Review of Oz the Great and Powerful (2013) by Stevenf — 06 Sep 2013

A triumphant prologue opens up a film that tosses and turns in its confidence and ambition, ultimately falling short of the magical and memorable moments that made the original Oz film such a classic. What the film is missing is the definition of fantasy and reality, the original often toyed with the audience about whether Dorothy ever went to the Emerald City, but this film sets out with many callbacks and mentions to the original, but doesn't add up to a significant or plausible adventure. This is a prequel, a "how it all began" approach, but James Franco shows a different side to the man we may remember, he womanises, frauds and cheats anyone he meets, until he here whisked away in a hurricane (sound familiar?) and ends up in the mystical land that shares his magician name, Oz. While stunning and epic on beauty, it feels empty and a chance to show how far special effects can push the spectrum, the familiar yellow brick road is there, but it was much more fulfilling seeing Dorothy, Scarecrow and friends bouncing along and singing their way to the great city, but in this, Oz arrive in moments after meeting a beautiful witch Theodora (Mila Kunis), who sees no wrong in her new companion, and then he is gone again, off to defeat the wicked witch.

The film takes an interesting but under-explained twist, one which has very little build-up in terms of deep character development, it all happens very fast, leaving little time to revel in some of the finer moments of the film, the set pieces are big, but the plot inconsistencies put a darker light on moments that could have been appreciated more. These scenes pick up well after a slow start in the land of Oz, but tonal shifts and confusing assumptions still cloud the goal that was trying to be reached by the ambitious director Sam Raimi. I'm still on the fence about the casting of James Franco as the "great and powerful" Oz, he brings an interesting charm to the role, but seems to miss the opportunity at a charismatic and controlling individual, something the heavily rumoured Robert Downey Jr. would undeniably have brought. Mila Kunis is certainly the standout of the film, she plays a conflicted and passionate character in Theodora, proving her worth when it matters most. Her sister in the film is played by the talented Rachel Weiz, who is a charming yet equally cunning witch who never sits easy as the film unfolds.

This isn't the return to Oz that I'm sure we all hoped for, while there are very impressive visuals and some sturdy performances, one can't help but revisit the old ways to sing a long with Dorothy and her pals, rather than a heavy CGI flick with only passing moments of marvel.