Stars: James Franco, Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams, Rachel Weisz
What I Liked
Clever, witty, respects source material, grounded on the wizard's humanity than the witches' or The Land of Oz's magic
What I Disliked
CGI wasn't completely to my liking
Gist
Imaginative, entertaining, respectful of its source, and grounded on humanity, Oz: The Great and Powerful's magic is derived from the flawed humanity core of its story and a strong supporting cast that's half-human and half-CGI. It's a movie about sticking to your own faults and making the most out of them, something the movie did well as an example.
Oscar Diggs is a traveling magician, performing in two-bit towns to a half-filled tent audience. But he's also a con man, and a loveless / friendless philanderer who thinks that his ways will lead him to greatness. But one day, after his performance in Kansas, a strongman running amok sends him flying on a hot air balloon that got caught up in a tornado. Where he lands, however, is not a place known to men--a place ruled by witches, filled with magic and flying monkeys.
When the movie first came out, critics have criticized the casting of James Franco and Mila Kunis, with Franco's performance being particularly described as wooden and forced. Then there was also the frequent complaint that the movie doesn't have any sort of magic that the 1939 predecessor that it prequels to. All those said, my expectations for this movie has been tapered. I was really gonna be seeing it just for Michelle Williams. I was ready to pass on the movie. But that wouldn't be fair and I gave it a watch anyway. So was my surprise.
First, I would like to address the thing with Franco. I am not a big fan of him. In fact, I find his voice, as well as his little brother's, annoying. And to be honest, I haven't really seen much of his movie. I mean other than Spiderman and Rise of the Planet of the Apes (which I didn't enjoy much, and I actively avoided 127 Hours because I don't like the whole premise), I haven't seen much of Franco in the movies. I am also aware that a great deal of critics hate him deeply and actually take good care to nourish that hate (of him and his arrogance). Anyways, those said, I think most of the hate affected their enjoyment because to be honest, I think Franco did well. Sure, he's no Robert Downey Jr., who was Disney's primary choice (and oh what magic would that make) but that would be boring already. Downey would take the role and do it so effortlessly that already I am no longer interested seeing it. Don't get me wrong, I love him, but it seems like the role of Oz would not challenge him, or would simply present itself as another iteration of him or of Tony Stark or of Sherlock Holmes. It will be so predictable how he would tackle it.
Going back to Franco, I think he is Oz. I mean the way Oscar Diggs was written was practically based on his personality. Oz can be a bit of an arrogant, self-serving asshole. And yes, with what I've read about Franco, that's him. But he's also got a heart and goodness, something he's not very good at displaying. Again, James Franco. Oz was a guy in need of redemption and maybe so does Franco. Those said, I actually enjoyed his performance. Sure, his smile is reminiscent of the Cheshire Cat's and is often more menacing than sincere, but he has so many redeeming scenes in the movie where he brought forward the humanity out of the big CGI fog.
And speaking of CGI, I don't really understand why Disney had to make it such an Alice in Wonderland Party. While it's pared down and more simplistic than the mess of Wonderland, it's still a bit cartoonish, something that's aspiring to be Avatar but only manages to be Smurf. Though plus points to the CGI team that made Finley and the Little China Girl. Those two scene-stealers provide much of the movie's heart and are the conscience-steerers for Oz.
Of the three witches, Kunis was the looniest. I'm fine with her performance, to be honest. It wasn't career-defining, but it wasn't movie-breaking either. In fact, I don't find any fault in her performance. She was angry mist of the times anyway, and probably that was for the better. Weisz was good, but not completely detestable. She's so svelte and composed and rarely dips into her villainy. But when she does, you still couldn't hate her enough. Best performance of the three, and of the movie, however, belongs to Michelle Williams, whose royally blonde portrayal of Glinda managed to combine desperation, feist, hopefulness, and elegance in equal measures. Her Glinda matches the atmosphere of Oz under the Wicked Witch's control: Desperate yet hopefully jovial and put together. It's a close tie between her and the China Doll, though.
But what I like most about the movie is how clear it puts its morals: sticking to your own nature and finding redemption in it. Oz was a con man who wants to be a great person. He know his nature and for a reason, he thinks that there's no redeeming him. But the things he has gone through in Oz makes him realize how he could turn the tides and find the good in his ways. Disney managed to do this in a clever way. The dialog was written well, particularly the exchanges between Williams and Franco at Kansas then near the end at Oz. It is at the end too that Franco's Oz shows his heart and matures into wisdom.
