Oz the Great and Powerful

Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)
Directed by: Sam Raimi
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 60%

Tonight, I saw Oz the Great and Powerful. I am going to preface everything I am about to write with a few things. Thing the first: I consider myself more of a Dark Side of the Rainbow fan as opposed to a Wizard of Oz fan. Sure, I have seen the film (numerous times) and know the story inside and out ,but I don't seek it out on a rainy Saturday because it's one of my favorites (It's A Wonderful Life falls into the same category). Thing the second: I have never seen (nor do I really care to see) Wicked. I am not a big musical person and Wicked just doesn't appeal to me. Sure, I can see why some flock to it. The original Broadway cast features two of the most amazing voices in the world (Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel) but I stick with a few classics and I move on (I'm a sucker for RENT). Thing the last: I enjoy me some Sam Raimi. The Evil Dead series, the first two Spider-Man movies (he made a third??), and his collaborations with the Coen Brothers are all examples of why he has a flourishing career. With all that being said, let us move into why I feel that this one is simply too good to pass up.

Oz the Great and Powerful refers to Oscar Diggs; played by the always great James Franco.

Oz is making a living as a circus "magician" performing amazing feats for those that give him their hard earned money, which isn't much (this is Kansas in the early 1900's after all). He takes everybody he knows for granted. He treats his assistant (played by Zach Braff) like a servant and he has a knack for womanizing. When Oz is finally confronted by an ornery circus performer he takes to the sky in his hot air balloon. He is swept up in a tornado and is taken to the land of Oz. He is discovered by Theodora,

and she takes him to the Emerald City where he meets Evanora,

who tells him that he must kill the Wicked Witch...

I love this cast. The film is a lot of fun and is most definitely worth seeing. It is also incredibly well filmed.

If you're not familiar with Sam Raimi's work then shame on you. This video explains one of his most well know trademarks: The Danger Follow Shot (I just made that name up but you'll see what I mean).

The above video goes into detail why this technique is so beneficial to a director like Raimi. He started in horror films. Evil Dead was made on a budget of...(I actually think they had a negative budget) BUT it went down as one of the best horror films of all time because of the atmosphere. What this following shot portrays is an otherworldly danger. Watch this clip

and this clip

and this clip

to see examples of Raimi's technique (that last one is actually a Coen Brothers film but it utilizes Raimi's techniques because they borrowed from him). Oz is such a vibrant and fantastical setting that it feels different from anything Raimi has ever done (Spider-Man included) but there are Raimi marks. For instance, when Oz is being swept away in his hot air balloon, wooden fence pickets are hurled at him by the storm. The camera follows the pickets as they pierce through the balloon basket and narrowly miss impaling him. His deft directing hand really makes the world of Oz come to life and his casting director chose some fantastic people to fill the roles of the film.

One of the most unique parts of the film is touched on in the trailer. Oz the Great and Powerful starts off as a black and white film utilizing a rather small screen aspect ratio. The world feels like a stage and the actors are putting on a show for the audience. The background looks like a cloth draped down behind the set pieces. When Oz jumps into his balloon to escape, the world still feels like there is a finite area; there is a ceiling. It isn't until Oz is transported to Oz that the environment changes; it opens up. The screen grows and the color floods back with vengeance. Raimi populates his world with vibrant and energetic characters and colors. This, juxtaposed with the opening scenes, creates an incredible contrast. It seems as if the colors are brighter than they should be because we associate Oz with a drab, dreary setting. The difference is amazing. I really enjoyed Oz the Great and Powerful.

No BS

Oz the Great and Powerful tells the story of Oz before Dorothy arrived. It is wonderfully directed by Sam Raimi and the cast does a great job of bringing the world of Oz to life. The flying monkeys (which terrified me as a child) are even scarier in this version as well as the witches guards. I think that this film can be enjoyed by anybody and should be seen as the true canon in the Oz mythology (not Wicked). I saw it in 2D but I would recommend 3D if possible because Raimi really filmed it to be enjoyed that way.

My Score: 7.5/10