Official Synopsis
When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot. Fame and fortune are his for the taking. That is until he meets three witches: Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity and even a bit of wizardry, Oscar transforms himself not only into a great wizard but into a better man as well.
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Oz the Great and Powerful is a good film, but not a great one.
The story suffers from enormous pacing issues and tries not to stray too far away from what would be the next story of Dorothy and her adventures. For example, the movie started out just fine, as we get to see Oz (James Franco) in his bamboozling environment in a traveling circus. His quest to become great has been boxed up due to his environment and the country’s economic slump. Needing a change, he finds himself escaping some self-made problems and getting whisked away into a tornado. Surviving the tornado and upon arriving in Oz, he meets Theodora (Mila Kunis), who instantly falls head over heels for him, especially when she believes he is the savior they had been hoping for. This particular part of the film tends to drag a bit, especially when trying to convince the audience that there is something established between the two characters. The story begins to shift downhill when Oz meets Evanora, who pretty much holds the belief that Oz isn’t who he says he is. The story almost seems lost without much chance of recovery.
Then it shifts.
Glinda comes into the picture and the story starts to find its traction, as Oz begins his actual adventure in the film. This is about 45-minutes into the movie, which is a long time considering the setup wasn’t all that complicated. Once the adventure begins then the movie feels like it has some substance to it, other than just being known for ‘prequel for the Wizard of Oz’. Franco’s Oz starts to find his purpose, as he helps out Oz’s residents when they are in need. The prime example of this moment is when he helps out China Girl after her village has been viciously attacked by flying monkeys. This is definitely one of the more touching and emotional moments in the film that provides a good leaping off point for Franco’s character to grow and eventually bloom into someone of valor.
I don’t want to ruin the rest of the adventure, so I’ll stop there. I can guarantee that you’ll enjoy the rest of the film, especially the perfect bridge at the end pointing towards The Wizard of Oz. Just stick with it, though, as the slow, messy start will emerge into something of substance.
Story aside, there’s something about James Franco that doesn’t immediately scream wizard. Don’t get me wrong, much like the story, he picks it up towards the end and becomes a strong character, but from the beginning of the film towards the middle he seems to be somewhat bored — at least it feels that way watching him in action. He does pick it up as the story picks up, but he drags a bit at the beginning. As for the antagonists, the three witches did a fantastic job, so no complaints in the Kunis, Weisz and Williams category. One person, who doesn’t get enough credit for his efforts, is Zach Braff as Franco’s companion in Kansas and Oz (as the monkey). Braff really consumed the characters he played and you could tell he enjoyed his time onscreen. Kudos to him for his good work.
At the end of the day, Oz the Great and Powerful is a good film, but not a great one. It stutters at the beginning trying to find its legs, but by the middle of act two, it starts sprinting like a kid running excitedly to a pool in the middle of a hot summer.
As for the blu-ray portion of the film, it’s pretty darn solid. The film is gorgeous to begin with, as you get all sorts of colors from the spectrum. The HD upgrade makes all of the yellows, greens, blues and even reds stand out without much or any compression or color banding issues. It’s definitely one of the more prettier blu-rays out on the market, and the CG stuff doesn’t make it look ugly at all. It does have a classic tone to it, maybe somewhat technicolor-ish. Anyway, the blu-ray is solid and probably the strongest part of the package (outside of the special features).
The audio comes to you in 7.1 DTS-HD (oooo! Fancy!) and the film has an aspect ratio of 2.40:1.
Finally, as for features, here’s what you’re getting:
– The Magic of “Oz The Great and Powerful” (Second Screen Experience)This App provides exclusive access to invigorating and exclusive content including:
• The Enchanting Characters and Creatures of Oz
• The Sounds of Magical Oz
• Sleight of Hand
• Mariah Carey Music Video
– Bloopers
– My Journey in Oz by James Franco
– Mr. Elfman’s Musical Concoctions
– China Girl and the Suspension of Disbelief
– Before Your Very Eyes
– Mila’s Metamorphosis
– Walt Disney and the Road to Oz
This movie comes with some great features. James Franco’s featurette is very well done and informative, though it’s very informal (which is a great thing). I particularly found the ‘Walt Disney and the Road to Oz’ to be quite interesting, as I had no idea that Walt Disney wanted the rights to the Oz books prior to the Wizard of Oz. That was neat to learn about, especially after his initial failure with the books when he eventually acquired them. The Elfman featurette is also quite good. Danny Elfman’s music was solid to begin with. As for the rest, there’s enough here to extend the life of the film and add more beef to the viewing meal. Very solid stuff for special features.
