“I don’t want to be a good man… I want to be a great one.”said Oz (alias Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkel Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs)
Oz the Great and Powerful is a fantasy adventure film which was released in March 2013 through the Disney Digital 3D, and IMAX 3D formats, as well as in conventional theatres. Main cast includes James Franco essaying the role of the titular character, Michelle Williams, Mila Kunis and Rachel Weisz who play the role of three Witches-Glinda, Theodora and Evanora respectively . Sam Raimi who is best remembered by the original Spiderman trilogy has directed this movie along with Joe Roth as producer. Set decades before the events of the novel which we are all familiar with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the movie focuses on the womanizing con artist and stage magician Oscar Diggs. It starts in 1905 Kansas, Oscar working as a magician in the town’s circus presents his show to a doubtful audience and we’ve 20 minutes of the movie in black and white and academy ratio screen. It does almost make you wonder, why the 3D then?
But just as you start giving up,the movie starts in colour and widescreen when Oscar lands in the Land of Oz .He reaches Oz carried by heavy winds of a tornado while he was trying to escape using a hot air balloon when the Kansas circus leader finds out Oscar had been flirting with his wife.As he lands in Oz he meets a beautiful lady who calls herself Theodora the Good Witch.She believes him to be a wizard prophesied to destroy the Wicked Witch who killed the King of Oz and the two set together to a journey to Emerald City.En route, Oscar being his usual self charms Theodora and she falls in love with him. At Emerald City he meets her sister Evanora who tricks him to go to the Dark Forest to kill the Wicked Witch by destroying her magical wand.But once he meets the infamous “Wicked Witch” he’s taken aback and finds out some astonishing secrets from her.A time comes where Oscar himself takes on the responsibility of being the savior wizard of the people of Oz,but all the while saying that he cannot be trusted. So can he be trusted?
Followed with a couple of plot twists, 3D imagery and effects the movie succeeds to entertain you, but has no lasting effect once you leave the theater. Its mainly successful with kids and preteen audience.James Franco does a good job but lacks the charisma of a magician, doesn’t quite get there.Michelle Williams gives a bit of a overly sugary performance as Glinda. The best parts of the movie are the visual affects and few clever dialogues of the characters.Another thing which one might like, being an avid reader of L. Frank Baum’s novels is the fresh take on characters that’s been taken.All in all worth it’s watch if you’ve nothing better to do, but definitely wonderful for that little cousin of yours.So, next time he/she wants to spend time with you just get this movie and I’m sure even you’re going to enjoy in equal measure.:-)
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