Oz The great and powerful directed by Sam Raimi is a fantasy film that fails to impress because of its predictably typical content. In an attempt to reinvent the classic Wizard of Oz, makers have just made a film that follows almost all the usual formulas we see in films where the underdog becomes a hero.
The plot here revolves around a Carnival magician Oscar Diggs aka Oz who is actually struggling in life. Once during a failed show Oscar gets into trouble when the hot air balloon he used to escape caught sucked into a cyclone. After the deadly incident Oscar finds himself in a land called Oz who was actually waiting for a wizard to help them from the evil acts of a wicked witch. After seeing the gold treasure of Oz, Oscar who is not actually a wizard agrees to help them in the battle. The problems he faces, how he manages to tackle them with his smart ideas is what basically the film about.
Well, the content does not have anything fresh to impress the audience. The colorful animated portions may please you visually, but the narrative or the story is easily predictable. The ideas of Oscar with references to Edison create some moments of excitement, but the execution wasn’t that impressive. The idea was to make things possible to Oscar, which he couldn’t achieve in real life. But sadly, the writing fails to crack it smartly.
James Franco fails to create the required charm and energy in Oscar and that causes some trouble for the movie as the second half is largely dependent on his aggressive side. Michelle Williams was good as Glinda. Mila Kunis and Rachel Weisz also did a good job as the wicked sisters.
Direction is satisfactory. Screenplay is predictable and gentle. Cool dialogs were cool, but the motivational ones weren’t that cool. Cinematography is good and the VFX part also impresses. The Monkey and the China girl were sweet and cute. 3D offers some exciting moments for us to cheer.
Overall, it’s a colorfully treated typical comic fantasy that lacks freshness but has coolness. I am giving 2.5/5 for Oz The great and powerful. Just watch and forget.
Green: Recommended Content
Orange: The In-Between Ones
Red: Not Recommended
