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Tuesday, April 23, 2024
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HOLLYWOOD OZ - THE GREAT AND POWERFUL
EDITOR'S PICK
`Oz
- The Great and Powerful` an enchanting fairytale (IANS Movie Review)
Rating:
** 1/2
"Oz - The Great and Powerful" is a fantasy film about a hero`s journey
that deals with conflict between good and evil prevalent in the land of OZ and
his personal struggle with greed and morality.
The film is laced with messages for its impressionable target audience. One of
the lessons revealed early in the film is three ups in life,- show up, keep up
and shut up. And the other, "when we believe, anything is possible".
With these as the success mantra, the wizard proves that he is great and
powerful.
The film initially begins in a black and white exposition giving it a feel of a
period drama. Set in 1905 on the outskirts of Kansas, the story focuses on Oscar
(James Franco), a magician. He is a charming Casanova who hypnotizes his
audience as well as every pretty girl he meets. Unfortunately, luck is not on
his side. In his hope to escape from the clutches of an overtly jealous and
angry boyfriend of one of the girls he charms, Oscar hops onto a hot air balloon
and is whisked away by a swirling tornado to the vibrant-coloured land of OZ.
From then on, the film takes a mystical twist. The Land of Oz is an enchanting
fairyland with giant blooming flowers, river fairies, flying baboons, porcelain
dolls, dwarfs and witches that reside in Emerald City. Here Oscar meets the
three beautiful and powerful witches - Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel
Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams) who vie for his attention.
Their motives are initially masked in mystery.
Ridden with problems of their own, the people of OZ are waiting for a saviour to
rescue them. And they believe that Oscar is their knight in shining armour.
Franco as the shady magician with pointed shoes, vest and top hat slips into the
role of the sly wizard with slick, and sleazy charm.
Of the three witches, Kunis` Theodora lacks a bit in histrionic stature, but she
does create her mark when her corrosive tears burn rivulet scars on her cheeks.
Weisz`s Evanora portrays accurately the right notes of cold ambition, while
Michelle Williams as Glinda glows with convincing goodness.
Cinematically the film radiates with excellent workmanship and eagerness. The
developments flow spontaneously, from the china doll (beautifully voiced by Joey
King) and Finlay the flying monkey (voiced by Zach Braff) who pledges his
eternal servitude to Oz, to the otherworldly landscapes including the flora and
fauna.
The script comes off as ordinary, full of flat, repetitive dialogues about who
is good, who is wicked and also whether Oscar is a real wizard or an
opportunistic scoundrel or perhaps both.
Apart from this, director Sam Raimi`s unstrained passion to put together this
thin, simplistic story with abundant care and precision is amply clear.
Editing by Bob Murawski is flawless. He links the film with the 3D-lensed
imagery to produce a fluid, unaffectedly multidimensional experience.
Gary Jones and Michael Kutsche`s painstakingly detailed costumes and Robert
Stromberg`s multihued sets take on an almost radiant glow in Peter Deming`s wide
screen cinematography.
"Oz - The Great and Powerful" is a mesmerizing visual treat to a
generation that has not seen "Wizard of Oz".
