with the world’s biggest blockbusters and really
presents a flamboyant feast for the eyes with glistening waterfalls,
picturesque mountains and vast forests, as well as an epic blend of kitsch
textures. Even the title’s illustrate a monochrome puppet show style sequence
that’s worthy of any Burton movie.
The make-up and costumes are also nothing
short of stunning with dazzling shades so enthralling you’ll feel like you’ve
been thrown into Oz too! Ruby reds, (funnily enough) emerald greens and
gleaming sparkle make the world of conniving sorcery, conventional heroes and
self-discovery complete. Director Sam
Raimi has formed an overriding theme of looking for the magic in our
everyday lives and provides audiences with a perfect, engaging merge of CGI and
old-school Hollywood worthy sets.
‘Oz the Great and Powerful’
is a lovingly-detailed, nostalgic film with illusions and mystery round every
corner and in every detail of production. The Land of Oz is such a cherished
childhood memory for so many and Raimi’s really
done it justice, made use of the incredible special effects of modern film
technology and upheld the fundamental difference between good and evil.
4/5
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