Finally, a movie that was released this year! I don't have a ton of throw-away cash, so seeing movies in the theater is very rare for me. *cue tears of pure anguish* But I make it occasionally. If you would like to hear more about current box office films, please feel free to send me a check and I will gladly see whatever it is you would like me to talk about. Ok, on to the fun...
Oz: The Great and Powerful
Starring James Franco, Milan Kunis, and Rachel Weisz
Overview - FYI, this is a prequel to "The Wizard of Oz" (Only telling you because my wife didn't know). Mr. Oz is a sideshow magician. He puts on a "...show that will amaze!" One day he jumps into a hot air balloon and is sucked into a twister. Little does he know that not only will he make it out alive, but he will be transported to the wonderful world of Oz. A beautiful land with a few secrets of its own. Now, if the young magician wants to stay and enjoy the riches of the land, he must face a feirce and mortal enemy. The wicked witch!
Review - In "The Wizard of Oz" we watched as young Dorothy Gail followed the yellow brick road with her unlikely friends the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion. When they reached The Emerald City, the sought out The Great and Powerful Oz, to ask him to send her home. This movie is set up to establish the origin story for The Great and Powerful Oz. We follow a sideshow magician as he hustles his way through life. Feeling like he's got the world in his hands, he starts to get cocky. One day a twister rips through the traveling circus he is performing in. He takes off in a hot-air balloon and gets sucked into the twister. Paying for mercy, and a second chance, he finds himself hitting smooth air. When he opens his eyes he sees miles of brilliant green grass, and gorgeous blue seas. "Is this Heaven?" He wonders. No sir. If it were heaven you would have landed in the Hershey Chocolate Factory that neighbors the worlds greatest steakhouse, and a top-tier brewery. In "The Wizard of Oz" the film makers used a 4:3 aspect ratio in black and white to give the feel of being in backwoods Kansas and then added color when Dorothy arrived in Oz, for dramatic effect. Sam Rami (the director) decided to pay homage to the film by doing the same thing in this movie. Set in 1905, Rami used the 4:3 (a.k.a. Box-Style) ratio in black and white, to give you that good ole-timey feel. When he reaches Oz, the camera slowly blends to the HD 16:9 (widescreen) format. Think back to when you were a child (actually for most of you, it would have been when your parents were children), and your breath was taken when Dorothy Gail first entered Oz, and those brilliant colors hit your eyeballs with the full force of late 1930s technology. This film is no different. When our unwitting hero first enters Oz, the camera blends to widescreen and the HD colors really draw you into the movie. I love where our technology has taken us. In 1939, viewers were astonished by color. If only they knew how brilliant that color would become.
Now, on to the infomous character of The Wicked Witch. How did she come into being? Why is she so heartless? Why does she hate Glenda, the good witch, so much? Why does she look like an overgrown Granny Smith apple? I remember being a kid and wondering about all of these things, and more. All of the answers will be revealed to you, fear not. As the story progresses we see exactly what leads to the undying hatred for Glenda, and The Great Wizard. Basically anyone with a heart or breath in their lungs. There are a plethora of references to the earlier film, so if you haven't seen the original, you will lose a lot of the nostalgia. I was really hoping that they would do a good job setting up the original "Wizard of Oz" and they didn't disappoint. The cinematography was very impressive. I think Sam Rami (the dorector) took a lot of cues from Tim Burton ("Alice in Wmderland" 2010) due to the environment communicated through the camera, but blended it with the classic style of the original movie. I was very much pleased in my creative brain unit.
James Franco, Mila Kunis, and Rachel Weisz. An interesting cast, to say the least. So lets tackle them 1 at a time. Rachel Wiesz doesn't need an explanation. She can do anything, and play just about any role. I have no quibbles about her. Mila Kunis, on the other hand, is a mystery to me. She's gorgeous, no doubt, and I know many people who think that it's the only reason she gets work. I disagree. I think she actually does a good job portraying her characters. In this one she plays Theodora, a witch from the Emerald City. Her character has a few twists and turns, and I personally think she did a great job pulling it off. I would have liked to see a bit more inner struggle in this move, from her, but it doesn't make me dislike her. Now......James Franco. If you ever need a guy to play a Frat Boy, a stoner, or a whiney rich kid, he's your man, I don't understand what people see in him. Some say that he earned his stripes with "127 Hours". I'm not convinced. He makes me think of a guy who's father was an actor, and people just went with it despite his inability to truly act. The other good example would be Drew Barrymore, but she's not in this movie, thank God! The director needed someone who could be an abnoxious carnival act. He got that in spades with Franco. Mostly because I think that's just how he is in real life. His giant dopey smile, and fake laughs make you realize how easy it should be to get into the acting business. He does ok in the movie, but I feel that he is the low point of it. I think the movie would have been much better with someone more prone to, I don't know....acting. There are a few surprise actors that really bring the film closer to its origin. Michelle Williams ("Shutter Island", "Blue Valentine") plays our good witch, and plays her perfecly. Zach Braff ("Scrubs") is our unknowingly intrepid heroe's sidekick, and makes him as goofy and he is loyal.
Overall I would give it a 3 1/2 out of 5. It was very entertaining, and I would watch it again. However James Franco drives me up a wall, so I don't want to look as his face that often. But I would certainly recommend it to anyone who likes fiction, and adventure. There are some good laughs, and it will hold your attention.
I would love to rant about your favorite, or most hated, films. Send me your requests at entertaindave@gmail.com and follow me on twitter @entertaindave
No comments:
Post a Comment