Oz: The Great and Powerful 7/10
Director: Sam Raimi
Starring: James Franco, Michelle Williams, Rachel Weisz, Mila Kunis
Plot: a magician finds himself in an enchanted land called Oz, where he must defeat the Wicked Witch.
At last! A fantasy epic which isn’t tied to a modern, young adult novel or ruined by Kristen Stewart! Oz: The Great and Powerful, directed by the wonderful Sam Raimi (whose original Spider-Man Trilogy shall remain the best), takes on the mammoth task of plunging audiences back into Oz, without ‘Return’ or ‘made for TV’ in the title.
Oz, like Tim Burton’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’ is full of special effects. Thankfully, the use of practical sets and CGI sets rarely becomes overpowering and Oz is bursting with colour. The 3D, having been used as an expensive gimmick for too long, finally plays out here to wondrous effect. The additional dimension immerses the audience into the layered, bright yet also dark land of Oz. The transition from black-and-white to colour is executed perfectly, and the performances are mostly very good.
The three witches; Michelle Williams, Rachel Weisz and Mila Kunis, are all on top-form. Williams plays the fluffy, loving Glinda, Weisz takes on the dark yet oddly loveable Evanora, and Kunis fills the shoes of Theodora, whose fate is played out beautifully. As well as on-screen actors, the voice of Zach Braff as Finley is very amusing. With the lavish special effects and costumes, the film would be nothing without a good script, which it thankfully does. Sadly, James Franco doesn’t pull the role of Oz off particularly well; whilst reading his lines perfectly, there’s no emotional connection or draw to his character, which was rumoured to (and should have) gone to Johnny Depp.
In Conclusion: despite Franco’s lacklustre performance, Oz resurrects the fairytale/fantasy genre; after the likes of Red Riding Hood, Mirror Mirror and Snow White and the Huntsman sadly failed. With huge action set pieces, stunning performances and a new Wicked Witch of the West, Oz may be deemed a modern family classic.
Director: Sam Raimi
Starring: James Franco, Michelle Williams, Rachel Weisz, Mila Kunis
Plot: a magician finds himself in an enchanted land called Oz, where he must defeat the Wicked Witch.
At last! A fantasy epic which isn’t tied to a modern, young adult novel or ruined by Kristen Stewart! Oz: The Great and Powerful, directed by the wonderful Sam Raimi (whose original Spider-Man Trilogy shall remain the best), takes on the mammoth task of plunging audiences back into Oz, without ‘Return’ or ‘made for TV’ in the title.
Oz, like Tim Burton’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’ is full of special effects. Thankfully, the use of practical sets and CGI sets rarely becomes overpowering and Oz is bursting with colour. The 3D, having been used as an expensive gimmick for too long, finally plays out here to wondrous effect. The additional dimension immerses the audience into the layered, bright yet also dark land of Oz. The transition from black-and-white to colour is executed perfectly, and the performances are mostly very good.
The three witches; Michelle Williams, Rachel Weisz and Mila Kunis, are all on top-form. Williams plays the fluffy, loving Glinda, Weisz takes on the dark yet oddly loveable Evanora, and Kunis fills the shoes of Theodora, whose fate is played out beautifully. As well as on-screen actors, the voice of Zach Braff as Finley is very amusing. With the lavish special effects and costumes, the film would be nothing without a good script, which it thankfully does. Sadly, James Franco doesn’t pull the role of Oz off particularly well; whilst reading his lines perfectly, there’s no emotional connection or draw to his character, which was rumoured to (and should have) gone to Johnny Depp.
In Conclusion: despite Franco’s lacklustre performance, Oz resurrects the fairytale/fantasy genre; after the likes of Red Riding Hood, Mirror Mirror and Snow White and the Huntsman sadly failed. With huge action set pieces, stunning performances and a new Wicked Witch of the West, Oz may be deemed a modern family classic.
