I went off to see the wizard, specifically “Oz the Great and Powerful,” and was not left disappointed. The Disney film, directed by Sam Raimi, is based on L. Frank Baum’s novel, “OZ the Great and Powerful,” a prequel to “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.”
If you have seen the movie “The Wizard of OZ,” then you know the beginning of the film starts out in black and white and then transitions to color when Dorothy is in the land of Oz. Sam Raimi kept that same idea as you are introduced to Oscar Diggs, played by James Franco, who is a magician in a traveling circus. Oscar Diggs is nicknamed “Oz “and is portrayed as a ladies’ man and a con artist as he fools audiences at the circus into believing he is a real wizard. Franco gives an over-the-top performance by being overly dramatic at times and flashing his big smile at any given moment, but I loved it.
The actor who stole the spotlight from Franco, in my opinion, was Zach Braff, who plays a witty flying monkey named Finley. Finley makes himself Oz’s loyal servant who follows him around and helps him along the yellow brick road. Don’t forget that Oscar Diggs is a ladies’ man because he ends up meeting three witches in the land of Oz. The witches are Theodora played by Mila Kunis, Evanora played by Rachel Weisz and Glinda the Good Witch played by Michelle Williams. All of the lead female actresses did a great job with their roles, but at times I felt that Williams was channeling her previous role as Marilyn Monroe from the movie “My Week with Marilyn.”
The whole cast of “Oz” follows the same old Hollywood acting style by being overly dramatic but it worked for me because it ties in with the 1938 film “The Wizard of Oz.” The images are vivid and breathtaking in the land of Oz and it makes a great 3D film. My favorite part of the movie was being surprised by certain elements that are found in “The Wizard of Oz.” There are definitely some characters to look for while watching the movie that are seen in the old film.
“Oz the Great and Powerful” is rated PG for sequences of action and scary images and brief mild language. If 3D isn’t your thing, you can watch it in 2D. If you are a fan of James Franco, then there shouldn’t be any question in you watching it. Overall, whether you loved the classic film “The Wizard of Oz” or not, this movie is still one to see and, in my opinion, the best film of 2013 so far.