The overall tone of Oz is imaginative, entertaining, respectful of its source, and grounded on humanity. Its not as loony or magical as, say, its studio kin Alice in Wonderland. Its magic is derived from the flawed humanity core of its story bolstered by the strong supporting characters adding more volumes into the story. It's a movie about sticking to your own faults and making the most out of them, something the movie did well as an example.
First, I would like to address the thing with Franco. I am not a big fan of him. In fact, I find his voice, as well as his little brother's, annoying. And to be honest, I haven't really seen much of his movie. I mean other than Spiderman and Rise of the Planet of the Apes (which I didn't enjoy much, and I actively avoided 127 Hours because I don't like the whole premise), I haven't seen much of Franco in the movies. I am also aware that a great deal of critics hate him deeply and actually take good care to nourish that hate (of him and his arrogance). Anyways, those said, I think most of the hate affected their enjoyment because to be honest, I think Franco did well. Sure, he's no Robert Downey Jr., who was Disney's primary choice (and oh what magic would that make) but that would be boring already. Downey would take the role and do it so effortlessly that already I am no longer interested seeing it. Don't get me wrong, I love him, but it seems like the role of Oz would not challenge him, or would simply present itself as another iteration of him or of Tony Stark or of Sherlock Holmes. It will be so predictable how he would tackle it.
Going back to Franco, I think he is Oz. I mean the way Oscar Diggs was written was practically based on his personality. Oz can be a bit of an arrogant, self-serving asshole. And yes, with what I've read about Franco, that's him. But he's also got a heart and goodness, something he's not very good at displaying. Again, James Franco. Oz was a guy in need of redemption and maybe so does Franco. Those said, I actually enjoyed his performance. Sure, his smile is reminiscent of the Cheshire Cat's and is often more menacing than sincere, but he has so many redeeming scenes in the movie where he brought forward the humanity out of the big CGI fog.
And speaking of CGI, I don't really understand why Disney had to make it such an Alice in Wonderland Party. While it's pared down and more simplistic than the mess of Wonderland, it's still a bit cartoonish, something that's aspiring to be Avatar but only manages to be Smurf. Though plus points to the CGI team that made Finley and the Little China Girl. Those two scene-stealers provide much of the movie's heart and are the conscience-steerers for Oz.
Of the three witches, Kunis was the looniest. I'm fine with her performance, to be honest. It wasn't career-defining, but it wasn't movie-breaking either. In fact, I don't find any fault in her performance. She was angry mist of the times anyway, and probably that was for the better. Weisz was good, but not completely detestable. She's so svelte and composed and rarely dips into her villainy. But when she does, you still couldn't hate her enough. Best performance of the three, and of the movie, however, belongs to Michelle Williams, whose royally blonde portrayal of Glinda managed to combine desperation, feist, hopefulness, and elegance in equal measures. Her Glinda matches the atmosphere of Oz under the Wicked Witch's control: Desperate yet hopefully jovial and put together. It's a close tie between her and the China Doll, though.
But what I like most about the movie is how clear it puts its morals: sticking to your own nature and finding redemption in it. Oz was a con man who wants to be a great person. He know his nature and for a reason, he thinks that there's no redeeming him. But the things he has gone through in Oz makes him realize how he could turn the tides and find the good in his ways. Disney managed to do this in a clever way. The dialog was written well, particularly the exchanges between Williams and Franco at Kansas then near the end at Oz. It is at the end too that Franco's Oz shows his heart and matures into wisdom.
The overall tone of Oz is imaginative, entertaining, respectful of its source, and grounded on humanity. Its not as loony or magical as, say, its studio kin Alice in Wonderland. Its magic is derived from the flawed humanity core of its story bolstered by the strong supporting characters adding more volumes into the story. It's a movie about sticking to your own faults and making the most out of them, something the movie did well as an example.
Judgment: 4.3 out of 5 stars
For this movie, I'm willing to pay, 200 to 250 pesos. Paid 300 for 3D. Not sure the 3D matters.
I think that the problem most people might have with the movie is that there aren't as much references to the original Wizard of Oz movie as one might expect. Legally, they can’t, but they still throw some stuff in there every once and awhile and that was worth a fun watch. Good review.
ReplyDeleteHey, Dan! Thank you for your comments as always. I also had fun watching this movie. I honestly am vexed at the amount of comparison between this and the 1939 movie that critics are panning this movie with. I honestly feel that this is a separate body of work that might not even be aspiring to be connected to the 1939 classic.
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