Oz The Great And Powerful (2013)  

Review: written December 2013

Nostalgic retread with eye-popping visuals

I have to be honest, I can't quite understand the vitriol that some people have harboured towards this film. The idea of making another film in the world of Oz seems at first to be sacrilegious.. and yet as the movie rumbled on past the slightly overlong prologue in `real world', I found myself quite enchanted. For sure, it was more by the spectacle - the colours and definition really pop off the screen in high definition. But the story works, even if the lines the actors are given can be a bit clunky, and there is a genuine sense of wonder in seeing this world. It's a satisfying blend of special effects and cgi working seamlessly to make the story work. Talking monkeys have never been so believable.

To give away anything about the plot would be a shame, sufficient to say it is about the origins of the Wizard of Oz, and his confrontation with the wicked witch. What's more important is that it's a treat to have a movie transport you somewhere, and this movie does that, particularly from the moment the sepia toned opening to the widescreen visually spectacular world of Oz. In that regard, Sam Raimi was just the man for this job, making a movie that stands on its own merit, with his Raimi touches giving it just the right amount of darkness, and yet with sufficient nods and homages to the original for the observant and of course, imagination in abundance. If the acting can be theatrical, it's because this is a fable not a kitchen sink drama. The cast are more or less up to the task.. Franco is a slightly odd choice for the wizard, but it works, partly because of the support from Rachel Weisz in a fine performance. Mila Kunis and Michelle Williams do an ok job of keeping up with Weisz's bad witch schtick, but Williams in particular seems to struggle a bit to give her character any dimension.. In short, it's the sort of movie that is more likely to tell you about the characters feeling or direction through their makeup and wardrobe than the acting or script.

Nothing is likely to match the hold on people's hearts the original has, but we could hardly expect a more satisfying blend of spectacle, drama and a little humour than this. The sugar rush you get from the most lovingly and imaginatively created world zinging off the screen more than compensates for the lack of spice in the chemistry of the leads.